Thanks, Susan.  I really wish I knew how to help others do what I've
done, but I truly don't have the answers for how to get your head in
the right place.  I don't really know why it worked as well as it did
for me.  I do think it has a huge amount to do with the gym/exercise
stuff.  As I said in response to Mary's post about her epiphany, I
really have cultivated this image of myself as an athletic person.
And so I view the food and exercise stuff as all part of the lifestyle
I've chosen that goes along with that self-image.  

But it's easy to say and not necessarily easy to do.  For a long time
I had so much support from Tom, my trainer, and that made a big
difference.  (He moved to Minneapolis at the beginning of this year,
so I don't get to see him any more, though we talk often.)  He was
such a cheerleader for me all the way -- and for reasons that fit
right in with the athlete thing -- being fit and healthy, feeling
young -- not about superficial stuff like appearance and numbers on
the scale and clothing sizes.  He didn't tell me what to eat or stuff
like that, but he was just so much on my side the whole way that it
really helped.  Now I think I'm strong enough to maintain it on my
own.  But there is this sense of not wanting to let him down -- and
not wanting to let myself down.  (And even not wanting to let ASD
down, since I've put myself in the position of posting all these
things :-) .)

Hang in there, Susan!  If I can do it, you can too!

Chris
262/130s/130s
started dieting July 2002, maintaining since June 2004