Can You Lose Weight on the Taco Bell Drive-Thru Diet?

Posted on Dec 29th 2009 2:00PM by Deborah Dunham

If you're committed to losing weight in 2010, but not quite ready to give up the convenience and tastiness of the drive-thru, Taco Bell says you can have your burrito and eat it too with their new Drive-Thru Diet.

Just as Subway had Jared (the guy who lost weight eating nothing but foot-longs) to promote their diet, Taco Bell is featuring a new spokeswoman in their campaign named Christine Dougherty, who says she lost 54 pounds by eating the "Fresco" items that the Mexican food chain is offering, each with less than nine grams of fat.

While Christine certainly looks slim, her story is a bit thin on the details. She claims that she reduced her total daily calorie intake by 500 calories to 1,250 calories by choosing from the seven Fresco items and "making other sensible choices," leaving us to wonder what those sensible choices were. Exercise? Other low-calorie foods? Diet supplements? She also doesn't state how much of her daily 1,250 calories were from Taco Bell.

That's Fit scoped out the nutritional content of the seven items, which included tacos and burritos, and yes, they all had less than nine grams of fat. Calories ranged from 150 to 340, but the sodium content was over 1,200 mg for three of its items (the USDA recommends keeping your daily intake to less than 2,300 mg, so you could be getting more than half of your day's salt in one burrito). And they don't mention any of the ever-important vitamins and minerals.

Not only that, but the commercial is filled with so many disclaimers it has to make you second-guess the weight-loss plan. The Drive-Thru Diet is "not a weight loss program," Christine says, adding, "These results aren't typical, but for me they were fantastic!" Their web site is filled with even more fine print, including Fresco is "not a low-calorie food."

So while Taco Bell may want you to think you can say "Adios" to extra pounds by saying "Hola!" to its Drive-Thru Diet, you may just want to hold off on planning that fiesta to celebrate any resulting weight loss.

Think all of this sounds familiar? Read about the Subway guy and how he eventually fell off his own diet.

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Tags: drive-thru diet, fast food, fresco menu, taco bell, taco bell fresco menu, TacoBell, weight loss, WeightLoss

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)

Malinda 12-30-2009 @ 2:18PM

I have lost a lot of weight in the past three years. I do eat from Taco Bell's Fresco menu from time to time, and the items are very tasty. The key here folks is taking in less calories than your burn... duh. Whatever menu or food item helps you do keep on track, go for it. I find varying my food/diet keeps me on it. Any food that has lower calories and lower fat grams will work for you if you don't continue to splurge on foods you shouldn't eat.. and don't forget to keep moving and do what you can to burn up the calories. Kudos to all fast food places who are trying to provide for us meals in a hurry that are healthier for us.

melissa 12-30-2009 @ 4:24PM

I lost 35lbs about a year ago eating 1200-1300 calories a day eating healthy food and tracking my eating and exercising using calorie king. I love eating fast food as most people do and found that at night when i had cravings i would go to taco bell and eat 1-2 tostadas fresco style depending upon how many calories i had consumed that day. I don't however credit my weight loss to eating from taco bells fresco menu. I was doing pilates 30-60 minutes a day and making sure i went for a walk atleast once a day. I wouldn't recommend trying to lose weight solely on eating taco bell. It's about limiting your calorie consumption.

Rene 12-29-2009 @ 2:41PM

Maybe the real reason she lost weight was because she got diarrhea from eating all of that spicy Mexican food. LOL

Christine 12-30-2009 @ 8:52AM

LOLOLOLOL! So true! I saw this after I already submitted my comment!

redgator 12-31-2009 @ 9:25AM

Sandy-Besides being a paranoid rant, what does this have to do with the article?

Martha 1-09-2010 @ 9:16AM

It's not hard losing weight and keeping it off. Cook at home folks...throw out the sugar, drink skim milk, eat fruits and veggies, but most important of all...get off the couch and do things!!!! Cut the grass, do housework, work in the garden, play with the kids and walk the dog. Come on...get real. There is no silver bullet. I haven't eaten fast food in years...it is just junk and so bad for you!!!!!

nitajanej 12-29-2009 @ 6:45PM

You are absolutely right. There are no short cuts. Goes back to what our mama's and our doctors have been telling us forever. Eat less, move more. Eat right, move right. I went up to 200 lbs on my 5'3" frame. Have kept 35 of it off for the last year. I exercise, cook at home, use smaller plates. It was a pain when I started but it's become second nature now. Looking forward to taking off 30 more this year!

