Taco Bell's Christine Dougherty Speaks Out On Her Drive-Thru Diet

By now, many of us have heard about Taco Bell's new spokeswoman -- and success story -- who has lost 54 pounds by eating items off of the Mexican chain's Fresco menu. By reducing her caloric intake by 500 and eating just 1,250 total calories daily via options from this fast food joint, the 27-year-old Pensacola, Fla. native Christine Dougherty was able to drop the extra pounds.

Of course, we're skeptical of claims that the Drive-Thru Diet's seven Fresco items could facilitate weight loss. If anything, many of us are addicted to the greasy goodness and do all we can to avoid our favorite fast food haunts.

Each item on the menu, which includes tacos and burritos, has less than nine grams of fat, with calories counts ranging 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).

That's Fit was able to catch up with Christine at her first media appearance in New York City to ask all about her love affair with fast food and how it's worked in her favor:

That's Fit: Out of all the fast food joints, how did decide to try to lose weight with Taco Bell?

Christine Dougherty: There's one right by our house. I initially started eating Fresco options because my husband knew that I was trying to lose weight, and pointed them out to me on the menu. My favorites are the grilled steak soft taco and the ranchero chicken soft taco. They're probably what I order the most. There are also meals I haven't even tried yet!

TF: The way this diet is marketed, it sounds like you eat Taco Bell for nearly every meal. Is that really the case?

CD: I don't cook, and neither does my husband, so we've relied on Taco Bell for lunch, dinner on weekdays after work, and on weekends. Generally in the morning I eat cereal or oatmeal for breakfast. I also eat many other foods -- fajitas are a favorite, and I love seafood. In general, I eat many of the same foods on a day-to-day basis, so it's been more about maintaining my weight based on what I'm consuming. I'm able to mentally calculate the calories, but never was good about keeping a food diary. I now have a better handle on how much I need to and should eat to maintain my current weight.

TF: Besides Taco Bell's Fresco meals, you say that you've dropped weight "making other sensible choices." What are these other choices?

CD: It's been all about finding little ways to cut out calories. For example, I've been making switches in the everyday foods I eat, like using light cream cheese instead of regular, or lower-fat milk.

TF: Tell us a bit about your workout routine.

CD: I don't really have one, but I wish I did. Really I've tried to make an effort to be more active, particularly outdoors. A few years back, my husband and I bought surf boards, and we love to go to the beach, so it's trying to be active in this way as opposed to a workout regiment. Although there's not much to do right now [in the winter] in Florida , which is tough.

TF: One of the many criticisms regarding fast food is its high amounts of fat, cholesterol and sodium. You've also said in previous interviews that The Drive-Thru Diet is "not a weight loss program" and that your weight loss results "aren't typical." This being said, what are you hoping that people who eat fast food get out of this campaign?

CD: I'm not a dietitian, so regarding the fat, cholesterol and sodium, I don't really know. All I know is that I'm eating better now than I used to, and it's helped me lose weight. Can I find better, alternative foods to Taco Bell? Sure. But I am trying to use my story to motivate others, and hoping it can inspire people to lose weight.

If you're not ready to jump on the Taco Bell Diet? That's Fit is full of comprehensive diet reviews. You can find one that matches your lifestyle.