"Junk Food, Fast Food, Frozen Food and Takeout!" Modifications to the original diet

But was this really all the Gilmore Girls ever ate? Definately not. Lorelai may have been all about the convenience foods, but even she got a bit healthier when times were tough. There was an episode when Rory came home from college to find her mom's fridge stuffed with fruits, vegetables, cheese, condiments, and absolutely no take-out containers or fast food leftovers.

So I guess this is how I defend my salads, carrot sticks, and near daily sandwiches. I'm on a budget! Sure, it's easier to eat pizza and fries and chinese food daily, but my budget won't allow it right now. Maybe eventually I'll be able to eat out/order out more than weekly, but for now, it's only a saturday thing.

I do make sure to incorporate junk food and frozen food into my daily menu. If possible, I opt for "healthy" options, like baked lays and lean cuisines. But there is no acceptable healthy alternative for pop tarts or redvines, so I stick to the originals in those cases.

I'm also sure that the Gilmores never counted calories. This is the second modification of the original plan. I decided that to make this work for weight loss, I needed to write out meal plans that include both the calorie count and the total grams of fat. I still include all of my favorite foods, and experiment with new foods, but stay under 1550 calories and under 30 grams of fat most days.

Third modification: Movie night! Originally, I had planned to allow myself to eat one meal a week that I did not really account for. Just a bunch of junk food during a movie, like the Gilmores do. Well, I found that I don't need to do this. I eat junk food every day, and since I don't feel deprived through the week, I don't feel the need to "splurge" on Friday night. Which to me is just proof that my diet works for me. I eat when hungry, I never deprive myself of any food (nothing is off-limits) and I'm losing weight. It's very exciting.

The crazy thing is, none of these are new concepts. They have always been out there: Eat anything in moderation. Eat less in general. Exercise more that you used to. That's all I'm doing. Building better habits for myself.