Man Shall Not Live by Bread Alone, but Can He Live by a McRib, French Fries, and Hi-C Orange Lavaburst — Alone?

This is a story about what I did for the month of February 2022, when I ate one McRib + one small McDonald’s french fries + one small Hi-C Orange Lavaburst per day — and nothing else but water.

How’d I Do the “McRib Diet?”

I ate my McRib Diet in two different ways: Week one, three, and four (February 1–7, 15–21, and 22–28): I split my daily McRib Diet into three equal portions, and I ate one portion for “breakfast,” “lunch,” and “dinner.” For the curious, I found the average number of french fries composing a small McDonald’s french fries was 45. Week two (February 8–14): I ate my entire daily McRib Diet in one sitting, at the same time each day — analogous to a 23½:½ One Meal A Day (OMAD).

Every day in February, I shared on Facebook, my weight, resting heart rate, and resting blood pressure along with “McRib Diet commentary.” The McRib Diet commentary was a diary of sorts specific to the goings-on of the day related to the diet — WHILE being a reasonably good husband and father; and having a full-time job.

I also shared via Facebook, results of my “pre-McRib Diet” blood tests, urinalyses, and aesthetics (a pic of me with my shirt off!) — performed on January 31st.

Pre-McRib Diet Bod

The 59 blood and urine tests included: A Lipid Panel (tests evaluating cholesterol), Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (tests evaluating the functioning of my liver and kidneys, as well as my body’s fluid balance and general metabolism), Complete Blood Count (test screens for red and white blood cells, platelets, and hemoglobin), and a Complete Urinalysis.

And I shared via Facebook, results of my “ongoing-McRib Diet” blood tests, urinalyses, and a hydrostatic body composition test — performed on February 5th, 8th, 15th, and 22nd.

The hydrostatic body composition test is the most accurate way to measure body fat. The test involves being submerged in water while sitting on a scale and measures a person’s overall weight from which their water weight, lean/muscle weight, and fat weight can be derived.

Lastly, I shared via Facebook, results of my “post-McRib Diet,” blood tests, urinalyses, a hydrostatic body composition test, and aesthetics (a pic of me again with my shirt off!) — performed on March 1st and March 5th.

The McRib is going to Make Me Healthier!

When I asked my wife in November of 2021 for permission to go on my McRib Diet — yes, I ask my wife for permission to do most of the absurd things I do — she said, “You’re an idiot.”

I took this as permission.

Idiot or not, as measured by all the weight, heart, blood, urine, and aesthetic tests, I predicted the McRib Diet would make me healthier!

You heard me right — I expected to be healthier in March than I was in January because of the McRib Diet!

I made this hypothesis based on physical health being composed of the interactions among diet, exercise, and sleep.

Healthy Diet, Exercise, and Sleep Defined

A healthy diet has a diverse mixture of fats, carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, and minerals, and contains a relatively adequate number of calories. An unhealthy diet has only — or a preponderance of fats, carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, or minerals; and contains an inadequate number of — or too many calories. The McRib Diet (One McRib + One small french fries + one small Hi-C Orange Lavaburst) is relatively diverse in its mixture of fats, carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, and minerals:

Fat 38g (21% of total daily calories)

Cholesterol 75mg

Sodium 1.05g

Carbohydrate 118g (64% of total daily calories)

Protein 27g (15% of total daily calories)

Vitamin D 0.2mg

Calcium 40mg

Iron 4mg

Potassium 884mg

Although the McRib Diet (900 calories) is a significant reduction in daily calories from my pre-McRib Diet (2,150 calories), it has an adequate number of calories to sustain me. Consuming too many calories — no matter what the calories are composed of, is a primary factor in unhealthy diets, whereas diets requiring a reduction in calories are associated with autophagy, health, and longevity.

Healthy exercise is composed of daily, intentional physical activity that’s aerobic and anaerobic. For aerobic exercise, I attempted 15,000 walking steps per day. For anaerobic exercise, I attempted 1,500 pushups per week. These aerobic and anaerobic exercise routines for the month of February weren’t much different from my pre-McRib Diet exercise routines (about 13,500 steps per day; about 1,300 pushups per week).

Healthy sleep for an adult includes getting between six and 10 hours of sleep per night. The number of hours a particular adult needs can be determined by going to sleep and waking up without the use of an alarm. Using this method, I determined a healthy number of hours of sleep per night for me is about seven, thus I attempted to get about seven hours of sleep per night during the month of February. Seven hours of sleep per night is no different from my pre-McRib Diet hours of sleep per night.

