Superslim me: Man loses 86 lbs. on all-McDonald’s diet
posted at 12:12 pm on June 19, 2008 by Allahpundit
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Behold the anti-Spurlock, doubtless coming soon to a McD’s commercial near you. He cheated, sort of: No Big Macs, none of the usual fare, frankly, except for the occasional hamburger patty laid atop a bed lettuce. Is it really a “McDonald’s diet” if he’s not dining the way a normal McDonald’s customer would? I’d say no — but then, Spurlock gorging himself three times a day on all the burgers and shakes he could choke down isn’t how normal McDonald’s customers dine either, and yet that minor detail didn’t hold back the wave of criticism about how corporate shill Ronald McDonald is poisoning America. Click the image to watch.
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Source of obesity or not, I still won’t go to radical homosexual-rights-supporting McD’s until they become at least neutral in the culture war.
jgapinoy on June 19, 2008 at 12:16 PM
So will he and Jared fight in a cage match live on ppv?
HawaiiLwyr on June 19, 2008 at 12:17 PM
Imagine that. Documentaries who’s makers are dishonest in the way that they present their material.
There’s one that’s famous for this… his name escapes me…
Hoodlumman on June 19, 2008 at 12:17 PM
Went from a “Whopper” down to just a “Big Mac”.
Buford Gooch on June 19, 2008 at 12:17 PM
Jared is not amused.
lorien1973 on June 19, 2008 at 12:18 PM
“In all things, moderation.”
Works every time.
Akzed on June 19, 2008 at 12:18 PM
Spurlock is my mortal enemy. He killed off super size french fries…
BOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
HebrewToYou on June 19, 2008 at 12:18 PM
All fo the fast food chains now offer several type of salads. Even a lettuce wrap here in Cali.
Blegh.
Special diets be damned.
Eat Less. Eat RIGHT (You know how to). And Exercise.
I’ll bet anyone that they can lose weight that way.
Mazztek on June 19, 2008 at 12:19 PM
In order to lose weight, cut calories and increase exercise and it doesn’t matter what you eat.
Blake on June 19, 2008 at 12:19 PM
awesome.
phronesis on June 19, 2008 at 12:21 PM
Fixed that for you. The rise in American obesity is most likely attributed to the dire state of Physical Education in our schools. My alma mater, Santa Monica High School, gave P.E. credit for bowling and badminton. That ain’t right.
HebrewToYou on June 19, 2008 at 12:23 PM
I don’t know why fast food, especially McDonald’s gets criticized as “junk food.” It’s not, it’s bread and beef and tomatoes, just normal food. I guess some people just can’t leave other people alone.
And of course many state governments want to institute a “junk food” tax, so it behooves them to call everything “junk food,” that will go a long way to increase revenue, don’t cha know.
Maxx on June 19, 2008 at 12:24 PM
You know.. if he just ate salads, apple dippers and a hamburger patty with no bun… i.e. NO CARBS.
If you cut carbs out of ones diet you lose weight. This guy was just lazy and didn’t want to make his own dang lunch or dinner.
upinak on June 19, 2008 at 12:24 PM
Well if I weighed anything like what that guy weighed, then I would probably lose 86 pounds on an all McDonald’s diet too as I wouldn’t eat very much of their food as I don’t think that I could take very much more of it after a few meals of it.
MB4 on June 19, 2008 at 12:26 PM
Not even a single Royale with cheese?
Sigh.
JammieWearingFool on June 19, 2008 at 12:26 PM
Maxx is absolutely right. There’s nothing specifically unhealthy about eating fast food. It’s not poison; it’s not sawdust; it’s just inexpensive food prepared via assembly line.
HebrewToYou on June 19, 2008 at 12:29 PM
I won’t go to McDonald’s because Burger King still uses delicious real fat in their French fries.
Lehosh on June 19, 2008 at 12:29 PM
Now send this guy after Bin Laden.
Jim Treacher on June 19, 2008 at 12:30 PM
Your not cheating now are you and counting catchup as tomatoes?
MB4 on June 19, 2008 at 12:30 PM
jgapinoy on June 19, 2008 at 12:16 PM
Also, probably, until you get a life.
DaveS on June 19, 2008 at 12:30 PM
Will someone tell me why you almost never see any dogs around a McDonalds?
MB4 on June 19, 2008 at 12:31 PM
Hey! Badminton is extremely physically demanding when played competitively.