Trish 12-30-2009 @ 11:24AM

Martha. You are ABSOLUTELY correct. If people would do exactly what you suggest, rather than try the fad diets, they WOULD have success. But, they must do it consistently...not just one day, get on the scale and say it's not working. So go ahead folks. Give it a good and HONEST try for a solid month and then check your weight for the first time in a month and I think you will be pleasantly surprised. Good luck and Happy New Year.

Shannon 12-29-2009 @ 3:03PM

People don't realize that you can lose weight by eating anything you want within reason and moderation. As long as you maintain a healthy diet most days and exercise, you can treat yourself to the occasional fast food burger or take out Chinese. You just can't eat that way all the time. The problem with our culture is we want instant gratification all the time, right now, which is part of the reason why we have an obesity problem. You can't have double cheeseburgers all the time. You can have one once in a while.

Irish 12-29-2009 @ 4:09PM

Yes a person could lose weight eating nothing but Taco Bell for 10 days. If you only eat one small item and water to drink. A taco is just one tble. sp. meat (or meat sub.) 1/2 tble. spoon cheese (or cheese sub.) and one table spoon shredded lettuce. You must add sauce to get some vitamin C. No I don't work there but where I live it is the next best thing to McDonald's. And I am caucasian in case anyone cares.

alex 12-29-2009 @ 6:45PM

I Know I can eat all i want, and as much. Im 125 pounds.male/21. i grew up sitting around doing nothing but videogames/ drawing and guitar sitting down. and im just as skinny and healthy. No blood pressure or anything. My mom was a smoker so i always been small. guess thats why im not a fatass like the rest of america, god bless lol

J Dillon 12-29-2009 @ 3:17PM

I believe one can lose weight eating only at Taco Bell. Before consuming an entire dish one would likely vomit it all back up and not be able to eat the rest of the day. Do that for several weeks and the pounds would melt off. However, one would be healthier eating anywhere else (in moderation) and exercising regularly.

Diane 12-29-2009 @ 4:03PM

Bit of marketing research. Would any of you read/buy a book about a 220 pound woman who lost weight by eating nothing but restaurant food (including fast food)? How much would she have to lose to make the book compelling enough?

Irish 12-29-2009 @ 6:59PM

Yes, I would definately love a story like that. I have been somehow "forced" to "serve" my off-spring and myself delicious "fast foods". Because: On the way to work, I take 'em to schools. (plural) And, guess what? Itz good! Cheap too! We split a "small" fry or whatever. water with ice for the price of a cup. Only certain people hafta have a "large" item. When I first ate Taco Bell, tacos were 8 cents.

GARY 12-30-2009 @ 2:51PM

FOLKS THE CLAIMS ARE TRUEEEEEEEEEEEEE I WAS 355 POUND DIAGNOSED LAST APRIL WITH ATRIL FIBULATION, MY HEAVEST WAS 387, LOVEING A FAST FOOD & BUFFET DIET ALL THE DOCTORS POINTED RIGHT AT MY WIEGHT ( THEY LIKE THAT ESCAPE GOAT), I WAS ORDERED TO LOSE WIEGHT NO PROBLEM. YES PROBLEM I WAS THEN TOLD I WAS NOT TO
EXERCISE OR EAT VEGGIES DUE TO THE HEART MEDS AND MY HEART CONDITION. I DECIDED IT WAS TIME TO REALLY DO SOMETHING BUT WHAT COULD I TRY PLUS THE PROBLEM IS I TRAVEL FOR A LIVING AND YOU CAN'T COOK MEALS IN HOTEL ROOMS, THERE WERE THREE FAST FOOD OPTIONS TOCO BELL FRESCO MENU, SUBWAY LOW FAT CHOICES, AND IN AND OUT BURGER (NO NOT THE FRYS AND DOUBLE DOUBLES FOLKS) I WAS FORCED TO EAT AT THOSE THREE EATERYS AND NOW DECEMBER 29TH 2009 I WIEGH IN AT 279.8 POUNDS A TOTAL LOSE OF 107 POUNDS FROM MY HEAVEST. THE FORMULA FOR LOSING WIEGHT IS SIMPLE, NO JUNK FOOD, NO HIGH FAT BUFFETS OR MEALS, THE THING THAT SHOCKED ME WAS WHEN MY DOCTOR CAME IN THE ROOM AND SAID YOUR NEXT CHEESE BURGER COULD BE YOUR LAST. IT'S SIMPLE AND HARD TO GRASP LADIES AND GENTELMEN BUT DIET PILLS DON'T WORK, DIETS THAT YOU CHEAT ON DON'T WORK BUT WHEN YOUR TOLD YOUR GOING TO DIE THAT WORKED WONDERS FOR ME, TOCO BELL IS NOT LIEING I EAT THERE THREE TO FOUR TIMES A WEEK THIS LAST EIGHT MONTHS,AND LOST POUND AFTER POUND.

