BILL: I didn't use foodaddicts.org precisely, but if you check out my diet plan you'll see the strong similarities. I've been doing a modified version of "The Five Fists" approach -- eat five times a day, a meal that is about the size of your fist (okay... I do meals the size of both fists, and give myself a 6th meal a day made up of 'very low calorie density foods', like lettuce....). Great to hear about your sustained success!!

DAVE: No fair -- you terminally skinny guys don't get to weigh in with us fat and formerly fat guys.... You do make a great point about changing your overall lifestyle to get rid of 'overeat opportunities'. Just like when I quit smoking a little over a year ago -- I changed my routine to make it easier. To change my food habits I did the same thing -- my wife and I cancelled our cable TV... drastic? Maybe. Effective? In our case, absolutely.

RON: Thanks buddy! I'm not even claiming the first roughly 10 pounds I lost over the winter, just weight lost since my 'official start of efforts' -- so if I claim back 1 full year I'm well over 40 pounds lost so far -- -- -- and did it since I quit smoking in May 2008. Congrats on your 14-ish pounds, and bigger congrats on your upcoming new family member!!! That is awesome!!

JIM in CINCY: POST YOUR PROGRESS BUDDY!! It's been a huge help to me to have a few guys on here hold me responsible. I'll support you any way I can! Sorry to hear you now have TII Diabetes to contend with -- but big kudos that you've tackled the issue and are working on it. SCREW 136 to 179 pounds man! Set a realistic goal of 180 to 200 pounds, a weight that will let you walk easier, and something you can actually maintain. I'm in that boat with you -- -- I screwed up my knees playing football, and when I weighed 250+ I could not run at all, and walking hurt. Now... at 207-ish (I weigh in on Wednesday...) I can walk easily and run a little. You can do it too!!!

I'm 6'0" with a big bone structure (yes, naysayers, there are some of us who are just plain bigger... check out Severin's head for a clear example of big bone structure.... ) -- so for me, realistically, getting into the 190-195 pound range and working to maintain it will be healthier than trying to get to the 150 to 175 that is on some 'ideal weight' charts... my personal primary care providor (my wife) and my second opinion (DocChopless) both assure me that 195 smoothly maintained beats the crap out of yo-yo efforts from 175 to 210.

I'll post after I weigh in on Wednesday. We went on family vacation for 4 days... so I'm hoping to just maintain this week.