The Secret Fast-Food-Diet

by David Zinczenko
You can melt away flab without setting foot in a gym, sacrificing your favorite foods, or eating less. Sounds crazy, right? It’s not. The secret is knowing how to swap your favorite foods smartly. If you know that choosing one fast-food burger over another can save you dozens of pounds a year, or understood a simple ordering trick that could help your body melt belly flab, you'd make those smart choices every time, right? Well, you're about to discover them!

A few years ago I asked people to start following the simple "smart swap" eating principles from Eat This, Not That! A few months later the letters started pouring in, and they haven't stopped. Erika Bowen of Minneapolis, Minnesota (pictured right), told me she dropped 84 pounds—without dieting. “I feel like I’ve always wanted to feel,” she said. “Other people are finally seeing me the way I’ve always seen myself.” Once she discovered the truth about her food, she learned she could lose weight and never feel hungry.
The point is this: You can eat fast food and still get a flat belly. You just have to do it the right way. The costs of the wrong way? According to a 2005 study from the medical journal the Lancet, people who eat fast food more than twice a week carry 10 more pounds of body fat than those who eat fast food fewer than once a week. What’s more, fast food eaters have a higher rate of insulin resistance, which puts them at risk for diabetes.
So the risk is there. But fast food needn’t be a health threat, nor does it have to make you fat. You just have to develop a few healthy habits, the very best (and also easiest) of which I've outlined for you here:

Secret #1: Don't fall for combos


At every fast food restaurant, as soon as you decide on an entrée, expect to face some variation of this question: “Would you like to make it a combo meal?” Of course you’re tempted. This is the modern-day equivalent of supersizing, wherein you get an average of 55 percent more calories for 17 percent more money. It’s also the cheapest way for excess sugar, salt and lard to get you fat in a hurry. Just say no.
Secret #2: Chew it over


Just because it’s fast food doesn’t mean you should inhale it as quickly as possible. A 2009 study by Dutch researchers found that chewing each bite for 3 extra seconds could help you consume fewer calories overall. The reason? The extra chewing helps your brain register the food, and thus, helps you feel full quicker. (In my job overseeing Men's Health and Women's Health magazines, I discover the best new health and nutrition tips every day.
Secret #3: Beware the "health halo"


What’s the health halo? It’s the misguided assumption that meals served from “healthy” chains are always better for you than those served from unhealthy ones. Consider this: A study from the Journal of Consumer Research asked diners at Subway and McDonald’s to estimate the number of calories in their meals, and although both groups underestimated the actual amount, the Subway diners were off by a larger margin. The reason? When seduced by the promise of a healthy meal, diners tend to order more food.
 
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