McDonald's diet: Teacher loses 37 pounds

A science teacher from Iowa lost 37 pounds and cut his cholesterol by 79 points by eating nothing but McDonald’s food for 90 days.

“Fast food can be part of a healthy diet,” registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator Despina Hyde of the NYU Langone Weight Management Program told CBS News. “Keep in mind portion control and calorie levels and fitting it into your overall diet."

Science teacher John Cisna says he started the weight-loss project with three of his students who were interested in the medical field. Their goal was to use the scientific method to come up with a diet and exercise plan that every American could follow. He videotaped the process for a documentary.

Though he had been a college baseball player, Cisna stopped watching his diet and exercising years ago. He weighed 280 pounds at the start of the experiment.

“When I had the idea, I was just a little smaller than the Titanic,” he told CBS News.

Cisna chose a fast food chain because so many people in America often eat that way. A local McDonald’s owner offered to give Cisna the meals for free.

His students planned three meals a day for 90 days with a 2,000 calorie daily limit in mind. They did their best to stick to the daily recommended allowances for carbohydrates, protein, fat, and cholesterol.

Cisna was allowed to eat anything on the menu -- even Big Macs and French fries -- as long as he balanced out more fattening foods with lighter ones at other meals.

Cisna also added exercise to his routine, walking 45 minutes a day, four to five days a week.

“Not everybody can lift weights. Not everybody can jog, but everybody can walk,” he said.

Because he stuck close to a 2,000 calorie limit, Cisna expected to lose weight. What he didn’t expect was that he would see improvements in other aspects of his health, including his cholesterol.

However, Hyde warned that too much fast food dining is still not a good idea.

Cisna is so happy with the progress he made on the McDonald’s diet that he's decided to continue for another 90 days. He's added jogging, weight lifting and playing basketball to his exercise routine, thanks to his newly-found energy and higher fitness levels. In the last two and a half weeks since the end of the first 90 day period, he’s already lost an additional 8 pounds.

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