Costs of McRib Diet Materials and Measures

As soon as my wife granted me “permission,” to do the McRib Diet, I began researching the McRib — and quickly realized it’s only available for a limited time once a year or so. Thus, when the McRib is available, you better grab it else it’ll be gone. Unless you’re in Germany or Luxembourg — the birthplace of the McRib’s inventor, René Arend, where McRibs are available throughout the year. I bought all the McRibs for my 28-day McRib Diet on December 7, 2021. And then froze them until February of 2022. I developed a near perfect method for bringing my frozen McRibs back to life. After thawing a McRib in the refrigerator for 24 hours, I tightly wrapped it in a dry paper towel and microwaved it on high for 53 seconds. This method results in a McRib that’s as new and fresh as the day it was born.

As my schedule allowed during the month of February, I went to McDonald’s about every three or four days to buy fresh supplies of small french fries and Hi-C Orange Lavabursts. My original idea was to get fresh fries and Lavabursts daily. But working 60+ hours a week, doing lots-of social activities, and still being a reasonably good husband and father — my operational definition of “reasonably good” was my wife and kids saying they love me and me being at their instant beck and call — didn’t allow for daily McDonald’s visits.

I bought McRibs for $4.49 each, so 28 McRibs for the month of February were: $125.72. I bought small McDonald’s french fries at $2.19 each, so 28 McDonald’s french fries were: $61.32. Lastly, I bought Hi-C Orange Lavabursts at $1.00 each, so 28 Hi-C Orange Lavabursts were: $28.00. Thus, the grand total for my McRib Diet was $215.04 — without tax.

Beyond the food, the costs of the McRib Diet’s materials, measurements, and services were:

My weight was measured by a “Balance Greater Goods” digital scale ($19.44). I weighed myself every morning shortly after waking up.

The first week of the McRib Diet, my resting Heart Rate (HR) along with systolic and diastolic Blood Pressure (BP) were measured every morning shortly after I woke up by an “HEB inControl” automatic blood pressure monitor ($23.15). The remaining three weeks of the McRib Diet, BP was measured the same; however, HR was measured different. HR was measured over a 24-hour period by an Apple Watch Series 7 ($399).

My blood tests and urinalyses were purchased using JasonHealth.com. I highly, highly recommend JasonHealth.com — it’s a tool that allows people to affordably be-in-charge of their own health. Specifically, Lipid Panels ($10), Comprehensive Metabolic Panels ($8), Complete Blood Counts ($5), and Complete Urinalyses ($10) were performed by Quest Diagnostics, one-day before, once-a-week during, and one-day after my month-long McRib Diet.

My Overall- Water-, Lean-, and Fat-Weight — along with percentage of body fat were measured by hydrostatic body composition analysis performed by Body Analytics ($45) at the beginning of — and four days after my month-long McRib Diet.

My steps were measured by an iPhone 12 mini ($749). All my daily steps were included, whether they were “purposeful walking” steps or steps from the walking required by my daily activities — making dinner, getting the mail, teaching a class, etc.

Lastly, hours of sleep per night and number of pushups per day were measured by me — and although this seems quite demeaning to say about myself, I cost nothing. I expected doing between six and 10 sets of 30 pushups throughout the day, every day, until hitting 1,500 pushups for the week.

Results

Figure 1 shows my weight, resting heart rate (HR), systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP) for the month of February.

Figure 1

The McRib Diet had a dramatic effect on my weight — 11% of me went away, I lost a total of 18.9 pounds from February 1st (178.2 pounds) to February 28th (159.3 pounds). The weight loss significantly tapered off after the first week (1st week: -8.9 pounds; 2nd week: -2.1 pounds; 3rd week: -4.0 pounds; 4th week: -3.9 pounds). Most of the dramatic first-week weight loss was likely glycogen and water, whereas the steady second- through fourth-weeks’ weight loss was likely fatty acids from fat storage. Significant losses in fat weight (-3.1 pounds) and percent body fat (-3.5%) as measured in my post-McRib Diet hydrostatic body composition test (see below) confirm this supposition.

Post-McRib Diet Bod

My resting HR was stable during the month-long McRib Diet adventure, between about 47 and 55 beats per minute. Note, the first week I measured resting HR at a single time when I was measuring my BP. For weeks two through four, resting HR was calculated over a 24-hour period.