LimeyGeek on June 19, 2008 at 12:32 PM
Hey, I’ve spent over 40 years putting this weight on; I’m not about to give it up without a fight!
Mr. Bingley on June 19, 2008 at 12:32 PM
They prefer eating shit
LimeyGeek on June 19, 2008 at 12:34 PM
WRONG.
You just don’t want to hear that. You know what you are supposed to do. Do it.
Don’t blame schools. Are you not the parent? Don’t you have responsibilities? Or are you just giving it up and letting the school be a parent?
Mazztek on June 19, 2008 at 12:34 PM
MB4, I’m pretty sure you’re just joshin’ Maxx, but in case you were unaware…
McDonalds’ Premium Chicken sandwiches and one of the Angus Third-Pound burgers have tomato on them. I think the Angus burgers suck, btw. I much prefer the oh-so-delicious big mac. But if I have to choose ANY fast food burger it would have to be Carl’s Jr.’s Six Dollar Chili Burger.
MMMMMMMmmmmmm.
HebrewToYou on June 19, 2008 at 12:34 PM
McDonnell’s, it not food, it’s people
Kini on June 19, 2008 at 12:35 PM
Now the guy can write a book and start he next diet craze. I’m in. :-)
cannonball on June 19, 2008 at 12:35 PM
I would lose weight on a McDonalds diet as well; I loathe their food. McSh1t
carbon_footprint on June 19, 2008 at 12:37 PM
Congrats to the man, but make the shots similar: profile to profile and keep the t-shirt for true comparison-the suit coat hides what lurks beneath.
maverick muse on June 19, 2008 at 12:37 PM
I lol’d.
carbon_footprint on June 19, 2008 at 12:38 PM
So let me get this straight.
Hebrew striked out a sentence and at the end wrote Exercise and you say it is wrong?
If you haven’t noticed most parents are scared of their kids because of courts systems! You can’t make your kids do anything anymore! Other then not BUY a TV or all the stuff out there.
And the schools giving alternative elcetives to Kids.. like bowling or some other odd “P.E.” credit…
get your head out of the water.. this is what is happening!
upinak on June 19, 2008 at 12:39 PM
Personal responsibility? Public schools have an obligation to keep their students healthy during school hours. There is absolutely NO excuse for students to be claiming PE credit for activities that barely qualify as “outings,” let alone sport!
No, sir, you are WRONG.
HebrewToYou on June 19, 2008 at 12:40 PM
Soylent Green McDonalds?
MB4 on June 19, 2008 at 12:44 PM
Well said!
Parents certainly share some of the blame, but their kids are in public schools for about 40 hours a week for about 40 weeks every year. That’s a non-trivial amount of time! Schools have an equal stake in keeping kids healthy as they receive funding based on the attendance levels at their school.
Healthier kids aren’t sick as often as unhealthy kids. And a great way to keep kids healthy — wait for it… — is making them exercise. And by exercise I mean real exercise. Running a mile at least once a week. Stretching properly every day. Playing baseball, basketball, soccer, kickball, etc… Swimming is another good way to keep kids healthy.
Take it from me: our public schools are failing at keeping kids physically educated. That. Ain’t. Right.
HebrewToYou on June 19, 2008 at 12:46 PM
You are aware that if you eat more than one of those a week you will be dead inside of 5 years?
MB4 on June 19, 2008 at 12:46 PM
Considering what he was eating, it seems really weird that he picked McDonalds.
You can buy a bag of salad at a grocery store for a couple dollars. The same thing with apples.
The wraps makes sense, but that’s about it.
Esthier on June 19, 2008 at 12:47 PM
No, you are leaving it to the schools and taking no personal responsibility. Kids are at school for ~8 hours. They’re with you the other 16, and with you all weekend and summer.
That PE class? Come on. Classes are on average 1 hour long. Kids get there, change into PE gear, change out and shower at the end, and have maybe less than 1/2 hour of actual physical activity. If you are feeding them burgers, fries, fried chicken, ice cream, cookies, candy… That 1/2 hour won’t burn shit off. The gym is 5% of your day. The other 95% is your diet.
It’s summer vacation now. What kind of food do you have in the house? Are YOU making sure that they are outside playing or exercising? Or are they in front of the TV playing playstation?
Mazztek on June 19, 2008 at 12:52 PM
First off, good for this fella! Second…
What world are you from that apples and caramel sauce aren’t PURE carbs? The human body doesn’t function if you just decide to drop either protein or fat or carbs from your diet. There’s a balance of each required, depending on your weight goals.
