Mommy, Lose That Baby Belly – Fast Food Edition

Whether you’ve been trying to get rid of that baby belly for three months or three years – or more – it’s very possible to do without completely punishing yourself.

Before I got pregnant, I weighed about 145, not quite where I’d wanted to be. At my last prenatal checkup before TJ was born, I weighed 180 pounds. TJ weighed 6 pounds 2 ounces. I’d started a “non-diet” to lose weight last year, only to be derailed by the death of my grandfather. Earlier this year, I decided to get back on track. Now, in July, I’m down to 135, ten pounds lighter than when I got pregnant, a happy weight I haven’t seen in years.

How did I do it? The US RDA recommends 2000 calories per day for the average adult. I cut 100-300 calories out of my diet every day. It’s not hard to stay between 1700 and 1900 calories per day when you’re keeping track. That allows for 500-600 calories per meal. I kept track using FitDay.com. It’s free to sign up and use online, or you can download their software for $20. I downloaded the program and use it to create custom food profiles with multiple ingredients, but I use the online program daily because it’s easier to import restaurant dietary information from DietFacts.com.

But if you’re not quite into keeping track of every little thing you eat every single day, it helps if you can at least estimate your calorie intake every day. And if you’re like me, you go out to eat a lot. It’s hardest to eat well when you don’t make your own food, so here are some example meals from some of the fast food restaurants I frequent. Maybe it can help you!

Note: I often order kids meals at the fast food restaurants when they do not have age restrictions. The smaller portions allow me to control my calories while still enjoying the taste of the food I like. If I’m still hungry later on, I can have a light snack to tide me over until the next meal.

McDonald’s

660 Calories. Cheeseburger Happy Meal with small french fries and child-size Coca-Cola. Or save 110 calories by drinking a diet soda.

630 Calories. Premium Grilled Chicken Classic Sandwich with snack size fruit and walnut salad and diet soda. Save 50 calories by asking for no mayo.

660 Calories. Quarter Pounder (no cheese) with small french fries and diet soda.

510 calories. Honey Mustard Snack Wrap with Grilled Chicken, small french fries, and diet soda.

610 Calories. 6-Piece Chicken McNugget Happy Meal with small french fries and child-size Sprite. Or save 110 calories by drinking diet soda.

Burger King

670 Calories. Cheeseburger kids meal with small french fries and child-size Coca-Cola.

470 Calories. Tendergrill chicken sandwich (no mayo) with small side salad, Ken’s light Italian dressing, and Minute Maid Light Lemonade.

400 Calories. Tendercrisp garden salad with Ken’s Fat Free Ranch dressing and diet soda.

600 Calories. Whopper Jr. with small french fries and diet soda. Or save 80 calories by asking for no mayo.

Wendy’s

590 Calories. Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger with small chili and diet soda.

600 Calories. Roasted Turkey and Swiss Frescata sandwich with side salad, reduced fat creamy ranch dressing, and diet soda. Or save 60 calories by asking for no mayo.

605 Calories. Ham and cheese sandwich kids meal with small fries and child-size Coca-Cola. Or save 85 calories by drinking diet soda.

640 Calories. Ultimate Chicken Grill sandwich with sour cream and chives baked potato and diet soda. Save 40 calories by asking for no honey mustard sauce. Save another 50 calories for skipping the reduced fat sour cream.

Taco Bell

370 Calories. Beef soft taco (with lettuce and cheese), regular style Pintos ‘n Cheese, and diet soda.

680 Calories. Chicken Fiesta Burrito (with cheese, fiesta rice, and salsa), nachos and cheese, and diet soda. Or save 100 calories by skipping the cheese sauce with your nachos.

840 Calories. Fiesta Taco Salad with diet soda. Save 90 calories by skipping the sour cream. Save a whopping 370 calories by not eating the shell it comes in. Or just eat half of the shell and split the difference.

Christina Gleason (976 Posts)

That’s me: Christina Gleason. I’m a writer, editor, and disability advocate. I'm a multiply disabled autistic lady doing my best in this world built for abled people. I’m a geek for grammar, fantasy, and casual gaming. I hate vegetables. I cannot reliably speak, so I’ll happily conduct business over email or messaging instead.