watching my weight...again

after months of watching the numbers on the scale slowly rise, i have taken the inevitable step, and gone back on the diet to end all diets. i have joined sarah, the former duchess of york, jenny mccarthy and that guy from felicity who was also on alias. we all count points, you know, all the kids are doing it.

since i only started this drastic measure about 12 hours ago, i have yet to notice much of an affect on my lifestyle. however i did order chicken and broccoli with brown rice for dinner and parked myself in front of the tv, picking all the broccoli out of the carton and polishing off all of the brown rice. i told myself it was only a cup, because it came in the smallest chinese food box i have ever seen in my life. that's four points, please.

so here is my goal: drop all the weight i gained back in the past year, and look stunning and skinny for my fall trip to the caribbean.

i know the late summer/fall is an unconventional time to lose weight, but if i continue to be this shape and size heading into the holiday season (a time of year typically fraught with weight gain and feeling very badly about myself in general) i may just find myself a deep unshakeable funk.

i want to be skinny and fit and toned when i turn 25 (eek!). so, here we go a-dieting again.

so in the spirit of dieting, here are my tips to losing weight. because i'm soooo good at it (not)

-when in doubt, eat veggies and drink diet coke
-free samples are zero points
-always weigh yourself three times in a row on the same scale and take the average
-be generous with points when you eat out
-be honest...to the best of your ability
-an empty fridge and pantry can be a dieters' best friend (unfortunately, mine was always empty even when i wasn't dieting!)
-drink lots of water and take your vitamins
-cut out sugar, full fat milk and fats like butter, oil and mayo
-if you don't use up your weekly bonus points by the night before weigh in...blow them on a sinful dessert!
-don't give up on liquor. stick to light beer or rum and diet coke--the diet means that you will need to drink less.

see, after following these rules, how could i ever go wrong. HA.

i know everyone and their mother is on the diet. what are some of your tips? i'd love to hear them.