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Disclosure:  After attending the #McDOpenDoorTour event, I received compensation from McDonald’s in exchange for writing this sponsored post. All opinions are my own.  

Most of my adult life post-college I’ve struggled with weight. Prior to becoming married, I rode the roller coaster, gaining 30 lbs. and losing it with exercise and Weight Watchers. When I was pregnant I ate the healthiest ever and while I gained weight appropriately, my metabolism was amazing. Gavin was born and with breastfeeding for 3 months, I literally became high-school skinny.

A busy lifestyle and stress impacted my eating habits, and over the next few years the weight piled back on. One year and a half ago I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism, which is now successfully managed with medication. However, since the hypothyroidism diagnosis, I’ve never been able to firm up my belly, and after Gavin I was so skinny, I knew my pregnancy was not the culprit.

3 months ago I was sick, diagnosed with Flu A, Strep Throat and the Norovirus in the same week. My doctor ran tests and I was severely anemic, and ultimately prescribed at least 6 different vitamins. She told me I needed to make friends with good foods and lose at least 10 lbs. So after procrastinating, 2 weeks ago I decided to make a change and began the 21 Day Fix weight loss regime which is good, clean eating that focuses on portion control and 30 minutes of exercise daily.

At the same time as I began the weight loss routine, McDonalds asked if I’d like to attend an event at a local restaurant that provided an open door tour of the kitchen. John Cisna would be present, the Iowa high school science teacher who left his nutritional fate in the hands of his students as part of a science experiment. With parameters, Mr. Cisna allowed his students to pick his meals from a McDonald’s menu for 90 days, and despite eating french fries daily and almost everything on the menu at one time or another, he still lost 50 lbs.

Here’s a little background on our history of visiting McDonalds. While I don’t generally visit the restaurant any more than 1-2 times per month, I am not lying when I say I would prefer McDonalds ice coffee over Dunkin Donuts, any day of the week, without question. Their dollar menu ice cream cones are a summer treat I often can’t refuse. Most of the meals I eat at McDonalds tend to be a solo drive-thru trip when I’m pressed for time during work hours, mainly so that Gavin doesn’t beg me to stop every time he sees the golden arches out of ease. While Gavin loves cheeseburgers and chicken nuggets, we generally tend to avoid fried fast-food locations altogether, really more as a cost-saving measure, because a trip through the drive-thru for 3 these days costs us minimally $15, so as a family we just prefer to opt for a take-out pizza.

During the tour of the kitchen, we learned about how McDonald’s prepares their food, with a focus provided on the quality of the food available, and lots of  information given directly to us from their food suppliers themselves who were present at the event.

Here were some of my observations from behind the counter:

-McDonald’s provides a lot of attention to safety while serving and eliminating cross-contamination. Employees we observed wore 2 sets of gloves and washed their hands repeatedly. In addition, they have a timer that makes sure employees wash their hands minimally one time per hour. Employees also wash their hands when moving from one station to another. One employee per shift is ServSafe certified.

– In case you didn’t know, Egg McMuffins are made with freshly cracked eggs on a grill. They are cracked into a round ring on a grill in groups of 6. If one egg is not cracked perfectly into the ring, to reduce cross-contamination the entire batch is discarded. Once items are cooked they are placed in a warmer with a timer. After 20 minutes if the food is not utilized, it is discarded.

– McDonald’s uses brands in their restaurant available in traditional supermarkets that include Dannon, McCain, and Tyson.

– Produce from the supplier arrives pre-packaged to the restaurant and originates from locations such as Florida and Mexico.

– McDonald’s burgers are made from 100% ground beef and flash frozen. They are seasoned only with salt and pepper after they are cooked.

Cisna lost nearly 60 pounds and 20 inches from his chest, waist and hips, and lowered his cholesterol, triglycerides and blood pressure. In John’s words: “The experiment showed that it’s not where we eat, but what we eat and in what combination that matters.”

While Mr. Cisna is an ambassador for McDonald’s he clearly disclosed that he believes that his weight loss was attributed to the fact that he, along with the help of his students, was a result of making better food choices by monitoring his portions and exercising 4-5 times per week by walking for 45 minutes.

Many of my questions at the event were focused around how those of us on diets and weight loss regimes could still plan to monitor our intake while dining at restaurants like McDonalds.

Here’s what I found out:

– McDonald’s is able to customize meal options based upon preference and need. So it is possible to order just a fried, round egg or a hamburger without salt or bun or both, and a fruit smoothie that doesn’t include the added yogurt. Items like sauces, cheese, and bacon can be eliminated from sandwiches and salads.

– Using “My Meal Builder” just like John’s students did, you can plan your own meals at McDonald’s by adding and removing additional foods from a sandwich, and see the exact information related to calories, protein, fat, carbs, sugar and sodium. Before you hit the drive-thru, you will know ahead of time what is a good choice for you.

In the recent years of organic, healthy food options, I do believe that fast-food restaurants and McDonalds in particular, have gotten a bad reputation with documentaries focused on obesity and poor food quality. However, as I’ve found through the 21 Day Fix diet, which was also solidified by Mr. Cisna’s McDonald’s science experiement, I wholeheartedly agree that our weightloss successes are related to controlling our portion sizes and being knowledge about the kind of food energy we use to fuel our individual bodies everyday.

After attending the #McDOpenDoorTour event, I received compensation from McDonald’s in exchange for writing this sponsored post. All opinions are my own.