Cheap and healthy? Losing weight at Mickey D's

At this point, it's hard to imagine someone who hasn't at least heard about Super Size Me. Morgan Spurlock's 2004 video account of the physical effects of eating McDonald's for a month amazed and disturbed thousands of junk-food junkies who had apparently thought that extra large sugary sodas, greasy Big Macs and deep-fried potatoes were the basis of a healthy diet.

Four years later, Chris Coleson, of Quinton, Virginia, has offered an interesting response. In December of 2007, Coleson weighed 281 pounds. Convinced that he needed to lose weight, he decided that McDonald's was the place to do it. Over the next six months, he ate nothing but McDonald's food, filling up on salads, wraps, fruit, and apple dippers. In the process, he lost over a third of his body weight, slimming down to a comparatively skinny 195 pounds.

Personally, I haven't walked into a McDonald's in three or four years. To put it bluntly, I have a Big Mac problem and don't trust myself around the tantalizing demon burgers. For that matter, the scent of french fries exerts a strange power over my soul, and the apple pies, oh the apple pies...

While Coleson's weight loss is impressive, I'm particularly blown away by his self control!

Bruce Watson is a freelance writer, blogger, and all-around cheapskate. While he loves the Big Macs, a part of his soul belongs to the Big Dave's Deluxe. Wendy's, please, bring it back!