McDonalds Calorie Counter - Fast Food For Fast Weight Loss

When you think fast food, you don’t normally think weight loss - weight gain is more like it. But it doesn’t have to be that way thanks to the McDonalds Calorie Counter.

The Calorie Counter comes in the wake of the film ‘Supersize Me’. If you recall this documentary, the film’s subject experimented on eating nothing but McDonalds food for 30 days. The results took a toll on his health, including a whopping 25-pound weight gain.

But, as it turns out, it is actually possible to eat nothing but McDonalds or any other fast food and still lose weight. What you need to know is what you’re eating or what you can eat, which is where the McDonald’s Calorie Counter comes in. The counter calculates what foods in the McDonalds menu you can take in, and in what amounts.

And people have taken up the challenge of eating nothing but McDonalds’ food for a month without gaining weight - some had even lost weight in the process. The key is in choosing primarily salads and other healthier fare available in their menu. You’ll be surprised, you can even enjoy your choice of hamburger and McNuggets, even the occasional fries and milk shake. Portions and how often you can indulge will be specified by the calorie counter.

McDonalds, like many other fast food restaurants, has made their calorie counter freely available online and at most of their restaurants. Since the food is all standardized, you can pick one of them up and know that what you get is going to very close to what the guides say.

With the help of a McDonalds calorie counter, you need to select foods that fit into your diet plan. Basically, you need to make sure your daily calorie intake fits within a range that is going to let you lose weight. As long as you are within that range, you can eat whatever you like.

So go ahead and indulge in your favorite fast food. But make sure you stick to the calorie counter’s recommendations and you won’t risk gaining those unwanted extra pounds.

3-Day Cardiac Diet - Fast, Easy Weight Loss

The 3-day cardiac diet is one of the quickest and easiest ways to lose weight. Also known as the Birmingham Hospital Diet, it is supposed to help heart patients lose some extra pounds in preparation for surgery.

This diet is quite similar to the popular Mayo Clinic or Grapefruit Diet and also the Cleveland Clinic Diet. All these diets are variations on a theme of high-protein, low carb meal plans.  The purpose of all these diets is to enable a person to lose as much weight as possible in three days. The namesake hospitals and clinics have not publicly endorsed these 3-day diets, but they have been used for many years by many people who attest they do work. 

The 3-day cardiac diet is a high protein, limited calorie diet that calls for primarily eating vegetables and lean protein or meat. Because of the amounts of vegetables and meat you are encouraged to eat, there should be no risk of nutritional deficiencies.  But it is crucial that you do not stay on this limited calorie-intake diet longer than the alloted 3 days. Otherwise, you risk certain undesirable effects on your health - including slowing down your metabolism in the long run. 

For breakfast on each of the three days, the focus is getting ample protein along with some fats. The usual meal consists of about half a cup of water-packed tuna or cottage cheese.  Add to this two eggs cooked in your preferred style - but without any added cheese or dairy.

This gives you a good mix of protein and fat, which are important for keeping hunger down and giving you the materials you need to keep your muscles strong. Under no circumstances should you skip breakfast or not eat the full amount. You may have coffee or tea with it, but make sure not to use sweeteners or any dairy products. 

Lunch will be a mixture of tuna and salad. On the first two days, you may have a half a cup of water packed tuna, and a generous serving of salad. Keep in mind, though, that the salad must be all vegetables - no cheese or croutons. Make sure to use olive oil as your dressing, and you can indulge a bit with the olive oil since you need the good fats for proper metabolism.  On the third day, you may increase your protein in the form of tuna - to a full cup.

Dinner on the 3-day cardiac diet will consist of your preferred kind of lean meat. But skip adding sauce or breading. You need to eat this with two different types of vegetables, steamed and without sauce. You are, however, encouraged to use some butter for flavoring.

Do not eat bread, pasta, potatoes or any other starches on the 3 day cardiac diet. It was especially designed to skip the carbs and up the protein and fiber precisely to effect quick weight loss.  Remember to drink at least 64 ounces of water each day, while on the diet. Do not cheat - it is only three days before you get the weight loss you are working for.

Stick to the 3-day cardiac-diet and you will lose weight. To keep the pounds off, make sure you follow through with a sensible, long term eating plan supported by regular exercise.

3-Day Diets - The Fastest Way To Lose Weight

3-day diets are popular because they do work. Stick to them and in that short amount of time you will shed those extra pounds. Some have lost between 6 to 10 pounds in one go thanks to these specially-designed diets. The low-carbohydrate, high protein diets often shave off the mid-section, and there is actual fat loss involved, not just water weight.

