The Supersize Me Diet at McDonalds
Goes to prove that no matter what you eat, as long as you get the right exercise you can improve your health........
NEWS Fri, February 18, 2005
Undersize me!
AJAY BHARDWAJ, EDMONTON SUN
Les Sayer hasn't cheated on his McDonald's-only diet. Not an apple, an orange, a cantaloupe or grapes in 17 days. Sayer, a teacher at NorQuest College and Metro Continuing Education, wanted to drive home the point to students that Morgan Spurlock's documentary, Supersize Me, was an opinion piece. He said he could eat McDonald's food for a month and lose weight, not gain it.
"The main reason for doing this is because my students thought (Supersize Me) was an objective piece," the 39-year-old Sayer said yesterday.
Sixteen days into the diet, Sayer says he's lost 13 pounds - he's down to 222 pounds from his 235 - and his blood pressure has dropped to 134/73 from 136/88.
His secret? One hour in the gym doing cardiovascular exercise and weight training five to six times weekly.
"The big surprise for me was the blood pressure."
Sayer has steadily chowed down on Big Macs, Bacon and Egg McMuffins and Chicken McNuggets.
"The magic here is in the exercise," he said. "The average Joe doesn't exercise."
Sayer said he's not being paid by McDonald's nor is he affiliated with the fast-food giant. But he said he has caught a lot of flak for taking on the diet.
"Some people are upset because they think I'm pandering to a huge, large corporation," he said.
"It's not McDonald's food that's unhealthy. It's the lifestyle you lead."
Sayer said the main message is that you should eat and enjoy a variety of foods as long as you exercise.
Ruth West, a registered dietitian at the Grey Nuns Hospital, said people who want to lose weight should be eating a variety of foods to benefit from all nutrients.
West said Sayer is likely expending more energy than he's consuming.
