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Home » Uncategorized » Can You Really Lose Weight on a McDonald’s-Only Diet? It’s More … – Health.com

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Is it possible to lose weight while eating a diet consisting solely of fast food from McDonalds? According to Tennessee grandfather Kevin Maginnisaka @bigmaccoaching on TikTokyou can.

Maginnis, 56, began documenting his McDonalds-only diet on the social media platform in February. His goal: to eat McDonalds morning, noon, and night for 100 straight days, to show himself and his followers that its not as much what youre eating, its the quantity that [youre] eating.

His plan was widely received on TikTok before the platform banned his account. Maginnis first video garnered more than 2.2 million viewsbut that doesnt mean this diet trend comes free from controversy. Though Maginnis has lost weight so far on his unconventional plandown 21 pounds since his last weigh inmany experts are concerned not only for his health but also potentially the health of people who are inspired by him.

Heres what you need to know about Maginnis McDonalds-only diet, why it might be leading to some weight loss, and why the results may not necessarily be healthy or sustainable.

The McDonalds-only diet is not an official eating planit was not created by registered dietitians and there are no clinical trials available to evaluate its safety or effectiveness.

The diet was created by Maginnis himself, on February 21, according to his TikTok videos. The diet only has a few simple rules:

An exercise recommendation is not included on this plan, and Maginnis claims he only gets in around 2,000 steps daily.

Desiring to reach a healthy weight, Maginnis said he tapped into his past experiences being an ex-wrestler and boxer. Since calorie restriction helped him lose pounds and inches in the past, he decided to try limiting portion sizes at his beloved fast food joint and only eat when he is hungry.

According to his most recent TikTok update, Maginnis has been on his diet for 21 days and hes lost 21 pounds.

The reason for that, largely, is calorie restriction. The reason [Maginnis] is losing weight on this diet is because he is consuming fewer calories than he is burning each day, Lainey Younkin, MS, RD, LDN, weight loss dietitian atLainey Younkin Nutrition, told Health.

Maginnis weight loss isnt necessarily surprising to experts. Idrees Mughal, MBBS, a Britain-based physician with an additional masters in nutritional research, said that when the goal is purely weight loss, how much you eat is more important than what you eat.

What hes eating may also be contributing to the weight loss. He is consuming protein at each meal, which suppresses appetite and keeps you full longer, Younkin said. This could be leading to less snacking than he was doing before and a calorie deficit at the end of the day.

But whether his weight loss will be sustainable and able to be maintained is yet to be determined. The true test wont actually be whether or not he can lose the weightmany different calorie deficit diets lead to weight lossits whether or not he will keep it off, registered dietitian Sarah Anzlovar, MS, RDN, LDN, owner ofSarah Gold Nutrition, LLC, told Health.

According to Anzlovar, most people regain weight lost within six months to one year because bodies increase the drive to eat and metabolism often slows down with weight loss. Once someone like Maginnis stops his weight loss experiment, he will need to maintain a significant calorie deficit in order to maintain the weight loss, Anzlovar said.

Mughal agreed that while it is true that in the short term, simply reducing the amount you are eating can offer some health benefits, it likely wont be a sustainable strategy. Both quality and quantity of food impact weight loss for long-term success, he said.

In addition to his 21-pound weight loss, Maginnis McDonalds-only diet has also resulted in a reduction in many of his heart-health markers, including his triglycerides, LDL cholesterol, and total cholesterol, he said in his TikTok videos.

In the short term, heart health can improve among people with obesity who lose a significant amount of weight. The weight loss will override the unhealthy dietary pattern, Dr. Mughal said.

But unhealthy eating patterns will catch up with people who dont prioritize diet quality. Eventually, it will negate the beneficial effects of the weight loss, Dr. Mughal said, adding that as ones health journey continues, diet quality needs to become the focus without actively restricting calories to keep hunger cues and the risk of binge eating in check.

Weight loss and heart health markers aside, McDonalds food is not nutritionally up to par to support overall health.

McDonalds meals significantly lack fruits and vegetables, which contribute important minerals, antioxidants, and fiber to your diet, Anzlovar said. This could not only significantly affect digestive health, but it could also lead to vitamin and mineral deficiencies unless a multivitamin is included.

In fact, research has confirmed that these patterns among fast food eaters lead to poorer diet quality; higher intakes of total and saturated fats, sugar, and sodium; and lower intakes of fiber, dairy, fruit, vegetables, and micronutrients.

Underconsumption of nutrient-dense foods like produce, whole grains, nuts, and seeds is linked to an increased risk of many chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease.

And while Maginnis may be getting a good amount of protein in his diet, the protein provided by many fast food establishments is often ultra-processed, which means its loaded with sodium, Younkin said, adding that ultra-processed foods have also been linked to high blood pressure, heart disease, and certain cancers.

[But] since this is a short-term experiment, its hard to know exactly how much it will affect long-term health, Anzlovar said.

Though Maginnis has seen some short-term success on his McDonalds-only diet, experts certainly arent recommending others to follow in his footsteps.

For the most part, Americans are urged to follow the MyPlate method, which was developed to help people incorporate the recommendations established by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The method includes making half of your food volume fruits and vegetables at meals; with lean proteins, dairy, and quality carbohydrates making up the remainder of the plate.

McDonalds foodor fast food in generaldoesnt neatly fit into those guidelines. [I cannot] think of a single combination of a McDonalds meal that would fit these goals, registered dietitian and author Lauren Harris-Pincus, MS, RDN, told Health. Especially since they no longer offer salads or grilled chicken on the menu.

Its also important to remember that weight loss alone doesnt necessarily improve health markers over the long term.

Research has shown that even with maintained weight loss, poor health habits, including diet quality can negatively affect metabolic markers such as cholesterol and blood sugar, Anzlovar said. On the flip side, incorporating healthy habits like eating fruits and vegetables and other health-promoting foods along with exercising can improve long term health.

So while jumping on this TikTok trend may sound appealing, there are some long-term risks associated with eliminating entire food groups, especially if this diet is adopted for an extended period of time.

Because of this, trying any diet should be discussed with your healthcare provider beforehandespecially if its one that involves hitting the drive-through window multiple times a day, as it will not be an ideal match for most people who want to achieve long-lasting health benefits.

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Can You Really Lose Weight on a McDonald's-Only Diet? It's More ... - Health.com

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Home » Uncategorized » Can You Really Lose Weight on a McDonald’s-Only Diet? It’s More … – Health.com