Forget Super Size Me: Man loses 37lbs and lowers his cholesterol by a third after eating only McDonald's for three months



Contrary to popular belief, following a diet of exclusively fast food does not necessarily lead to weight gain, as one man recently discovered.

John Cisna, a high school biology teacher from Ankeny, Iowa, told KCCI that he documented the changes his body underwent throughout the three months that he ate nothing but McDonald's - with very surprising results.

Rather than his body deteriorating like the star of 2004 documentary Super Size Me, Mr Cisna lost an impressive 37lbs and saw his cholesterol drop from 249 to 170, improving his health significantly.

Scroll down for video



Super Shrink Me: John Cisna, who lost 56lbs by eating McDonald's for six months, has written a book about the diet (left, in September when he began and right, in January after losing the first 37lbs)

Long time coming: Mr Cisna says that while he didn't bore of McDonald's food over the six months, he is looking forward to eating other things when the experiment officially ends on March 15 - particularly seafood

He also saw his low-density lipoprotein, also known as 'bad cholesterol', drop from 173 to 113.



Mr Cisna embarked on the diet as an experiment to show how we can eat anything as long as we stick to a limit of 2,000 calories per day and stay close to the recommended dietary allowances for nutrients.

As such, he had his students plan out each of his meals using the fast food franchise's online nutritional information, requiring that they follow the dietary restrictions he set out.

During the three months, Mr Cisna - who admits that he didn't exercise or watch his calorie intake before the diet - also began walking for 45 minutes a day, a factor which no doubt contributed to the results.

Fast food favorites: On a typical day, Mr Cisna ate two egg white delights, a bowl of maple oatmeal and one percent milk for breakfast, a salad for lunch and a value meal for dinner

Thinking ahead: He had his students plan out his meals using the fast food franchise's online nutritional information, requiring that they follow the dietary restrictions he set out

And when he approached his local McDonald's franchise about the experiment, the manager was so interested to see what happened that he agreed to provide 90 days of meals at no charge.

'The point behind this documentary is it's our choices that make us fat, not McDonald's'

On a typical day, Mr Cisna ate two egg white delights, a bowl of maple oatmeal and one percent milk for breakfast, and lunch would normally be a salad.

But it wasn't just 'healthy' fast food that he ate; for dinner he would indulge in a value meal like a Big Mac or a quarter pounder with cheese, and he'd also sometimes snack on ice cream sundaes.

Despite his all-fast food diet, Mr Cisna was in significantly better health by the 90th day.

Getting active: During the three months, Mr Cisna - who admits that he didn't exercise or watch his calorie intake before- also walked for 45 minutes a day, which no doubt contributed to the results

Healthier overall: Not only did he lose weight, but he also saw his low-density lipoprotein, also known as 'bad cholesterol', drop from 173 to 113

Getting active: Mr Cisna's meals were provided for free by his local McDonald's. He also walked for 45 minutes a day - factor that evidently jump-started his weight loss, since he didn't exercise before

'I tell people not only can I see my shoes now but I can actually tie them,' he said.



What's more, his experiment verified his theory that many people have the wrong idea when it comes to how to be healthy.

'The point behind this documentary is - it's choice. We all have choices,' he said, explaining: 'It's our choices that make us fat, not McDonald's.'