Are french fries that evil? On my trip last week I ordered small french fries with my burger without bun and diet coke (I know, I know, what do I think that if I order diet coke I can have fries)... I haven't eaten fries in a long time, they tasted SO, SO good.

In my 20s I used to be able to eat double burgers, xl fries, well, anything I wanted and still be thin. I KNOW those days are over as I'm having to calorie count to lose weight and get thin again.

IF I start to EAT again like the last time I lost weight, I'll gain again. I'm not in maintenance mode yet.... but I'm just wondering how evil those fries are, they gave me energy while I was traveling and working hard. I was exercising and I lost a lb that week.

I'm wondering how obsessive I've become. And I'm just thinking every now and then I can enjoy something, like a few fries, or a small portion, perhaps I'll put fries on my once a month list, only when traveling as a "treat"...

Are fries once a month going to kill you? No. And I do believe anything can be fit into your plan if the calories work. But I wouldn't make them a regular choice, since there are so many nutrients you could be getting in that many calories of real food that you aren't going to get in deep fried potato.

After about 2 months of eating more healthfully, I had some Wendys fries, and they made me really sick. Now I never eat fast food fries, though I will have a few once every month or so at a restaurant.

I think as long as you can control it, it's not such a bad thing. For me, if I ate those fries I would go in and get two double cheeseburgers and a chocolate milkshake to go along with it. I think if you are very careful it's okay. I am a sucker for pizza, so I allow myself a dinner out once a week and occassionally I have pizza. This week I'm having Red Lobster. I basically give myself one meal a week that is my "treat" but I can only have that if I have been good all week.

I love fries, but I make oven fries and they are actually much better than fast food. Cut your potato into "fries", spray baking sheet with cooking spray, lightly spray potato with cooking spray and season. Bake for about 40 minutes at 400. Yum!! Green beans are great this way too.

I was just going to post, too, about the oven fries!!! They're awesome-I have them about once a week with a lean piece of steak. Really worth giving it a try-fast food fries make me sick, too.........

And asparagus and brussel sprouts and eggplant and cauliflower...(I am a huge fan of roasted vegetables!)

Like everyone else has said, the calories won't kill your plan as long as you work them into your daily total. I mean, you could eat 1600 calories of M&Ms a day and lose weight, but you wouldn't be very healthy doing it that way, if you know what I mean.

It's all about choices and what you choose to put into your body. I have this huge stomach-turning reaction to fast food (but have no trouble throwing ice cream, chocolate, brownies, cookies, etc. down the gullet). We all have our vices. You have to do what works for you, keeping in mind that you are ultimately accountable to what goes in your mouth.

Kara

If it's an occasional treat I don't think it's a problem. I'd try to find out what kind of oil the restaurant fries in though. Trans fats aren't good for your body.

When ever we travel and are near an In-N-Out we stop. I usually get a grilled cheese and either fries or a shake. Sometimes DH and I will get one of each and share. YUM! I know that In-N-Out fries in canola oil, so I don't worry about the extra fat too much. It's not an every day thing.

Yummy! I have been wanting some Red Lobster!

Zenor - I totally forgot about my "In-N-Out Exception" - I always get a burger and fries when making the 8 hr drive from northern CA to southern CA to see my partner's family. There is one particular one we stop at, and we do it every time. This is maybe twice a year, and really the only time I eat fast food now.

Okay - that's the reason I avoid them, they are a binge/trigger food for me. Fast food is a very slippery slope for me, I used to eat wayyy too much. McDonalds french fries are like crack to me, even worse than Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies.

I don't think fast food french fries are "evil" (the only food I really think is evil is sugary soda, oh and fennel, that stuff is disgusting) but I think it's definitely unhealthy enough for me to avoid. I'll stick to homemade fries!

By all means, an occasional treat will not ruin all your hard work. Let's face it, food is tasty and we are humans who like tasty things. What would your mindset be like if you could never, ever have fries again? You'd probably start craving them all the time. And when you finally 'gave in' you'd likely gorge yourself into oblivion because you wouldn't know when you'd get them again. And don't even get me started on the whole 'eating forbidden food' guilt trip you'd be on.

Moderation, moderation, moderation. Plan your work and work your plan and all that jazz.

Oooo, roasted carrots as so, so, so good. And little red bliss spuds. A little EVOO, salt, pepper, garlic and onions powders and some crushed rosemary -- fantastic.

Abosolutely!

I don't care for fennel either, and don't get me started on celery!

Kara

Maybe I'm the only one that doesn't like In N Out, I never cared for them although it is nice that they offer grilled onions for their burgers.

As for fries, I don't really eat fried foods for a couple reasons. One because they are high in calories and also because I have gall stones and fatty foods can activate them. I had fries a couple months back and they just didn't taste good. Today I went out to eat and the standard side for the place we went to is fries. I had a salad instead. I had thought about the calories for the fries and if I really wanted them, I could've fit them into my plan but I went with a higher calorie 'burger' (veggie with guacamole) instead.

If you miss fries, I too suggest making oven fries.

OK... let's get real...

McDonalds SMALL french fries:
250 cals, 120 fat cals, 30 grams carb, 2 grams protein.

Wendy's SMALL french fries:
340 cals, 140 fat cals, 45 grams carb, 4 grams protein.

Burger King SMALL french fries:
230 cals, fat cals not given, but 13 g. fat, 18 grams carb, 2 grams protein

These are the SMALL, in case you didn't get that. That's about 3 ounces or less of food.

I once stopped at a fast food place on a trip--for a snack--and got a diet cola and a small french fries. I thought this was OK. And then later I found out that that was as many calories as I usually ate for LUNCH! And half an hour later, my stomach was empty again!

So, it's your body. If you think you can get away with fast food fries, you can plan around the calories, etc. then good! I just think there are way, way better things I can eat for that many calories...

Jay

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE roasted veggies. Roasted green beans, IMO are way better then fries. At least from what I can remember. I don't want to try them anytime soon to find out, that's for sure.

And fennel IS disgusting. IMO of course.