So you CAN eat McDonald's every day...
Caitwn
Posts: 1,215 Member
I know in some of the epic battles on these boards, those who prefer to lose weight via simply maintaining a caloric deficit (as opposed to following a more specific eating plan such as low-carb, high-carb, paleo, keto, or any one of several other choices) get accused of claiming that you can lose weight just fine even if all you eat is "junk" food.
The discussions seem to be never-ending. Such is the nature of diets and discussion boards.
So I hope nobody takes this the wrong way, but I couldn't resist posting about the following:
In September 2013, a science teacher made himself the subject of an experiment, and his students helped carry it out.
At the beginning of his experiment, he weighed 280 pounds. In six months, he lost 56 pounds by limiting his daily intake to 2000 calories and exercising 45 minutes five times a week. He significantly improved his blood labs results.
He ate his meals at McDonald's (540 meals, to be exact), and he didn't just eat salads. He ordered almost everything on the menu, and ordered fries daily.
Here's the documentary he made - "540 Meals: Choices Make the Difference":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPp27kQpkmE&feature=youtu.be
Some people are now upset with him because McDonald's has paid him to become a brand ambassador and made a teachers' discussion guide based on his video for teaching kids about healthy eating.
I won't editorialize about that either way. It'll be interesting to see how all of this turns out. He emphasizes throughout the film that the film isn't really about McDonald's. It's about teaching kids how to make healthy choices.
As for the teacher? He still eats a meal a day at McDonald's.
"I spent a half a year of my life eating nothing but Mcdonald's and I know it works so when I hear the skeptics, it doesn't disgruntle me. It actually fires me up because those are the people that I have to educate."
Regardless of where you fall on the "you can eat fast food" versus "fast food is unhealthy" spectrum, I hope you find this at least entertaining and interesting.
The discussions seem to be never-ending. Such is the nature of diets and discussion boards.
So I hope nobody takes this the wrong way, but I couldn't resist posting about the following:
In September 2013, a science teacher made himself the subject of an experiment, and his students helped carry it out.
At the beginning of his experiment, he weighed 280 pounds. In six months, he lost 56 pounds by limiting his daily intake to 2000 calories and exercising 45 minutes five times a week. He significantly improved his blood labs results.
He ate his meals at McDonald's (540 meals, to be exact), and he didn't just eat salads. He ordered almost everything on the menu, and ordered fries daily.
Here's the documentary he made - "540 Meals: Choices Make the Difference":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPp27kQpkmE&feature=youtu.beSome people are now upset with him because McDonald's has paid him to become a brand ambassador and made a teachers' discussion guide based on his video for teaching kids about healthy eating.
I won't editorialize about that either way. It'll be interesting to see how all of this turns out. He emphasizes throughout the film that the film isn't really about McDonald's. It's about teaching kids how to make healthy choices.
As for the teacher? He still eats a meal a day at McDonald's.
"I spent a half a year of my life eating nothing but Mcdonald's and I know it works so when I hear the skeptics, it doesn't disgruntle me. It actually fires me up because those are the people that I have to educate."
Regardless of where you fall on the "you can eat fast food" versus "fast food is unhealthy" spectrum, I hope you find this at least entertaining and interesting.
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Replies
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Yes i live on fast food lol0
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I work at McDonald's. Food is free, so yup, i eat there every day. I pick lower-calorie options (i only work during breakfast)...the biggest things i miss from my diet if i eat NOTHING but McDonald's are fruits, veggies, and protein (because i don't get a lot of protein when i eat the breakfast stuff).
I'm still losing weight...51 lbs down now..however, I'd be miserable if i couldn't eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables...0 -
There's also the documentary "Fat Head" which was a rebuttal to Supersize Me. He ate McDonald's for a month and lost weight and improved his numbers.
