One, Two, Three
My study group and I are sitting in the quad today when we all decide to take a trip inside to the vending machines, which offer typical vending machine fare: chips, cookies, candy bars, and some granola packet that, at 400 calories, only pretends to be a healthy alternative.
We are joking about the way students eat--the ramen, Oreos by the box--when my friend Shannon announces that she is on the "One, Two, Three" diet.
What is the One, Two, Three Diet you ask? Doesn't it sound so simple? It is!
You can eat anything you want on the One, Two, Three diet, but you can only spend one dollar on breakfast, two dollars on lunch, and three dollars on dinner. That's the diet.
There is one additional component to her diet worth noting--the free food component. On the Weight Watcher's program, foods are assigned points based on some magical mathematical formula. Beans are one point, a Big Mac is 14 points. There are also some zero point foods--carrots, cabbage--which are often referred to as "free foods."
On the One, Two, Three diet, however, the term "free foods" is more economical than caloric. Free foods refer to foods that are, well, free. Law school seems to be full of opportunities for free food--luncheons, weekly club meetings, various events sponsored by the student body or alumni. I think it is their way of keeping us locked in the law school building for long, grueling hours. We don't even need to leave to eat since there is always a pizza in the room or office next door.
There it is. One dollar for breakfast, two dollars for lunch, three dollars for dinner, and as much free stuff as you can get your hands on. Easy as one, two, three.
And let's say you have a free dinner, can you put the three dollars you were going to spend on dinner to another meal?
Posted by: benji | September 24, 2007 at 09:33 PM
Good question! I'll ask.
Posted by: Janet | September 24, 2007 at 09:44 PM
Hmmm I found a pretty funny website on dieting. Here's a part on Calories that don't count:
FOOD EATEN QUICKLY: If you are rushed through a meal, the entire meal doesn't count. Conversely, if you have ordered something fattening and now regret it, you can minimize its calories by gulping it down.
OTHER PEOPLE'S FOOD: A chocolate mousse that you did not order has no calories. Therefore, have your companion order dessert and you taste half of it.
http://www.dietjokes.co.uk/jokes/069.php
Posted by: Rene | September 25, 2007 at 05:28 AM
Do not get me started on this diet. :) Words cannot express how I feel about it. I think it's funny.
Posted by: Tashya | September 25, 2007 at 06:49 AM
I have been trying the points diet,(17 lbs) I wish I would have know about the one, two, three diet. No counting, just cash.
Posted by: touch of red | September 25, 2007 at 10:14 AM
this is a great idea. I keep telling my husband that dieting is good for your body AND your wallet. And I'm always on a quest to make the cheapest brown bag lunches possible. (Egg salad is a top contender)
Posted by: janet | September 26, 2007 at 08:32 AM
This is much easier to do when you live in Ecuador. Right now, I can buy a chocolate croissant for 50 cents, have a full chicken/rice/juice/dessert lunch for $1.50, then eat a nice dinner for $2.50. I've lost four pounds since I got here.
There is truth to her wisdom. Not so sure I could do it at home... Gosh, I miss Whole Foods...
Posted by: cupcake | September 26, 2007 at 01:08 PM