I figured I might as well start today. I gulped down a glass of orange juice and headed off to work. I stopped for a cup of coffee - black, no sugar, no cream. Later, around noon, I scurried up the street to a little tucked-in-a-wall produce shop and walked across the creaky wood floors to where the bananas reside. I picked out the longest one I could find, but I knew that wouldn’t quite do it, so I got a fruit and nut granola bar, too.
     To complete my not-really-lunch, I stopped at the lovely place where they make my favorite caramel macchiatos and ordered – nope, a large iced tea. Strange… I didn’t get hungry the rest of the afternoon. There was always that tall glass of iced tea next to me.
     That evening I skipped the calorie-laden meal and had dessert. The apple cobbler topped with vanilla ice cream was delicious and afterwards I didn’t get those snack pains I usually get about eight-thirty. And I didn’t get those “I’m starved!” cravings at nine o’clock when I’m watching the Padres on HDTV. And, best of all, I read my book without once thinking of getting up to go get something to eat.
     Well, that’s only one day, right? But it was a really good day – especially the apple cobbler. I went to bed satisfied.
     I weigh myself every morning. On this morning - after my day without meals - I stepped on the scale. Didn’t expect anything different than yesterday and the day before and the day before: a half pound gained or stayed the same. The scale took its time thinking what news it should give me. I do intense positive thinking during those moments.
     Ohmigosh – A whole pound! Gone. Gone. How’d that happen? Then I remembered. Orange juice, banana, granola bar, iced tea – and dessert!  Wow! I could do this again! My dessert diet. You gotta love that!
     So I did it again and I lost a half pound. And another half pound the next day and no pound the next day but I didn’t gain, either. And so I continued and by the end of the week I’d lost three pounds and by the end of the next week I’d lost six pounds and then I almost gave up.
     I’d gotten down to the lowest I’ve been in three years and then I gained a half pound back. The next day that half pound was still hanging in there. This was bad news. I must have hit my –what is it they call it? Plateau.
     That’s when it’s time to change the diet. Fool the body. But darn, those desserts are good. Banana splits, chocolate cream pie, blueberry crisp… I decided to suffer it through one more day.
     As it turned out I couldn’t exactly stick with it because I was scheduled to have lunch with the auditor. Instead of the banana and granola bar, I ordered a fruit and cheese plate and picked at the goodies on it and that night I got back to my diet with a generous slab of carrot cake. This morning I stepped on the scale. No positive thinking. What will be will be.
     Oh. My. Gosh. I lost a pound and a half! Overnight! So you’ll understand why I’m sticking with my dessert diet for those last five pounds. I’m not recommending it to you. I’m just telling you what it did for me. I figure, do whatever works for you. But it’s kind’a nice if it includes a few desserts.