Yes Valerie...you are right on all points. Thanks for being so eloquent on this.
I agree that the length of time you and I have been maintaining, does seem to shift things...I know it has for me. My first year it was still very novel...now these few years later....it seems like that past is a fog to me. The pain of my former size remains vivid to me.... the futility of my many unsuccessful attempts also stays with me.

Getting back to Barbara's confession.....intellectually, I know that she is onto something here...creating a communtiy of successful maintainers in a world where we are in a very small minority.

I know that when I started out in 2004, seeing others who had already lost all their weight, gave me huge hope...they were my diet gods. What I did not see enough of were those who were being successful at maintaining....I hope that we give other newbies hope that it is possible to keep it off. Especially those of us who have lost over 100 lbs.