2 slim down, feel great on McDiet

During a monthlong 5,000-calories-a-day McDonald's binge last year, Morgan Spurlock gained 24 pounds, saw his blood-fat and cholesterol levels skyrocket. He got headaches, chest pains, mood swings, exhaustion, depression. The diet tortured his internal organs to the point a doctor claimed his liver had turned into pate.

He felt McMiserable, as you find out in "Super Size Me: A Film of Epic Portions" — a documentary about obesity and his eating experiment that became the talk of the Sundance Film Festival and now the nation with its theatrical release.

Not surprisingly, his experience has served as inspiration for many people — not always how you might think, though.

For instance, two fast-food fans from opposite coasts actually decided to follow Spurlock's lead and eat 90 straight Mickey D meals themselves.

But if the doc's director/lab rat is the Golden Arch enemy — as some might assume due to his promotion of "Unhappy Meals" and his movie's tongue-in-cheek "F" rating for "Fat Audiences" — then Soso Whaley and Chazz Weaver could be considered Ronald McDonald's new, best friends.

Try digesting this fact: Both lost weight and felt great during their McMonths.

They both agree that Spurlock's girth expanded because he stuffed himself and didn't work it off — neither the fault of McDonald's.

Of course, their adventures near PlayLand had a McDonald's ice-cream-cone-like twist on them compared to Spurlock's tummy-torturing plan.

Whaley joked that she wishes Spurlock would have chosen to make his point at an Emeril Lagasse restaurant. Nevertheless, the 49-year-old animal trainer from New Hampshire required herself to try every single item on McDonald's menu at least once, including Egg McMuffins, Big Macs and her favorite "dairy and vegetable meal" — you know, french fries and a chocolate shake.

But instead of pigging out and conserving energy like Spurlock, she limited herself to about 1,800 calories a day and continued her normal exercise routine of doing aerobics and rollerblading.

Admittedly overweight going in, Whaley lost 13 pounds and lowered her overall cholesterol level by 40 points. Shedding fat this way, she said, was easier than "in the real world," partly because McDonald's nutritional information brochures helped her evaluate what she put in her mouth.

So why not turn to Weight Watchers, Atkins or Jared from Subway?