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Losing weight is all about having a calorie deficit. Eating at McDonalds everyday and losing weight is definitely possible if you control your portions. However, I would not advise it. McDonalds is mostly unhealthy. Losing weight and being healthy are not one and the same.0
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Why would anyone want to?0
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random5483 wrote: »Losing weight is all about having a calorie deficit. Eating at McDonalds everyday and losing weight is definitely possible if you control your portions. However, I would not advise it. McDonalds is mostly unhealthy. Losing weight and being healthy are not one and the same.
Did you see the part about significantly improving his blood work results? What's unhealthy about losing 20% of your body weight & improving your health markers? I agree that losing weight and being healthy are not one and the same, but that's not the only metric at play here.0 -
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Why would anyone want to?
I don't think most people would. This was an experiment to show that it's your choices that have the most impact on your weight. The kids who planned his meals had to make sure he was meeting all nutritional standards set by the FDA and still maintaining a deficit with only the food from McDonalds. The video says multiple times that they don't suggest anyone eat all their meals at McDonalds. It was more of a if you plan your food choices than nothing has to be off limits. It actually lines up a bit with If It Fits Your Macros line of thought. Working to meet your nutritional needs while still enjoying foods you love.0 -
random5483 wrote: »Losing weight is all about having a calorie deficit. Eating at McDonalds everyday and losing weight is definitely possible if you control your portions. However, I would not advise it. McDonalds is mostly unhealthy. Losing weight and being healthy are not one and the same.
His blood markers improved as well. He didn't have the student's just keep him at a calorie deficit. They had to make sure he was meeting the nutritional standards set by the FDA as well.0 -
As long as at the end of the day you're not ending up deficient in any micronutrients (or macros, for that matter), there's absolutely nothing about eating McDonald's every day that's inconsistent with good health. McDonald's serves a variety of salads and fruits along with the traditional hyperpalatable high fat (and high protein) options.
I like my McDonald's and I eat there with the kiddos probably 2-3 times per month. Love the toys and the play space. Also love how they have detailed calorie counts on all their items too.0 -
I'm certain I could eat fast food all the time, lose weight and be healthy by making careful choices. But, I'm also pretty certain that I'd spend many of those days feeling hungry quite a bit. Fast food seems to satisfy me for an hour and then I feel hungry again. I might be able to adapt after awhile but I don't think I'd want to. I'd rather eat more food for the same amount of calories.0
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One problem with "eating mcdonalds" is that it is always stereotyped as "just burger, fries, high fat breakfast choices, and deserts."
One can order salads, grilled chicken, egg whites on a muffin,,etc, that are at worst in the "not bad" rhelm. There's also some fruit, milk, and healthy fats to be had if you know what to order.
To say all their food is "crap" just expresses ignorance and a lack of an open mind to the "off the menu" items that can be ordered IMO.0 -
Of course you can eat McDonald's and lose weight. You cannot eat McDonald's exclusively and have a healthy, well-balanced diet. I'm disappointed that a teacher would suggest such a thing. Maybe, if you went to one of those McDonald's with a pasta bar and big old salad bar, you'd have a good shot at it. But not at your typical McDonald's.
Especially when dieting, eating food that's chock full of calories and pretty low on vitamins and minerals...it's not the healthiest way to go. People who aren't eating as much food as their body needs and want to do this in a healthy way should make an effort to get as many vitamins and minerals into their diets as humanly possible by eating a variety of fruits and veggies.
I hope that guy got paid a lot of money to suggest that eating McDonald's exclusively is a healthy diet.0 -
Don't love the idea of marketing this to kids, but I like making the notion that you can eat what you love and still lose weight more common knowledge. If I had known this years ago I would have never gotten fat in the first place. Food shaming is just as detrimental as fat shaming when it comes to helping people actually change.0
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I wonder if McDonald's will pay me for eating their food weekly? And not just salads, but I have a cheeseburger every couple of days or so as a snack.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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Of course you can eat McDonald's and lose weight. You cannot eat McDonald's exclusively and have a healthy, well-balanced diet. I'm disappointed that a teacher would suggest such a thing. Maybe, if you went to one of those McDonald's with a pasta bar and big old salad bar, you'd have a good shot at it. But not at your typical McDonald's.
