Well, the party's over, come and get me.

Gone are the days when I'd drop five, six, seven pounds in a week. Now, I'm lucky if I lose a pound/don't gain one.

I don't feel like I've fallen off the wagon - well, except for last Saturday, when I not only fell off the wagon, I jumped off, yelling "YEE HAW!" and making obscene finger gestures to my Weight Watchers materials that I'm always, always, packing in my purse. Yep, last Saturday, I was tired. And hungry. REALLY, REALLY hungry, in that "If I don't eat Mexican food, including chips and cheese dip, RIGHT NOW, I will die. I will perish in this very spot." So I did. I met a girlfriend at Tortas Jalisco (have you had their chips?) and ate. I ate until I was full, and I probably ate a little more, but who is counting? (Well, I'm supposed to be, I guess.)

I did, in an effort to be at least a little bit rational, order shrimp, and I didn't eat the rice (why bother with rice when there are chips and a bowl of cheese dip at your disposal?), so I had that going for me. That night, I ate more bad stuff and had a few cocktails at the Lawrence St. Patrick's Day Committee's Adult Spelling Bee. No, I didn't spell, I was the "pronouncer." It is a service I offer. Any of you with pronouncing needs, I'm your girl.

But I digress. Mostly I have been "good." I have stayed within my points, concentrated on what I was purchasing at the store, and tried to come up with inventive meals that both my husband (who can't gain a pound even on a straight frozen pizza diet - seriously, he's tried) and I can eat. I am eating far differently that I ever have in my life - even when I was on various "other" diets - because I'm not cutting out any major food groups, but I'm thinking carefully about fat and carbs, and most of all, portions. So, even if the weight isn't flying off at breakneck pace, I feel the consequences here are excellent.

I feel better. I feel healthier. I never have that sick, pants-too-tight, what-have-I-done feeling. I don't have a flop sweat after a meal. Also, I'm feeding my family healthier things, and putting more thought into their long-term health instead of just their weight.

Another awesome side effect of this "lifestyle change" is in my budget. While I have long been a good budgeter and a careful grocery shopper, this new way of eating has really shaped my shopping in a whole new direction. I cook more often than I used to. There are fewer "fend for yourself" nights at my house. I have learned that fending for myself tends to result in cheating. "Oh, a handful of chips won't kill me." "I can't find anything quick to eat - guess I'll have this frozen pizza." "I don't know how to calculate the points for six bites of leftover meatloaf, two licks of the frosting I made for a birthday cake, and my kid's left over chicken nugget." No, I'm better off carefully planning meals, shopping specifically for them (and nothing else!), and sticking to the plan. And, lo and behold, it has resulted in grocery savings. There are no impulse buys. I shop the weekly flyers, plan my healthy meals accordingly, and miraculously, my spending is down.

Can you tell I'm pep talking myself? Because sometimes, when you are not-quite-full enough after a day of healthy eating, and you can't spare four points for a glass of wine, you need to, as my husband would say, "Bright side this thing." But, it's working. Because I'm still at it, planning and eating and counting my little heart out. I'm healthier, I've met my first weight loss goal, and I've got a few extra grocery bucks in my pocket. WINNING!