From skwigg's journal:
I've been thinking some more about that video where the guy ate nothing but McDonalds for 6 months, lost weight, and dramatically improved his health markers. People are really angry about that! I've seen some of the comments online. I guess if you belong to a diet cult, the idea of improving your health at McDonalds threatens your values, maybe your whole identity. So people get really riled up. The thing is, he had his students tracking 15 different nutrients to make sure his meals were balanced, met his nutrition needs, and were appropriate portions. He aimed for about 2,000 calories per day and started exercising. At first he just walked for 45 minutes 3-4 times per week. Nothing fancy. He was basically just following the government recommendations for nutrition and activity. His point is that you can make healthier choices no matter what or where you eat. Everything doesn't have to be perfect, or organic, or expensive to make dramatic improvements. There is so much black and white thinking in the diet and fitness industry. Right or wrong, healthy or unhealthy. Whole Foods Market is healthy but McDonalds will kill you. Actually, you could be a malnourished trainwreck eating nothing but Whole Foods and a thriving lean healthy person eating at McDonalds regularly.
I feel like I get a little bit of that side-eye when I share my food on social media. Many of my friends are fitness pros. Not all of them have come around to the idea of moderation. So, I'm just a pie-eating anomaly. :-)