Mayzie71 12-29-2009 @ 5:29PM

For those that are experiencing stomach problems like explosive diarrhea and projectile vomiting, I would look into a doctor. You might have an ulcer or something because most people do not have that problem with taco bell's food.

Notice the spokes woman is not telling what she ate before she lost the weight. I worked at McDonalds throughout high school and college and the amount of food people would eat in one sitting was ridiculous. I used to love it when people would order something like 2 double quarter pounders a supersized fry and a supersized diet coke. (I always kind of wondered what the point of the diet coke was) If her diet was similar to something like that, switching to fresco menu would of course cause her to drop lbs fast.

Srbageldog 12-29-2009 @ 7:57PM

I work at Taco Bell. All the fresco menu consists of are items which have had the dairy products removed and replaced with fiesta salsa. I love it when people order items "al fresca" (yeah, American's are idiots and can't ever pronounce anything right)- but then they'll request "extra cheese" or "extra sour cream." They seem to be confused when we try explaining what "fresco style" means. What? You have to remove the fattening products from my burrito? You mean the fresco menu is not some magical low-fat Americanization of Mexican goodness? And yes, these are the people who order extra large diet Pepsi's to go with their orders! Seriously, do people think that if they order the Fully Loaded Nacho's fresco style with an extra large diet Pepsi, they are eating healthy? The only way to lose weight eating Taco Bell is to be bulimic, or have a naturally high metabolism. Or only splurge and eat there once in a while. The fresco menu will not make you lose weight. Especially if you load extra sour cream, guacamole and cheese on top of it. Kinda defeats the purpose of ordering something "al fresca." :p

Eileen 12-29-2009 @ 5:50PM

Going on a diet does not mean you can go to Taco Bell and splurge on their "Drive-Thru diet" Fresco menu and expect to lose weight.There is no way, i must disagree that eating even a small portion amount of fatty foods can help you lose weight with all those triglycerites in their burritos and tacos. The key is to cut out bread and alchohol, go on a 1200 diet and EXERCISE an hour 5 days a week.
Dieting is all about motivation, determination and most of all avoiding any kind of trans fat or saturated fatty foods from fast food restaurants. Eating just junk gets you sick and produce belly bloat. If you look at her picture on the commercial, you see that she's hiding the little lump in her stomach. She may have lost 54 lbs but eating just Taco Bell didn't cut it. That woman had a personal trainer and other exercise techniques including a diet regimen. Taco Bell probably payed that woman a lot of money to justify false advertisment.

micaelA 12-29-2009 @ 5:54PM

I have worked at Taco Bell in Southern California a good 7 years now. During the time I definitely put on a few pounds. I was up 255 lbs. I hit a pretty big depression over it and it took a loved one to tell me that I was fat for me to realize it. I changed my routine, walked 40 minutes to work everyday, changed my normal order to Fresco Ranchero Chicken taco's, and did minimal exercise everyday for 7 months. I finally got down to my ideal weight of 180 and I haven't been happier. Oh and as for how much my diet changed outside of work it remained the same except I would reward myself once a week with ordering out to Papa Johns or some other "not-so-healthy" place.

Tin 12-29-2009 @ 6:04PM

Knowing how Taco Bell goes about making there food I would say no everything may look good but its nasty try working for them I dont think it will work nothing is really made there its all pre packaged and full of junk

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