Hootie on June 19, 2008 at 12:53 PM
Not to toot my own horn, but…
I bike to work every day; I play in two softball leagues; I golf every weekend, both Saturday and Sunday; I surf as often as humanly possible. Methinks a couple six dollar chili burgers are nothing to worry about.
HebrewToYou on June 19, 2008 at 12:53 PM
My head is out of the water. And you are an admitted bad parent.
Mazztek on June 19, 2008 at 12:53 PM
Like I said…
Eat Less. Eat RIGHT. Exercise.
You have to burn the same or more calories than you take in.
Mazztek on June 19, 2008 at 12:55 PM
I’m doing no such thing.
There’s quite a difference between placing a share of the blame on the school and blaming the schools for everything. I am a product of public education — preschool, elementary, middle, high, and college — and I’ve seen just how easy it is for kids to avoid staying healthy while under the supervision of the state.
Not cool.
Schools have no less responsibility for keeping kids healthy through exercise than parents. I’m not trying to shift the blame; I’m just laying it where it belongs.
HebrewToYou on June 19, 2008 at 12:56 PM
Actually … it’s not even that inexpensive around here. We can eat at a restaurant for about the same price.
wytammic on June 19, 2008 at 12:57 PM
Everywhere but yourself.
168 hours in a week. What are you doing for the other 128?
Mazztek on June 19, 2008 at 1:02 PM
??? A large-sized Big Mac value meal is about $6.00 here in Los Angeles. How much does it cost you where you live?
On a lighter note, have any of you tried the McLobster Roll? It’s only served at McDonalds restaurants in New England, but it is absolutely delicious! It’s not cheap — the value meal cost me about $8 or $9 five years ago — but it’s very, very good.
In fact, it tasted a heckuva lot better than the Lobster Roll I had when chillin’ at Lake Winnipesaukee.
HebrewToYou on June 19, 2008 at 1:06 PM
Chick-fil-A. Mmmmmmmm.
mimi1220 on June 19, 2008 at 1:08 PM
What in blue blazes are you talking about? Why would I blame myself for working hard and staying fit? You’re completely obfuscating the issue.
Public Schools have an obligation to teach kids proper physical education. They. Are. Failing. Parents deserve blame, too, but that doesn’t let the schools off the hook.
HebrewToYou on June 19, 2008 at 1:08 PM
Hmm… hamburger patty chopped up on a salad? Sounds like a Micky D’s version of Atkins.
Regardless, what former-fatty said is asbsolutely right: “calories in and calories out — I figured it was a simple principle.”
Very simple. So long as one knows how many calories are being stuffed down one’s maw. Ironically, eating more will also help you lose weight, if you’re like me and skip breakfast, and sometimes lunch. Eat. Eat brekkie, eat lunch, eat dinner. Just eating 3 meals a day will get your metabolism working faster and burn more calories. I did that, and only that, for three months - lost 10 pounds while maintaining my “lazy bastard” lifestyle. Wasn’t optional, it was just “here’s breakfast, here’s lunch, here’s dinner”. Best diet ever (eat more often?!) even though the last thing I want when I wake up is something other than a very large coffee and a few Dunhills. Make sure that your output is greater than your input. If you can control the amount going in, you won’t even need to go crazy at the gym. Well, unless you want muscles. You can’t eat your way to 30-inch pythons.
SeoulMan on June 19, 2008 at 1:16 PM
Maybe you need to go back to school for some reading comprehension. While you are at it, see how long you actually exercise in that hour long PE class.
You’ve changed your tune since the beginning of your threads with me.
Mazztek on June 19, 2008 at 1:21 PM
To be fair, when you’re that fat I don’t think you can physically gain more weight regardless of what you eat; realistically, he could only slim down.
Nonfactor on June 19, 2008 at 1:29 PM
One good way of kicking a bad habit is to change your situation, which is how this works. He probably ate snacks at work, but, with this diet, he had to say, “Nope - I can’t eat the microwave popcorn; it didn’t come from McDonald’s.” If you’re forced to visit McDonald’s every time you eat - and you don’t add any Spurlockian rules about needing to order the least healthy thing every time - then you’ll probably eat less and lose weight. It’s probably not the healthiest way to go - McDonald’s isn’t known for the diversity of foods on its menu - but, add a vitamin tablet a day, and it won’t kill you.
