The first week of the diet is finally over. It was hard. I really wanted half & half in my coffee. So you know what I did? I put it in my coffee and tea. WHOA! I also added a little milk to my scrambled eggs to make them fluffier.

I decided I was going to make this diet work for ME—not me work for the diet. I made a few changes to make it more tolerable. Besides that little bit of dairy I decided that if I was really craving something I would have it, but just a little bit. If I keep denying myself all the goodies I see walking the streets of Manhattan I may eat a FAMILY sized bag of potato chips instead of a single serving. Or a whole cake instead of the glass of milk I really wanted. (I’ve learned that when I crave sweets its really the milk I want and not the sweet. Not really sure why.)

Plus, these little give-ins help my sanity. I am the kind of person who doesn’t like to be told that I can’t do something. Even if the person telling me is me! Yep, I was real pleasant growing up, just ask my parents.

So, I figured I would do my best to follow the plan but I wouldn’t make myself go crazy trying to stick to it. When I weighed myself on Friday I lost 4 pounds. So that miniature ice cream bar or small bag of chips or can of Campbell’s chicken noodle soup, that I had for dinner because my throat hurt, didn’t do as much damage as I thought it would.

I was so proud of myself. Then Saturday night rolled around and my roommate had a gift certificate to Bartolino’s Italian Ristorante. I thought I died and went to a Dean Martin heaven. I had Fettuccine Alfredo and two glasses of Chianti. Oh. So. Good.

I told myself I would be better the next day. But my plans went awry when I discovered some unwanted guests had come through an open, yet screened-in window to visit our kitchen overnight. I still had to eat so I went to the deli down the street and got a lox and bagel.

After some industrial strength cleaning to the apartment I got ready for a potluck. The title of the evite on Facebook was T’s Fried Chicken. I already knew going in I was in trouble but I didn’t care. T is from Georgia and I really wanted some southern fried chicken. Let me tell you, it was finger lickin’ good and well worth it. You know what else was worth it? The homemade mac & cheese with it’s creamy goodness and hint of heat; the cooked greens with pieces of chicken in it; the ever-so-moist cornbread; and the buttery Popeye’s biscuits! Even the dish I brought, Tuna Noodle Salad, was worth it. If you are going to throw the diet out the window you might as well go ahead and throw it out of the state.

But my fall off the wagon has not derailed me. I will start again. I will not torment myself because I ate food that was not on the diet. This diet will work for me and not the other way around. And if it doesn’t, then, it’s not the diet for me.