During the first week, the McRib Diet decreased my systolic BP from 127 mmHg to 117 mmHg; and this decrease in systolic BP remained for the second week (118 mmHg), third week (112 mmHg), and fourth week (112 mmHg). Systolic BP measures the pressure inside the arteries when the heart beats. Systolic BP between 120 mmHg and 90 mmHg are associated with healthy cardiovascular systems. Systolic BP-wise, the McRib Diet increased my health by decreasing my chances of cardiovascular disease.

During the first, second, third, and fourth weeks, diastolic BP ranged between 65 and 84 mmHg, and there appears to be a decreasing trend in diastolic blood BP from day one of the McRib Diet through day 28 of the McRib Diet. To confirm this decreasing trend, I split the 28 days of diastolic BP values into two groups: Days 1–14 (average = 77.2 mmHg, SD = 3.4) and Days 15–28 (average = 71.8 mmHg, SD = 3.3). I then subjected the groups to a two-sample t-test which revealed Days 1–14 diastolic BP values are significantly higher than Days 15–28 diastolic BP values (t = 4.3, df = 26, p < .0001). The McRib Diet significantly decreased my diastolic BP. Diastolic BP measures the pressure inside the arteries when the heart rests between beats. Diastolic BPs less than 80 mmHg are associated with healthy cardiovascular systems, whereas high diastolic BPs are associated with an increased risk of stroke, heart attack, and other cardiovascular problems. Diastolic BP-wise, the McRib Diet increased my health by decreasing my chances of stroke, heart attack, and other cardiovascular problems.

During the first week of the McRib Diet: I slept an average of 5.8 hours per night; during the second week of the McRib Diet: I slept an average of 6.4 hours per night; during the third week of the McRib Diet: I slept an average of 6.4 hours per night; and during the fourth week of the McRib Diet: I slept an average of 6.3 hours per night. For the month of the McRib Diet, I slept an average of 6.2 hours per night (SD = 0.8, MIN = 3.5, MAX = 7.5) which isn’t much different from my pre-McRib Diet hours of sleep per night (about 7).

During the first week of the McRib Diet: I walked an average of 15,061 steps per day; during the second week of the McRib Diet: I walked an average of 15,153 steps per day; during the third week of the McRib Diet: I walked an average of 15,105 steps per day; during the fourth week of the McRib Diet: I walked an average of 15,721 steps per day. For the month of the McRib Diet, I walked an average of 15,263 steps (6.6 miles) per day which isn’t too different from my pre-McRib average walking steps per day (about 13,500).

Relatively consistent with my anaerobic workouts before going on the McRib Diet (about 1,300 pushups per week), I did 1,500 pushups during each week of the four weeks of being on the McRib Diet.

Fifty-seven of the 59 post-McRib Diet (March 1st) blood and urine results were within normal, healthy ranges.

Like the pre-McRib Diet tests, one-week follow-up test, two-week follow-up test, three-week follow-up test (112 mg/dL, 123 mg/dL, 108 mg/dL, and 106 mg/dL, respectively), my post-McRib Diet LDL Cholesterol (102 mg/dL) was high, when it should be less than 100 mg/dL. Interestingly though, my post-McRib Diet LDL Cholesterol level was lower than my pre-McRib Diet LDL Cholesterol and the lowest it’s ever been — trending down since week one of the McRib Diet. It appears the McRib Diet took seven days or so to begin having its positive effects on my LDL Cholesterol, then — over the next 21 or so days, the McRib Diet decreased my LDL Cholesterol by 10 mg/dL, almost putting it into the normal range of less than 100 mg/dL.

The post-McRib Diet high LDL Cholesterol is not too concerning, as I’ve always had slightly elevated unhealthy levels of LDL Cholesterol, but I’ve also always had significantly elevated healthy levels of HDL Cholesterol (69 mg/dL) which results in a very healthy and low cholesterol ratio of 2.7. Ratios lower than 5 are considered normal and healthy.

Unlike the pre-McRib Diet (106 mg/dL), my one-week, two-week, and three-week follow-up, and post-McRib Diet Glucose levels (85 mg/dL, 76 mg/dL, 80 mg/dL, 96 mg/dL, respectively) were no longer high — and are in fact, within the normal, healthy range of 65 mg/dL and 99 mg/dL. Thus, since going on the McRib Diet, my Glucose levels were normal and healthy.

Results of all but one of the post-McRib Diet Comprehensive Metabolic Panel and Complete Blood Count (CBC) tests were normal and healthy.