Last time I lost a significant amount of weight in a month, I was, ironically, on vacation; since I was forced to go to a restaurant or store every time I’d eat, I ate less, in spite of some exceedingly decadent meals.
No, it’s not. When you made a hamburger at home, it’s a different process of cooking, and you don’t always order a coke or use ever-last burger buns. For example, until recently (and perhaps even now - I don’t keep track), McDonald’s would use shortening to prepare their meals, something that home chefs rarely do outside of desserts. And who uses an oily grill at home? That’s a qualitative difference. A quantitative difference comes from the psychology of eating from a plate versus from a wrapper. In the former case, it’s easier to see the quantity you’re eating, and you generally eat it more slowly and/or leave leftovers. If you’re not watching your weight, eating a homemade burger and fries is far more healthy.
calbear on June 19, 2008 at 1:33 PM
McDonald’s food is disgusting. Now, find me an all-Wendy’s diet and I’ll play along.
Mrs. Happy Housewife on June 19, 2008 at 1:34 PM
Wendy’s–now you’re talking!
I love a burger with hot, hot meat & cold, cold veggies on it.
jgapinoy on June 19, 2008 at 1:41 PM
Way too complex for me. :]
Eat less + exercise more = weight loss.
davidk on June 19, 2008 at 1:49 PM
I don’t know if I agree with that. As I said in another thread, I’d support a class designed to teach kids how to defend themselves and come to the aid of others in need. That’s a public service.
As far as I’m concerned, I believe PE should be as expendable as music classes (which isn’t to say I believe they should be taken out of schools) if not more so, since music has more of a direct correlation to education than PE.
School’s can’t possibly keep our kids in shape even with the best programs. Parents have to take charge of that with meal choices and programs to keep their kids outside. Being healthy and fit is about lifestyle changes, not a 30 minute a day class.
Esthier on June 19, 2008 at 1:51 PM
Eat less and exercise more. Or, you can drink lots of coffee and smoke cigarettes instead of snacking. Trust me, both work. I wish I could go back on the second one.
Krydor on June 19, 2008 at 1:55 PM
Stay classy, San Diego.
For forty-five minutes. There was always a seven minute “transition time” between classes. That’s when you changed into gym clothes. Then you got 15 minutes at the end of class to shower and change. Done and done.
45 minutes a day is a good amount of exercise, as long as it’s actually spent exercising. The problem is that public schools are no longer doing this. They just don’t get the job done.
Nonsense. They were always capable of it, they just stopped trying. There’s no reason that schools can’t keep kids in shape. It just requires a little dedication and effort.
HebrewToYou on June 19, 2008 at 2:12 PM
Obesity in America is a huge scam propagated by the weight-loss and dieting industry. Fat does not equal unhealthy. There is no epidemic. There is just a prosperous society with lots of food.
Spurlock is a clownish joke.
VolMagic on June 19, 2008 at 2:31 PM
Spurlock’s work of fiction was one of the most ludicrous examples of proving a point I’ve ever seen. Totally healthy, fit guy who exercises and takes vitamins, proves McDonalds food is the rosetta stone to poor health by…simply changing his diet to McDonalds, to show that all his other efforts to maintain his health are in vain?
No, he stops taking supplements, becomes sedentary to a disturbing extent…and eats the food. Then when his heart starts bothering him, does he consider that it might be the immobility he is practicing? Maybe the effects of going off vitamin pills? Nope…it must be all the food. What a hack.
MadisonConservative on June 19, 2008 at 2:38 PM
I love their chargrilled chicken sandwich. My husband eats there a few times a week as a part of his nutrition plan. Great fruit cups, wraps, and sandwiches, and even though it’s expensive it tastes so much better than the competition. I just wish they didn’t use peanut oil. I have a mild topical allergy to peanuts, so I can eat their food, but I have to be careful about how much I touch.
If I let the kids eat at McDonald’s, they get nuggets and apples with white milk, and then they play on the play area for an hour. I feel it’s a good trade off, really. Fast food is not evil, just mostly overpriced for the value.
Anna on June 19, 2008 at 2:44 PM
My middle school was acclaimed for scholastics and athletics. Every student had to run a timed mile every Friday. During the week, we would work out with sprints, sports, cross-country running and lots of stretching. PE class just as long as every other period, and we had time to shower.
Kids and parents today are lazy. I watch my neighbors and their fat ass kids drive 2 blocks to the liquor store for twinkies and sodas every day after school.
***
For the record, exercise is the antidote. High intensity circuit training is really fun and basically kicks your ass in a very short amount of time.