The important question is: are they safe? Generally, these diets should do no harm provided they are not used longer than the prescribed three days. 

Typical 3-day diets have you eating mostly meat, vegetables and fruit over the course of the three days. During this time, starches and sugar are kept at a minimum, some have them completely eliminated.

This is actually a big improvement over the way most people normally eat. And although calorie intake is very limited, there is little chance of becoming malnourished since the meal plan is only to be followed for three days.

Problems can arise if people go on the diets for extended periods,  or if they use the diets on and off repeatedly within a short span of time. Aside from losing vital nutrients and decreasing energy, you can also actually slow down your metabolism - making it even harder to keep trim.

When you go on a 3-day diet, it is important to keep in mind that their purpose should be for losing pounds quickly in aid to a longer term, more sustainable eating plan. Go on any effective 3-day diet and you will lose those extra 6 to 10 pounds. However, you will pack those pounds back again just as quickly as you lost them if you do not follow through with some sensible, healthy eating. Exercise is also crucial to keeping those pounds off.

One suggestion is to do a three on, four off version of the diet. In the three day period, do the diets exactly as planned. For the next four days, eat the same foods with bigger portions. This should prevent metabolic slowdown and help make the 3-day diets work for better for you.

But at a certain point you will have to go back to eating more varied food groups, just keeping the portions in check to maintain whatever weight you had lost. Remember, you still need to take in some carbohydrates eventually - otherwise you risk nutritional imbalances or weakness and fatigue.

And before trying any of the popular three day diets, make sure that you do not have a pre-existing condition or illness that would contraindicate going on a very limited calorie regimen. Note that these 3-day diets usually only let you take in no more than 1000 calories per day.

It is important to lose weight, yes - just not at the expense of your long term, general health.

Dr. Perricone’s 3-Day Diet - Facelift On A Plate

Many have already tried Dr. Perricone’s 3-day diet and do claim it is a facelift on a plate. The famous dermatologist and anti-aging guru laid out this diet program on the Oprah Winfrey Show and now there are a lot of believers out there.

Dr. Nicholas Perricone designed the food combinations to counteract inflammation and the effect is looking like you had a subtle facelift. The kind of inflammation targeted by the Perricone 3-day diet is chronic inflammation - as opposed to acute inflammation from a sprain or other injury.

As we age, we tend to get this kind of over-all inflammation that does not have very noticeable symptoms, and yet it is responsible for most of the effects of aging on our bodies and skin. According to Dr. Perricone, chronic inflammation is aggravated by the kinds of food we eat.

The Perricone 3-day diet is a carefully selected meal plan composed of foods that prevent this kind of inflammation. The diet also limits insulin, which is another thing that can drastically age people. Since this diet is composed of generally healthy, low calorie food, you will lose weight as a bonus. 

The diet has to be followed exactly as prescribed for best results. So stick to the precise food combinations - nothing more, nothing less. It is also important that you stay on the diet no longer than the prescribed three days. 

3-Day Chemical Breakdown Diet

The 3-day chemical breakdown diet is said to be effective for quick weight loss because of the precise food combinations it calls for. One explanation is that these food combinations create a mix of enzymes within our bodies that optimizes fat loss.

There are three other reasons why the 3-day chemical breakdown diet helps you lose weight. First, it requires that you eat a lot of high fiber vegetables that are not only low calorie, they also help clean our gut and reduce bloating.

Second, even with the alloted ice cream and peanut butter, the 3-day chemical breakdown diet is generally low in carbohydrates which will cause you to lose water weight. Cutting down on carbohydrates or carbs would also mean less sugar into your system.

Third, among many other diets, this one seems to have the lowest total calorie limit.  Many people have used this diet successfully, claiming to lose as much as six to ten pounds in three days. The usual menu for the 3-day chemical breakdown diet looks like this:   

3-Day Diet Review - Which One Works Best?

This is going to be a review of the more popular 3-day diets. They are all similar actually, with just some variations. Still, you will find that each specific kind of diet works best for different types of people.

The general purpose of these diets is to lose weight as quickly as possible over a short period of time. You could think of them as sprints as opposed to the marathon of long term dieting. Like sprints, they should not be maintained for the long run. What they can be is a quick jump start to longer term, less restrictive eating plans that will shed pounds - and keep them off.

