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    Eat only McDonald's for a month...and run a marathon? One woman's crazy challenge.

    Emily with her marathon mascot. (courtesy of Emily Helm/mcrunnerette.com)Emily with her marathon mascot. (courtesy of Emily Helm/mcrunnerette.com)You'd think after "Supersize Me", nobody would ever attempt a month-long McDonalds-only diet again. But Big Macs make people do crazy things. Again. And again.

    The latest to try the Morgan Spurlock meal plan is Emily Strunk-Helm, a 36-year-old Arizona native with a self-described "passion" for the golden arches. Here's the hitch: she's also training for a marathon.

    On September 8th, she began a 31-day rigorous runner's regimen in preparation for the Long Beach Marathon on October 9th. For fuel, she's eating only off the McDonald's menu, "especially my favorites -- Cheeseburgers, Chicken Nuggets and French Fries," she writes on her blog, appropriately titled McRunnerette.

    The reason she's putting herself through this is noble; she's hoping to raise $10,000 for the Ronald McDonald house. So far she's got about $2,300 so she's a long way from her goal (help her out here) and the stakes are high.

    Only one person has accomplished this bizarre and counterintuitive feat. Chicago-area athelete Joe "McRunner" D'Amico finished the Los Angeles Marathon in 28th place after his 30-day McD's challenge in March.


    Helm is following his regimen, allowing bottled water and energy supplements as the only sustenance outside of fast food. She doesn't plan to beat his under-3 hour time, but she will break his record. McRunnerette has added an extra day to her eating regimen.


    So far, her training hasn't been easy. After the first day of fast food and a five mile run, she got sick. "How does one get a cold in the middle of summer?" she wrote in her training log. Aside from the cold which forced her to skip a few days of training, she's fielding another big problem.

    "My stomach was growling a few times during the day," she writes. "I think the hardest part of this challenge will be making it to McDonalds enough times during the day to satisfy my hunger." While the menu items offer a lot of calories, they don't satiate for long.

    Here's a sample of what she'll eat on an average day:

    1 Fruit and Yogurt Parfait
    1 Chocolate Chip Cookie
    1 Hot and Spicy McChicken Sandwich
    1 Small French Fry
    2 Large Diet Cokes
    1 Large Vanilla Cone
    1 Crispy Chicken Ranch Wrap
    1 Medium French Fry
    1 Apple Pie


    While she's getting the high-carolie diet required for training, she's also getting a lot of extra stuff, like, er, silly putty. And trans fat. Runner's World health reporter Sally Wadyka warns of the hidden dangers of trans-fat-laden processed foods that athletes think are safe to consume because of their calorie-burning regimen. "[Trans fat] not only increases bad, artery-clogging cholesterol, but also actually lowers levels of the heart-protecting good cholesterol," she explains. That means no matter how much you burn, you're still vulnerable to heart disease. If Spurlock's heart palpitations, on day 20 of his experiment, are any indication, the side-effects can come on fast.

    McRunnerette does have exercise on her side, unlike the "Supersize Me" director. She's also taking precautions; she's got a doctor on call to monitor her health during and after the challenge. But she isn't cutting out the fries. As of Wednesday she'd already eaten 3 smalls, and 5 mediums.

    Related:
    Is Starbucks healthier than McDonald's?
    Should McDonald's fire Ronald?
    Healthiest fast food oatmeals
    McDonald's diet shunned by chain's execs


     

    1,358 comments

    • Claudia  •  8 months ago
      Mickey D's is really good, but seriously? A month? You wouldn't enjoy it anymore. After a month, I wouldn't want to seen another McDonald's for the rest of my life...
    • thegardener  •  8 months ago
      The grilled chicken salad is one of the best tasting and healthiest food that McDonalds sells. Ask for a grilled chicken sandwich or wrap. Ditch that crispy stuff. Its definately not good for you.
    • J. A. Carlton  •  8 months ago
      This woman has a death wish. I hope she survives this without massive system damage.
    • George  •  8 months ago
      sounds suicidal to me, I can't walk past a macdonalds without a gag reflex kickin' in.
    • Habanero♥™  •  8 months ago
      Endocannabinoids.........would you feed this to your child?