Don’t be a fatass. Add some muscle to the mix. Think sprinter’s body. If for no other reason, sex is better when you’re the stud.
The Race Card on June 19, 2008 at 3:02 PM
The Race Card, my experience was the same. But that was back in the nineties. Now my middle school’s physical education is a joke. Kids spend PE period walking around doing nothing, chatting with friends, listening to their iPods and so forth. It’s. A. Joke.
That’s why I wrote: “Nonsense. They were always capable of it, they just stopped trying. There’s no reason that schools can’t keep kids in shape. It just requires a little dedication and effort.” …in response to Esthier. Schools CAN do it. They just don’t.
HebrewToYou on June 19, 2008 at 3:11 PM
My major criticism of Spurlock’s specious film is that the implicit message to me was, “you are too ignorant and weak to refuse the Big Mac/fries, you need lawyers/government to protect you”.
No I don’t and neither does anyone else.
NoDonkey on June 19, 2008 at 3:23 PM
Is he too stupid or lazy to buy healthy food?
Too stupid or lazy to consult with his doctor about a healthy diet?
Too stupid or lazy to read about diets?
A plain cheeseburger without the bun and never eating fries? That does not constitute “eating at McDonald’s”. A hamburger patty slapped onto a salad is NOT a steak salad.
What a fu**ing dumbass.
At least Spurlock ate McDonald’s the way the vast majority of normal people do. That was far more realistic than this crock of sh*t.
Dave Rywall on June 19, 2008 at 4:03 PM
Bwahahahahahaha.
You’re quite the satirist.
VolMagic on June 19, 2008 at 4:15 PM
I disagree. Fat kids are not new. We’re seeing more of them now, but it’s not as though they’ve just recently come up.
I’d agree that PE classes could be better, but they do no make up for healthy eating habits and daily routines.
You’re right that many PE classes are going away from physical activity, but not all of them are. But kids are still fat at schools that actually promote sports. There’s only so much a public school class can do.
Esthier on June 19, 2008 at 4:19 PM
Wendy’s and Taco Bell for me. :)
ZK on June 19, 2008 at 4:57 PM
You’re kidding, right? He ate NOTHING but fast food, refrained from exercising, and then blamed McDonalds for becoming unhealthy. Right…
There will always be fat kids. Always. But they should be a much lower percentage when compared to kids as a whole. Kids have energy. Kids have enthusiasm. So schools need to put those traits back to good use and get them running, swimming, jumping and playing.
That’s all it takes: a little initiative.
HebrewToYou on June 19, 2008 at 5:13 PM
I agree with you. I’d just put the onus on parents.
These kids have all summer long to do nothing but those things, and a school can’t make them do any of that when kids are off of school. All it takes for a kid to develop bad habits is about a month, which means after every Christmas break and every summer break, the schools will have to fight against habits that were formed in a simple 30 minute class.
If kids don’t learn to do this themselves, then PE class, no matter how athletic, will be worthless.
Esthier on June 19, 2008 at 5:23 PM
Until I became a hotairian, I had no idea that people fought wars over food.
platypus on June 19, 2008 at 6:57 PM
I’m on the McDonald’s diet right now. I hate McDonald’s, but I’m in China, and I don’t like chinese food, and I’m too messed up in the head to cook for myself, and my wife is too busy working, so I don’t have many options available to me.
I’ve lost weight the last couple of times I did this. This time, not so much, because I went for a few weeks eating lots of junk food. I was bored.
MattMacD on June 19, 2008 at 8:29 PM
I’m not surprised. I eat McDonald’s every day. I have for the past 5 years. I like their double quarter pounders with cheese and have them add shredded lettuce and mayonnaise. Just to boot the fat content.
I’m paying the price. I’m 58, 6ft 2in and weigh 200 lbs.
I guess that qualifies as obese these days.
schmuck281 on June 19, 2008 at 8:31 PM
pffft. yeah but like Dr. Atkins, his heart of clogged up now.
johnnyU on June 19, 2008 at 9:03 PM
I could lose weight on a all icecream diet—if I did not eat ice cream. (ok I got that from the sheehan fast concept)
allrsn on June 19, 2008 at 9:58 PM
WAYYYYY obese. ;)
HebrewToYou on June 19, 2008 at 10:28 PM
Red wine and chocolate… I’ve lost 42 pounds, my wife and way home.
2Tru2Tru on June 20, 2008 at 12:06 AM