I worship food. Is my verb too strong? I’m heading home from my vacation and I’m thinking about what makes a get-away great. For me, it means; enjoying new restaurants, napping in the afternoons, reading a great book, and spending time with my husband— who rarely gets crabby on vacation. This holiday caught me in the middle of a one-month diet to lose 5 pounds. Restraint was added to the itinerary. I’m doing , and believe me… it’s not easy fitting in gluttony and staying under 25 points a day. I make sure I have my bag of mini carrots, and my secret weapon for when I’m craving something sweet, . To and from the airport I travel with a baggie of mixed with , and hit up for a kid’s size skim milk and spoon. I’m nothing, if not prepared. I’ve developed a system over the years adapted from my sister-in-law Cass, who became half her size by eating half of her food, smoking a cigarette and using her plate as an ashtray. I’m not a smoker, so my portion control requires simply pushing half aside— it works for me. Read next feature >