Man loses weight after month-long diet of McDonald's - but experts aren't convinced

A man ate nothing but McDonald’s for 30 days and managed to lose weight to prove a point about calorie intake and weight loss - but experts do not recommend trying a similar "diet."

Ryan Williams, 29, a postman from Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, decided to undertake the fast food diet to disprove the 2004 documentary Super Size Me - which sees Morgan Spurlock eat nothing but McDonald’s for 30 days and gain 24lbs.

According to Williams, Spurlock’s documentary presented a skewed version of the challenge - so the postman-turned-bodybuilder decided to film himself following the same diet to prove that it is possible to get in shape while eating McDonald’s only.

Just like Spurlock, Williams ate McDonald’s every single day, eating everything on the menu at least once.

However, Williams also spent an hour at the gym each morning - which Spurlock did not when he set out on the challenge.

The postman documented his journey on his YouTube channel "Ry," where his 1,200 followers watch him eat quirky things, and found that after the month was over, he was 16lbs lighter.

Of the food challenge, Williams said: “I’ve wanted to do this for a few years, but I never found the right time.

“But recently I saw an advert for 50 years of Big Mac and it made me think that there’s quite a lot of negative feeling towards McDonald’s, with regards to it being unhealthy.”

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According to Williams, he also wanted to put the record straight - because Spurlock ate “5,000 calories a day and didn’t do any exercise.”

“I didn’t feel like it was a surprise he became so unhealthy,” Williams said.

For his own challenge, Williams stressed the importance of balancing caloric intake with staying in shape.

“It’s obvious that calories are quite important, but the average Joe doesn’t always know how to balance the recommended calorie intake with staying in shape," he said - and although he does not suggest it is a "healthy way of living," he wanted "to show that it’s purely a calorie game, as opposed to the types of food you eat."

Williams began the month eating 2,500 calories per day - the recommended calorie intake for a male adult - but dropped down to 2,300 by the end of the second week.

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In the final two weeks of the challenge, he dropped his calories slightly further, depending on how his weight and body fat index were performing.

And according to Williams, despite being told he looked tired, his energy levels “sustained throughout the month.”

By the end of the challenge, Williams was down to 182lbs and had gone from 10.85 per cent body fat to 7.59 per cent.

“It just goes to show that fast food is not necessarily the devil,” he said.

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However, Kara Landau, Australian accredited practising dietician and founder at Uplift Food, told The Independent that just because someone can “lose weight does not mean that a diet is a ‘healthy’ option.”

“When we think about what is actually on offer at a fast food chain like this, there is often a deficit in particular nutrients, such as prebiotic fibres, resistant starches, antioxidants, probiotics, omega 3s and more," she said. “Having a fish burger once a month, or a salad made up predominantly of iceberg lettuce will not achieve the nutrient density that our bodies crave and require for overall health and wellness.”

According to Landau, while his exercise levels and non-sedentary career would have supported his weight loss, it would be more telling to look at his blood results and long-term health, when compared to the same amount of exercise along with a healthier diet.

“I would not be recommending people use this as a basis for a healthy diet, but rather a reminder that physical activity and calorie control are both valuable elements for weight loss,” Landau said.