These quick 3-day diets we are featuring are all low calorie, low carbohydrate meal plans. Starchy foods like bread, potatoes and pasta are extremely limited. They all restrict carbohydrates because this causes you to lose water weight quickly.

The low carbohydrates combined with the the high protein food combinations leads to rapid weight loss. The main differences in the three types of diets we’re looking at lies in the kinds of foods you are allowed to eat.

The Mayo Clinic Diet

This is by far the most popular 3-Day diet. It is also known as the grapefruit diet, because every meal starts by eating half of a large grapefruit.

This diet focuses on eating meat and vegetables - with grapefruit as a starter. For the most part, portion size is not limited, but you are not allowed any bread or dairy. The grapefruit eaten before every meal is supposed to make you eat less because it causes you to feel full easier. Grapefruit is also known to have enzymes that help break down fat.

If you’re a big fan of bread and sweets, this might be difficult to follow. But do keep in mind, it only lasts three days so you just might be able to stick with it and lose a lot of excess pounds in the process.

Cleveland Clinic Diet

Among the three diets featured here, the Cleveland Diet is the most calorie restrictive. However, it also has the biggest variety of food. You get to eat bread, peanut butter and cheese, as well as ice cream, but the amounts you get to eat are very small.

If you like variety and if your food has to be tasty, this is probably going to be the best 3-Day diet for you. Unlike the Mayo Clinic diet though, you probably will not get that full-stomach feeling. Because this is an extremely low calorie diet it is important you do not go beyond the prescribed three days.

Tuna and Water Diet

The Tuna and Water Diet is perhaps the most extreme among these three featured meal plans. For three days, you eat as much water packed tuna as you like, along with drinking as much water as you can. But that’s all - no other food allowed.

The upside of this diet is that it is the fastest way to lose weight. The downside: many people cannot handle eating this limited variety of food, even for just three days. If you can stick to it, like some people have, you cannot, under any circumstances, do this for more than three days without risking health consequences.

So now that you have a general idea about these popular 3-Day diets, you should choose one that suits your preferences and lifestyle. Do remember not to go past three days on such limited calorie intake.

But after getting your desired quick weight loss, you should maintain it with a sensible long-term eating plan - that’s best combined with good old exercise.

Lose Weight Fast on the Mayo Clinic 3-Day Diet

The Mayo Clinic 3-Day Diet is designed for quick weight loss. The purpose is to help heart patients take off weight in a matter of days to prepare them for open heart surgery. It has to be fast as three days, as this is the longest amount of time doctors could give some patients before their heart surgeries.

Although the Mayo Clinic does not endorse the diet for general use, it has become a popular 3-day diet for many people. Models or actors who need to lose weight fast, even people with a high school reunion coming up have used the diet with good results. Many people lose as much six pounds on the diet, and occasionally more. Larger people are the ones who tend to lose more weight.

But aside from being an quick slim-down diet for people who just want to lose a few pounds, The Mayo Clinic Diet can be used to jump start a long-term diet program that is less restrictive. Besides, it is not advisable to continue the diet beyond the prescribed three days. To prolong this very restrictive diet beyond this point is not healthy in the long run.

The Mayo Clinic 3-Day Diet is also known as the Grapefruit Diet because you are required to eat a portion of the fruit at the start of every meal. This is because grapefruit contains enzymes that help digestion and also promote fat burning. It is important that you eat the grapefruit first to get the full effect of this body chemical process for quick weight loss.

The diet involves a specific combination of foods designed to accelerate your metabolism and help you flush excess toxins and fluids from your body. The precise food combinations and the effect they have on body chemistry is the reason the Mayo Clinic 3-Day Diet works so quickly.

On the diet, you will be eating three meals a day, strictly no in-between-meals snacking. Remember, this is only for three days, so giving up snacks shouldn’t be a big deal. There are a few foods that are restricted entirely: bread products, pasta, white potatoes, sweet potatoes, white onions and sugar in general. You will also need to avoid dairy products, including cheese, milk and even yogurt.

Every meal must start with half a large grapefruit or four ounces of unsweetened grapefruit juice. Note that using sweetened grapefruit juice will not give you best results.

Breakfast on the Mayo Clinic 3-Day Diet should consist of two eggs, done anyway you like, and two slices of bacon. Make sure that you are using regular bacon for this, and not substituts like turkey bacon or tofu bacon. You may use as much butter as you like.

Lunch will consist of a portion of any meat, and any kind of salad. You can even indulge as long as you do not eat any of the prohibited foods. Remember, you need these foods to burn fat, so trying to starve yourself would be counter productive.

