Dieting 101 - My style

Since participating in Fit Mama Club, I'm paying more attention to what I'm actually putting in my body. The accountability really helps keep me on track and I find myself making healthier choices (like adding fresh broccoli to the Ramen noodles I had for dinner Monday night. I didn't want to cook for just myself - don't judge.) However, I still have some "rules" that must be followed to keep myself sane.

1. If it has caffeine in it, the calories don't count. Caffeine is a stimulant so it's mere presence burns off the calories.
2. The 3:00 afternoon snack doesn't count, because without it I"d never get through the rest of the workday without hurting someone.
3. A dish of ice cream before bed doesn't count, either. Sophie nurses at bedtime and first thing in the morning so she gets those calories. Besides, it's Thin Mint ice cream and the Girl Scout Cookie rule applies - foods for a good cause don't count because they are for a good cause! (Same applies to school cookie dough/candy sales. We must support our children!)
4. The universal rule applies, too - major holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, birthdays, Valentine's Day, anniversaries) don't count. Calories don't get holiday pay so they take the day off.
5. The word "diet" is banned. It's a healthier lifestyle, and weight loss is just a fun extra.
6. Anything your child feeds you, or came from their plate in any way, does not count. Their little bodies absorb all the calories by osmosis.

Seriously, though, I have been trying to make healthier choices. I stopped at Sonic on Tuesday on my way to work and got my usual (not everyday but frequent) Mocha Java Chiller. Then as I entered my food later that day on SparkPeople.com, I saw that one cup of goodness I drank contained nearly 800 calories. I think I'm done with that drink! Today I'm sipping a frozen mocha latte made with skim milk and blended with ice cubes instead of ice cream. Not quite as sweet, but still satisfying and delicious. I had a blueberry muffin instead of a chocolate bar. I'll have fruit for a snack, or yogurt. I've been drinking TONS of water every day! In fact, yesterday I had half a glass of soda, and that's the only soda I've had all week long. I've mostly had water, and a little tea and lemonade.
I know I won't see any changes overnight, or even in a month, but I'll get there. And I was (mostly) serious about rule #5 - I'm not "dieting."  Dieting implies that once you get to your target weight you go back to life as before, unhealthy eating and all. I do NOT want to do that. I want to be healthy, but I don't want to torture myself either. That would never last.