I started tracking and portion control a couple of months ago. At the outset it sounded punitive, and I promised myself it would just be temporary. Funny thing is I now look forward to using the tracker every day. I eyeball and count my portions (five olives, 10 pecan halves, six Brussels sprouts, etc.), which is becoming second nature. What surprises and delights me is that I find it at least as satisfying to eat a normal portion of something on a plate as I used to eating mountains mindlessly right out of a box, can, container, pot. It gives me pleasure tracking a meal and seeing all the macros balance out nicely. Weighing myself daily and tracking my food and water intake and keeping the macros within a good range for me is becoming its own reward. Doesn't feel like punishment at all. Since doing this, I've lost back five pounds I'd regained plus two more. The biggest challenge in maintaining is staying honest with myself and remembering that what I did before didn't work and what I'm doing now does work so I need to keep doing it. No way around it.