The one test not normal and healthy was the CBC test of hematocrit which was at 37.9% and should be between 38.5% and 50%. Low hematocrit tests are associated with having low levels of iron, Vitamin B9, or Vitamin B12. Although this was the first time any of my Comprehensive Metabolic or CBC tests were not normal and healthy while being on the McRib Diet, and this test is barely out of range, this last CBC test none-the-less reveals, the McRib Diet wasn’t able to keep all my levels of Vitamins in a normal and healthy range for the entire 28 days.

Like all previous Complete Urinalyses, results of the post-McRib Diet Complete Urinalysis were normal. Unlike the three-week, two-week, and one-week follow-up Complete Urinalyses, the post-McRib Diet Complete Urinalysis showed no levels of ketones. Apparently, I was no longer in ketosis during the last week of the McRib Diet, after being in ketosis for the first three weeks of the McRib Diet.

(If you’re interested in any more results from any of the 59 blood and urine tests, then email me and I’ll share them.)

Overall conclusion from comparing the pre-McRib Diet, one-week follow-up, two-week follow-up, three-week follow-up, and post-McRib Diet blood and urine tests, I was healthier after the McRib Diet than before the McRib Diet. And, the McRib Diet is best done for no longer than four weeks because after 28 days there are beginning signs of a loss of iron and Vitamins.

Table 1 shows the results of the post-McRib Diet hydrostatic body composition test.

Table 1

After the McRib Diet, I was in the 90th percentile of an “athletic” fifty-something year-old man as compared to the “beginning of the McRib Diet” hydrostatic body composition test’s results which put me in the 75th percentile of a “healthy” fifty-something year-old man. Specifically, the post-McRib Diet hydrostatic body composition test found me to have: 0.5 lb. more muscle mass than when I was beginning the McRib Diet; 3.1 lb. less fat than when I was beginning the McRib Diet; and 15.9% Body Fat (3.5% less body fat than when I was beginning the McRib Diet).

Don’t I Have Better Things to be Doing with My Life?

Before February 1st, 2022, I had no more than three McRibs my entire life, so I didn’t do the McRib Diet for the love of McRibs — although, I certainly have an affinity for them now.

So why did I do this?

Answer: “Because it’s there.”

George Mallory made famous this answer after being asked why he was attempting to climb Mount Everest. He answered this question — posed by a New York Times reporter in 1923, after his second “failed” attempt at being the first to climb Everest. He died on his third attempt.

Because Mallory never summited Mount Everest, history often views Mallory as a failure. But history doesn’t fully appreciate why Mallory was climbing mountains. George Mallory was a first-rate mountaineer. But Mallory didn’t climb for the love of mountains or making summits; Mallory climbed for the sake of climbing, no matter the mountain or its summit. As a child plays for the sake of playing, Mallory climbed mountains for the sake of climbing, his “success,” his contentment, was already achieved.

I guess, I could answer the question of why I did the McRib Diet with a bunch of different answers:

I empirically tested a series of interesting hypotheses.

I provided entertainment to friends, family, and strangers.

I facilitated serendipity.

I proved the conclusions of the movie “Super Size Me” wrong.

I showed physical health is a gestalt.

I demonstrated the power of the scientific method.

I reminded everyone that followed me on Facebook or are just now finishing reading this story — the human-condition is always simultaneously biological and psychological and sociological.

But I’m not going to lie, none of these answers are the real answer to the question of why? The real answer isn’t much different from George Mallory’s. The only difference is I don’t need Mount Everest to motivate my curiosity about testing what’s possible, instead I just need my imagination.

Whether it’s eating only McRibs, walking a million steps in a month’s time, swimming an icy pool for 20 minutes, cycling for 24-hours straight, donating at every Goodwill in a major city or consuming all the items on a restaurant’s menu in a single day, like Mallory’s Everest, these are simple — yet absurd attempts at resolving our most basic of existential conflicts, in the forms of us against ourselves, us against others, and us against nature.

…

Dr. Don Lucas, Ph.D. is a Professor of Psychology and head of the Psychology Department at Northwest Vista College in San Antonio Texas. He loves psychology, teaching, and research.

If you like this story, then check out Don’s videos on his YouTube channel, 5MIweekly: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQFQ0vPPNPS-LYhlbKOzpFw/, like him on Facebook: http://fb.me/5MIWeekly, and check out his website: http://5Miweekly.com

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