For dinner, you will again have a portion of meat and any vegetables you like that are not on the restricted foods list. Again, you may use butter - real butter and not margarine.

That’s the Mayo Clinic 3-Day Diet in a nutshell - make sure to eat grapefruit before every meal, and be sure to stick with the prescribed food combinations. This will help you drop the pounds quicker than you ever thought possible. And remember, this is strictly only for 3 days.

Quick Weight Loss on the 3-Day Heart Diet

The 3-Day Heart diet was supposedly designed for people that need to lose weight quickly before heart surgery. You have probably heard of them: The Mayo Clinic Diet, Cleveland Clinic Diet or the one ascribed to the American Heart Association. The purported rationale behind these 3-day diets is that they let heart patients lose, weight, bloat and water retention that could put extra stress on their body during and after surgery.

Do note that The American Heart Association and the clinics mentioned do not officially endorse these diets for everyone. In fact, they have all denied to have developed these quick weight loss plans. But these 3-Day diets remain popular because many people who have tried them can attest that they do result in rapid weight loss.

On average, you can lose up to six pounds over the course of the 3-day diet. Larger people can even lose up to ten pounds in three days. It seems the more weight you need to lose, the more you do lose in the course of those 3 days.

This kind of weight loss is possible because of the low calorie, low carb and high protein food combinations. You will lose a substantial amount of water weight, as well as clearing out any excess matter from your guts. Combined with a likely pound or two of actual fat loss, this accounts for most of the weight lost on the 3-Day Heart Diet.

There is a set type and amount of food for each meal while you are on the meal plan, and this changes from day to day. The variety makes it easier to follow, but keep in mind that this is a very low calorie plan with very limited food groups involved. For this reason, it is not advisable to extend the diet beyond the recommended three days.

Now here’s a sample menu for the 3-Day Heart Diet:

BREAKFAST

Day One

1/2 of a whole grapefruit or 4 ounces of grapefruit juice, unsweetened
1 slice of toast with a teaspoon of peanut butter
Tea or coffee, optional - no dairy or creamer

Day Two

1 hard-boiled egg
1 slice of toast
1/2 Banana
Tea or coffee, optional - no dairy or creamer

Day Three

1 hard-boiled egg
1 slice of toast
Tea or coffee, optional - no dairy or creamer

LUNCH

Day One

1/2 cup of water packed tuna
1 slice of toast

Day Two

1 cup of cottage cheese
5 saltine crackers

Day Three

1 slice of cheddar cheese
5 saltine crackers
1 small apple

DINNER

Day One

A quarter pound of any meat
1 cup of string beans
1 cup of carrots, cooked or raw
1 small apple
1 cup of vanilla ice cream

Day Two

2 hot dogs
1 cup of broccoli
1/2 cup of carrots, cooked or raw.
1/2 banana
1 cup of vanilla ice cream

Day Three

1 cup of water packed tuna
1 cup of beets
1 cup green beans
1 cup cantaloupe
1 cup of vanilla ice cream

On the 3 day heart diet, you are not to use any kind of spice or additive except for salt and pepper. Again, it is not advisable to stay on this meal plan longer than 3 days as it is very low calorie.

For best results, alternate the 3-Day Heart Diet with four days of higher calorie eating to avoid the possible long term effect of slowing down your metabolism. Once you obtain some quick weight loss, it is best to follow with a long term sensible eating plan that involves a bigger variety of healthy food.

3-Day Diet Menu - Eat Your Way To Thinness

Need to jump start your weight loss plan? Maybe just want to shed a few pounds quickly and that’s it. Or maybe you need to trim down significantly over a longer period of time, but just want a significant head start. Whichever the case may be, you are probably considering one of those 3-day diets. Read on for the low-down on which 3-day diet menu could work for you.

Some of the popular ones are: the Mayo Clinic Diet, The Cleveland Clinic Diet or the Tuna and Water Diet. Each one provides a different menu, but they work on the same basic principles of low calorie, low carbohydrate eating. The result is usually rapid weight loss, somewhere in the neighborhood of two pounds a day.

These popular 3-day diets supposedly originated from their medical clinic namesakes. They are said to be given to heart patients who need to loose weight quickly before surgery. The clinics have not officially endorsed these quick weight loss plans for the general public, but they are still widely used because they do get results.

