A few weeks back - I told you how I finally got control of my eating by looking at rationing my points the way I'd ration my $$ in Vegas. Just decide how much of your "wealth" or "point allocation" you're going to spend on enjoying yourself - do it - enjoy it - and then walk away.

Well, I'm a much better money manager than I am a dieter - so I've started to look for other ways to apply the lessons of saving/preserving money that I have easily adopted for my finances - to my dieting. If you've ever read those tips that appear on MSN or in women's magazines about how to save money - they always tell you to never go to the grocery store hungry or without a list. If you commit either of those two sins, you're much more likely to buy things that you don't need, aren't good for you or will rot in your fridge. True enough.

And doesn't that apply to dieting as well? Now, when I go to the grocery store, I go with a list. My list includes lots of fruits and vegetables, fat free deli meats, low-point dessert options, zero or one point snack options and lots of flavored waters. And I don't buy anything that's not on my list. It's not about saving money, it's about saving points. Amazing how much easier it is to diet when you CAN'T grab for anything that has more than 2 points per serving - and when there are plenty of healthy options to choose from.

I have willpower when it comes to spending money, but not when it comes to dieting. So - like leaving your credit cards at home - I just don't give myself the option of over-indulging. It's working!