Food addiction is a reality.

Every time I have heard about food addiction, I have scoffed. "It's a question of self-discipline," I would tell myself, "those people are just being lazy." To a certain extent, that may be true, but only partially. Like any addiction, the addict has to continuously fight the urge to surrender to the temptation. That takes a certain measure of willpower. Some people have the willpower to resist it consistently (they're the super skinny people), others surrender occassionally, others rarely resist and find themselves struggling with their weight their whole lives.
Reformed alcoholics or smokers can smell alcohol or cigarettes a mile away. After adhering to a diet that allowed me the bare minimum amount of calories and allowed no wiggle room for oil, butter, bread, sugar, alcohol etc., I can tell you that I can smell a muffin at room temperature 100 feet away. My husband had one Twizzler two hours ago and I could tell you the exact second that he swallowed it. I never realized the struggle my husband endured being a diabetic. Limiting yourself to miniscule portions of bread and sugar is like a crack head limiting himself to smoking crack once a week.
I can only wonder if this is going to be as difficult for me for the rest of my life as it is today. If so, so be it. I have made a committment to myself to stay thin. Today, I donated all the clothes that no longer fit me. There is no longer a question as to whether or not I will maintain my weight loss. I have gotten used to the habit of weighing in every morning and adjusting my eating habits to keep the weight off. I guess being aware of my proclivity for overindulging is a battle won.