The wedding went off without a hitch. The dress fit. The tux fit. We both felt lean and, though perhaps a bit nervous, at least we looked the part of pulled-together bride and groom. Then we smashed the cake into each other's faces and licked it all off. What a way to spoil our diet!

After that, it was no sacrifice to devour the chocolate soufflé. (Trust me, this sinful treat is so much more sinful when you've deprived yourself for months.)

Fast forward to our honeymoon on the French side of Saint Martin ... and we're talking four types of croissants each morning: from apple to chocolate and everything in between. Then move on to the baguettes, morning, noon, and night, along with those fabulous French meals. We were gluttonous, and did not deny ourselves anything.

We each gained about five pounds.

Once we returned to civilization, we found it's not so easy to hop back on the wagon. I submit for your examination Exhibits A: Jewish New Year, with holiday foods like the simply irresistible Kugel (a sweet noodle casserole) B: Cakes and cookies at said events, and C: leftover wedding cake. Not to mention the classic comment from my grandfather "Now that you're married, you can stop that silly diet and gain some weight." If this is a preview of the holiday season, we're both going to need some major motivation!

The Atkins man is better at that than I. He sets his goals, and fills our fridge with avocados, asparagus, and cheese. He leaves "Atkins for Life" conveniently open to the recipe section. (But we don't have to stick with just those recipes, since we get so many great ones from our readers: check some out below!) He asks for berries but knows even they have too many carbs for him right now.

I have admittedly been a little unbalanced, as I try to regain my low-carb equilibrium. I'm eating too many nuts (which have carbs), and have been snacking on avocados, mozzarella balls with pepperoni, and a crunchy low-carb cereal I found at Trader Joe's. One week on that diet, and I lost two pounds. The problem here is consistency. I'll have a carby vegetable by accident. For example: I'll eat a watercress in some Chinese food. Then I think "I messed that one up, so I can just finish it."

Goodness knows, one watercress does not a diet flub make. Even a plate of carby vegetables is a tolerable offense. But it's the mental cue that gives me the opportunity for a bigger slip. Maybe you know what I'm talking about.

And now, let's look at some reader submissions!

Prawn/Shrimp Vinaigrette

(from our reader CookWitch)

Get your pre-cooked shrimp and marinate them in olive oil, white wine or sherry or cider vinegar, a touch of Splenda and some chopped parsley.

Add in big pieces of garlic for the flavor but remove before serving.

Cut an avocado in half, take out the stone and you can either chop the flesh and mix it with the shrimp on a bed of arugula or just serve the shrimp IN the avocado.

Chicken Wings

(From Dana Carpendera's 500 recipe cookbook)
4 lb large chicken wings
1 c. grated parmesan cheese
2 tbsp. dried parsley
1 tbsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp pepper
½ cup melted butter

Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit

Put wings in a bowl. Pour over the melted butter and mix well.

Dip the chicken in the coating and place on a baking tray lined with foil or nonstick baking parchment.

Bake for 1 hour until done.

Chocolate Mousse

(from our reader Jane)
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 c. heavy cream
1 c. water
1 package instant sugar free chocolate pudding

Blend all together with a powerful mixer, pour into bowls, and enjoy.

As always, all the words and thoughts in this little column are Michele's and hers alone. She's not a doctor or a dietician... she's a newlywed trying to maintain a low carb diet. Michele loves to read your e-mails , but alas, she can't give you any medical advice.