Mayo Clinic Diet

Probably the most popular 3-day weight loss plan is the Mayo Clinic Diet, also known as the Grapefruit Diet. What sets this apart from the others is that it makes use of one specific food staple which is - surprise… grapefruit! On the Mayo Diet, you are required to eat this citrus fruit before every meal.

Grapefruit is known to contain enzymes that promote fat loss. But aside from its supposed fat-burning enzymes, what is more evident is that when you eat grapefruit before a meal you are likely to eat less.

Grapefruits are not only low in calories, they are high in water and bulk fiber. This means that when you eat them they take up a great deal of space in your stomach, making you feel full. This will result in you eating less of the following calorie-dense meal - but without feeling deprived.

3-Day Diet Variations

Of course, there are other kinds of 3-Day Diets out there. Generally they vary according to how much carbohydrate foods they allow. In some diets, you are allowed a bit of bread or toast, others ban carbohydrates and starches altogether.

Typically, breakfast on these diet programs will consist of one of two choices. On those that allow for a bit of carbs you could have toast with peanut butter for protein. On the lower carb or no carb programs you could have strictly proteins only like two eggs and some bacon.

Lunch would be similar. If the diet permits some carbs, you will have meat and a piece of bread or toast and maybe some fruit for dessert. Low carb regimens will just have you eating meat and a salad. Strictly no carbs here, but you’ll be allowed to indulge in some flavorful full-fat dressing.

During dinner time, carb to protein ratios ratios usually stay the same. But for some of the low carb diets you won’t be allowed any carbohydrates for your last meal of the day. Typical dinner is a good portion of meat and vegetables. You will be allowed bigger portions compared to lunch.

The higher carb 3-day diets actually have a tendency to be lower in calories to compensate for the extra carbohydrates allowed. On the other hand, lower carb or no carb diet programs are actually much less restrictive in the calorie count.

The key to successful quick weight loss, is to find which program is easiest for you to stick with and follow through.

Green Tea Health Benefits

Herbal Teas are gaining in popularity and variety these days. Green Tea is a favorite variety - especially for the health conscious. It is known to fight off cancer, diabetes, high cholesterol and other diseases. Numerous reviews have been written about green tea’s health benefits and the anecdotal evidence is mounting.

The Chinese have been drinking green tea for hundreds of years. All this time they have used this wonder drink for medicinal purposes. Green tea was used for headaches, food poisoning, indigestion and other ailments. Green tea’s health benefits have also been known in India for many years - popular among those who practice natural, holistic healing.

Recent studies indicate that Chinese men who drank green tea regularly over a number of years have a lower rate of cancer compared to those who don’t drink the beverage.

Green Tea the Super Anti-Oxidant

First cultivated in China, green tea comes from the leaves of a plant known as Camellia Sinesis. Studies have determined that this plant contains high levels of catechin polyphenols called epigallocatechin gallate or EGCG. EGCG is a potent anti-oxidant which can help inhibit cancer cell growth. The polyphenols also add to green tea health benefits because it lowers cholesterol and helps prevent blood clots.

Grenn Tea versus Black Tea

While other tea varieties are known to have medicinal value too, green tea health benefits appear to exceed the rest. One significant difference of green tea from other teas is in the preparation. Green tea is made from fresh leaves of the plant. Another famous herbal drink black tea is made from fermented leaves. Studies show the fermentation process lowers the EGCG content of black tea. Green tea trumps black tea in health benefits since it comes from fresh leaves and so it has more preserved anti-oxidants.

Green Tea for Weight Loss

Recent studies also show that green tea health benefits include weight loss. The anti-oxidants in green teas helps burn calories as well. Green tea promotes weight loss because it detoxifies our system - flushing out fats, while enhancing the proper absorption of nutrients.

Green Tea for Healthier Teeth

Did you know that green tea is also good for your teeth and general oral health? Green tea has antiseptic properties that are known to fight bacteria that cause cavities. The polyphenols found in green tea also strengthen teeth and prevent bad breath. Some people even gargle with green tea for a healthier mouth.

Green Tea for Vitamins and Over-all Health

Green tea is a good source of vitamin C which is why it boosts our immune system. It also has Vitamin B that helps burn carbohydrates and vitamin E for healthier and younger looking skin.

It is also recommended for patients suffering from rheumatism or arthritis because of its anti-inflammatory properties. Other health benefits of green tea: it is known to lower blood sugar, reduce stress and prevent high blood pressure.

So go ahead, indulge in this wonder drink. Hot or cold - it tastes great too!

Next Page »