      Eating McDonald's? Then you are.
    • Habanero♥™  •  8 months ago
      Sophia you are right on many levels but this isn't really about vegan vs. carnivore. This is about the horrendous preservatives in these foods that are literally causing kids to become very ill with cancer and the likes.

      The Ronald McDonald is treating pretty much the diseases that they and so many other food establishments have contributed to.

      That is ignoble in my eyes.
    • Habanero♥™  •  8 months ago
      Diet soda will kill you long before the food there will.
    • ladybella04  •  8 months ago
      I think that fast food can be incorporated into a healthy diet as long as you don't overdo it. When I eat McDonald's I'll usually order just the sandwich and a diet soda and add something from home to that to balance it out- fruit or a granola bar, etc. What she's doing looks really unhealthy. Anyway, she's only doing it for a month or so- guess she'll live to tell the tale.
    • Hank Azaria  •  8 months ago
      Fries is probably the healthiest thing she eating.

      And the spuersize me guy got so sick because he went from a vegan lifestlye to eating Mcds 3 times a day.
    • Cissy  •  8 months ago
      It is no wonder America is the fattest nation. People have access to all the crap food. Makes me sick even reading what she eats from there.
    • Habanero♥™  •  8 months ago
      John behave you incorrigible man you! Hahahahahahahaha
    • runnergirl139  •  8 months ago
      This was already done by a guy who did it for 2 months, ate a variety of stuff off their menu, and managed an awesome time at the NYC marathon... Oh and he lowered his cholesterol, triglycerides, and lost weight! Go figure!
    • john  •  8 months ago
      I must say the photo really look like Mac is really enjoying her tender touch. No wonder a "Big Mac"
      is so BIG!!!
    • Habanero♥™  •  8 months ago
      I like this comment:

      "The way I see it is that if the International Olympic Committee doesn't have a problem with McDonald's being a proud sponsor, then it makes as much sense for Smith and Wesson to co-sponsor Jerry's kids. Seriously, as obese as America is, a change is a vital thing for survival, but in spite of all the statistics, there will still be people who will choose not to change. It's an unfortunate but inevitable thing."
    • Jj  •  8 months ago
      Sheesh I thought she'd at least order some of the salads off the menu??
    • Habanero♥™  •  8 months ago
      And then there is Acrylamide which forms as a result of unknown chemical reactions during high-temperature baking or frying. The fact that raw or even boiled potatoes test negative for the chemical proves this. CSPI has urged the FDA to inform the public of the risks from acrylamide in different foods and to work with industry and academia to help understand how exactly how acrylamide is formed and how to prevent its formation.

      It estimated that acrylamide causes several thousand cancers per year in Americans," said Clark University research Professor Dale Hattis. Hattis, an expert in risk analysis, based his estimate on standard EPA projections of risks from animal studies and limited sampling of acrylamide levels in Swedish and American foods.


      Fast food French fries showed the highest levels of acrylamide among the foods CSPI had tested, with a large order containing from 39 to 72 micrograms. One-ounce portions of Pringles potato crisps contained about 25 micrograms. At 72 micrograms in a six-ounce serving, McDonald's French fries measured the highest. Among the other findings:
    • Habanero♥™  •  8 months ago
      Outside of the scientific oncology community and upper management of national restaurant chains, few people are aware of the presence of PhIP in grilled, flame-grilled or barbequed chicken.

      Dozens of studies show even relatively small amounts of PhIP can increase the risk of various forms of cancer.

      So in essence, McDonald's and this runner? are raising money to help families of kids dying with cancer that, most assuredly, surfaced due to diet!!!!

      PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    • Yan  •  8 months ago
      That is a very noble cause. Even if she doesn't make the month, she is still getting donations, and it is for a charity. She's not hurting anyone but possibly herself. My hat is off to her.
    • Seeker  •  8 months ago
      Just plain old stupid. Period. And a bad example to people everywhere. Raising money for disease...by...causing disease? Barf.
    • kassiekassie3133  •  8 months ago
      I'm confused as to why she doesn't get salads and things. If I eat too much McDonalds (and I usually get burgers the few times I go to McDonalds), then I start to feel very sluggish, so then the next time I go I usually get a wrap or a fruit/walnut salad. Pretty healthy. They also have apple dippers and things that could be healthy.

      I think in a week the novelty will wear off and she will start looking for healthier ways to utilize the menu.

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