starbucks dietWondering what the next fad diet craze is going to be? Here's a hint: The Starbucks Diet. (Okay, that was actually the answer, not a hint.) How do we know? Because a librarian in Virginia is claiming to have lost nearly 80 pounds eating food exclusively from Starbucks. That's right, Christine Hall, who stands just 5 feet, 4 inches tall, says she whittled her frame from 190 to 114 pounds simply by restricting herself to Starbucks-only fare.

Does this sound outrageous to you? It shouldn't. Hall's Starbucks success story makes perfect sense. Not because the coffee chain's food contains some magical slimming ingredient, but because at Starbucks, Hall discovered the real secret of weight loss ...

COUNTING CALORIES.

Uh, yup. It's that simple. Or, if you prefer a different term, PORTION CONTROL.

See, everything at Starbucks is pre-packaged, and, not counting the beverage menu, one-size-fits-all. Calorie content info is available for everything (most of it is even labeled). Eating every meal from Starbucks eliminates sneaky dieting pitfalls like that additional scoop of mashed potatoes that somehow ended up on your plate or that heaping helping of mayo on your turkey sandwich -- those little "extras" that most people conveniently forget to add to their daily calorie count.

It's like Hall says: “I have a busy schedule, so it just works for me. I know exactly what I’m getting. I can plan my day in advance because I’ve memorized the calories in everything.”

"It’s not like I’m having a bagel every day. I’m mixing it up and making sure I get protein, fruits, and vegetables.”

Could Hall have accomplished the same thing on non-Starbucks food? Of course. But hey, I get it -- she's busy, and this eliminates the guesswork.

What do you think?

Would you try the 'Starbucks Diet' to lose weight?

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