Especially when dieting, eating food that's chock full of calories and pretty low on vitamins and minerals...it's not the healthiest way to go. People who aren't eating as much food as their body needs and want to do this in a healthy way should make an effort to get as many vitamins and minerals into their diets as humanly possible by eating a variety of fruits and veggies.
I hope that guy got paid a lot of money to suggest that eating McDonald's exclusively is a healthy diet.
Did...did you even watch the video? Did you read the OP?0 -
tincanonastring wrote: »
yea it is.0 -
Of course you can eat McDonald's and lose weight. You cannot eat McDonald's exclusively and have a healthy, well-balanced diet. I'm disappointed that a teacher would suggest such a thing. Maybe, if you went to one of those McDonald's with a pasta bar and big old salad bar, you'd have a good shot at it. But not at your typical McDonald's.
Especially when dieting, eating food that's chock full of calories and pretty low on vitamins and minerals...it's not the healthiest way to go. People who aren't eating as much food as their body needs and want to do this in a healthy way should make an effort to get as many vitamins and minerals into their diets as humanly possible by eating a variety of fruits and veggies.
I hope that guy got paid a lot of money to suggest that eating McDonald's exclusively is a healthy diet.
Not all the food there is low on vitamins and high calorie.
Example:
Chicken Bacon Ranch Salad - no dressing
Grilled
310 calories
38 g protein
9 g carbs
14 g fat
9090 IU Vitamin A
220 mg Calcium
33 mg Vitamin C
Add one of the low fat dressings and the calories increase 30-50.
If you made very careful choices you probably could meet nutritional needs, but a lot of thought would have to go into your selections and I'm not sure you would actually feel satisfied.
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He lives and works in Iowa -- 16th highest state in the US for adult obesity at a 32.6 percent adult obesity rate. Also a state with 90% of its land devoted to corn.
His students have a better prospect for a healthy future because of what they learned through this project.0 -
If nobody is doing this for Wendy's, I volunteer.0
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I would argue that inmates in prisons consume lowest quality, lowest nutritional value food 3 times daily and they aren't likely dying from health issues from lack of them. Part of the reason why is because if weight is controlled, which happens because food is portioned out, there's less likely hood of health issues.Of course you can eat McDonald's and lose weight. You cannot eat McDonald's exclusively and have a healthy, well-balanced diet. I'm disappointed that a teacher would suggest such a thing. Maybe, if you went to one of those McDonald's with a pasta bar and big old salad bar, you'd have a good shot at it. But not at your typical McDonald's.
Especially when dieting, eating food that's chock full of calories and pretty low on vitamins and minerals...it's not the healthiest way to go. People who aren't eating as much food as their body needs and want to do this in a healthy way should make an effort to get as many vitamins and minerals into their diets as humanly possible by eating a variety of fruits and veggies.
I hope that guy got paid a lot of money to suggest that eating McDonald's exclusively is a healthy diet.
The video didn't focus on McDonald's as being a healthy diet, but more one how one can eat fast food and not get excessively over weight if they use critical thinking skills to make objective choices.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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Nothing really new.
Also the author of the documentary Fat Head (that's from 2009, even before the "twinkie diet" experiment) lost weight eating only at fast food restaurants for a month.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xIWmIDyCz4 0 -
So its a draw between the experiments, one each? I guess those who are anti Maccies will side with supersize me and those not anti maccies will side the other way...gee what a surprise.
My take, is do what works for you as long as you are achieving your goals...some goals just aren't about weight loss. For a long time I was anti meal replacement shakes, jenny craig...etc...but now for the most part, unless it is something extreme and obviously unhealthy, I support doing whatever works for the goals set.
I will for the next two weeks be enjoying lots of authentic Thai and will definitely not be having any second thoughts as to what I am eating and how healthy or not it will be
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