Having trouble staying on the diet

About two months ago my wife and I started doing the South Beach Diet again. Since we started, I've dropped about fifteen to twenty pounds. I am comfortably wearing 34s instead of squeezing into 36s. A number of people have asked me if I lost weight. With all of this positive reinforcement, you'd think it would be easier to stay of the diet. But for some reason it doesn't seem to be.

As always it starts with the small cheats. A diet soda instead of water. A few extra chocolate chips in my ricotta faux-cream dessert. A beer with dinner. A piece of sugar free candy. Corn in the mixed vegetables. A couple of pieces of sugar free candy. Potatoes with dinner. A glass of wine. A couple of pieces of candy. A thin slice of cake. Chinese takeout. Several glasses of wine. A couple of slices of cake.

And the thing is that I know that I'm not doing what I should. But I do it anyway. Because it's easy. Because it feels good. Just because.