Ha Ha, EXACTLY what I was thinking...
Posted on 08/11/2005 3:04:32 PM PDT by churchillbuff
RALEIGH, N.C. - Inspired by the documentary "Super Size Me," Merab Morgan decided to give a fast-food-only diet a try. The construction worker and mother of two ate only at McDonald's for 90 days — and dropped 37 pounds in the process.
It was a vastly different outcome than what happened in the documentary to filmmaker Morgan Spurlock, who put on 30 pounds and saw his health deteriorate after 5,000 calories a day of nothing but McDonald's food.
Morgan, from Raleigh, thought the documentary had unfairly targeted the world's largest restaurant company, implying that the obese were victims of a careless corporate giant. People are responsible for what they eat, she said, not restaurants. The problem with a McDonald's-only diet isn't what's on the menu, but the choices made from it, she said.
"I thought it's two birds with one stone — to lose weight and to prove a point for the little fat people," Morgan said. "Just because they accidentally put an apple pie in my bag instead of my apple dippers doesn't mean I'm going to say, 'Oh, I can eat the apple pie.'"
Spurlock, who turned his surprise-hit movie into a TV show on the FX network, isn't talking about Morgan or the many other McDieters who have criticized his film and found success losing weight by eating healthy foods off the McDonald's menu, said his agent, David Magdael.
One person went so far as to make her own independent film about dieting at McDonald's. "Me and Mickey D" follows Soso Whaley, of Kensington, N.H., as she spends three 30-day periods on the diet. She dropped from 175 to 139 pounds, eating 2,000 calories-a-day at McDonald's.
"I had to think about what I was eating," Whaley said. "I couldn't just walk in there and say 'I'll take a cinnamon bun and a Diet Coke.' ... I know a lot of people are really turned off by the whole thought of monitoring what they are eating, but that's part of the problem."
As might be expected, McDonald's also objected to the impressions left by Spurlock's film. Walt Riker, the company's vice president of corporate communications, said Oak Brook, Ill.-based company is pleased — but not surprised — that some customers have lost weight eating only at the fast-food giant.
Spurlock's film "really spurred a backlash based on common sense," Riker said.
Morgan used nutritional information downloaded from McDonald's Web site to create meal plans of no more than 1,400 calories a day. She only ate french fries twice, usually choosing burgers and salads. Those choices are a stark contrast with those made by Spurlock, who ate every menu item at least once.
At the end of the 90 days, she had dropped from 227 to 190 pounds.
"It feels great," she said. "Because, the truth of the matter is that beauty is power, and if you're fat, or your overweight, then people don't really take you seriously."
Dawn Jackson Blatner, a registered dietitian and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, agreed that a low-calorie, McDonald's-only diet can help people lose weight but said it may not offer enough long-term variety. Whatever an individual does to lose weight, they need to do for the rest of their life, she said.
Morgan said she hasn't decided if she will stick with the McDonald's-only plan to reach her goal of 150 pounds. But she does have one complaint about McDonald's.
"If I could suggest anything to McDonald's, I would suggest the McMargarita," Morgan said. "Dine-in only, of course."
What? That is absurd. People actually taking responsibility for their own actions -- why, HOW UN-LIBERAL OF YOU !!!!
I do a low carb thing at McDonals - - chicken sandwich, or burger, without the bun.
I am shocked. SHOCKED to find gambling in this establishment.
Eat 5000 calories a day of ANYTHING and you'll get fat.
Wasnt there a movie not too long ago by the guy pissed off at the "Super Size Me" vid who did his own? I heard that he ate at McDonalds EVERY DAY..breakfast, lunch, dinner. However, he exercised every day as well, and he felt superb. Anyone know the name of this one?
Not "Extra Fiber All Bran Cereal." Heh, heh...
The two Morgans in this story is really confusing me. She should have taken an assumed name.
I've also seen articles reporting that he completely dropped his previous exercise regimen for the 30 days.
Colon Blow, or Super Colon Blow (old SNL sketch, when it was funny and not nauseatingly liberal.)
I eat Subway once or twice a week. Foot-long Oven Roasted Chicken on Wheat with Double Meat, tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, oregano and pepper spread. No cheese or mayo. Great bodybuilding food.
Not "Extra Fiber All Bran Cereal." Heh, heh...
Trying to consume 5000 calories of extra fiber cereal would have you spending so much time in the bathroom that you couldn't get to 5000 calories of it. :=)
I thought this was one of the Scrapple Face parodies at first...
It's all about choices. You can choose something low fat to eat even at fast food restaurants...and who says you have to eat out 3 or more times a day, 365 days a year? You can choose to stay home, get a good cookbook and/or find someone to teach you how, and cook your own food without fat, salt, carbs, etc. etc. You can also choose to get off your duff and exercise.
I don't always make the right choices...probably why I'm fat. But the notion that one is fat because of fast food places means that person is not taking responsibility for him/herself. I own up to my failings, but in the end, it's not the government's job, the restaurants' job or the food industry's job in general to keep me thin. It's my responsibility and mine alone.
And now, I'm going to make the choice to shut off the computer, hit the company fitness center and then go home and make myself a healthy dinner. Good night! :)
If that isn't the non-sequitur of the year I don't know what is.
The funny thing is, once you get your metabolism cooking with 6 healthy meals a day, cheat days are actually helpful. They keep your body guessing so the theromostat doesn't re-adjust downward, so to speak.
Lately, I've been cutting up for my planned Christmas Vacation in HI. Been losing a couple lbs. a week--the right way. I love yakking about physical fitness stuff if there is a Freeper ping list for that topic.
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