Knowing is only half the battle

I agree with Ashley that being 6 months out is a part of it.  That is when I struggled a bit also.  I'd healed and adjusted enough that I knew that I didn't have to stick so strictly to the diet (at least as far as getting sick from "bad" stuff), and I had some missteps too.  Mine involved chaperoning prom, which had a circus theme, and so in came the candy and pizza.  It was not a good decision at all, but it also wasn't the end of the world.  I got back on track, kept working, and still work hard.

Your posts on this site show that you are completely dedicated to this lifestyle change.  You've already had tremendous success, and you're going to be successful with your goals.  Even for someone who has been around here as short of a time as I have, I think you can get a real sense with many of the posters of how successful they will be. 

I also got the sense of frustration of the never-ending food battle, and I still have those feeling**** me every so often, but overall, I'm okay with it.  I'm an addict, my addiction is in remission, and I always have to be vigilant so I don't relapse.  But as a food addict, I'm going to be around tempting food.  The best I can do is keep the worst of it out of the house, and fight when I'm in public.

BTW, if you're willing to try some substitutes for cheese its, I personally really like Mr. Cheese O's and Moon Cheese.  They both give you that nice crunch, and are much better choices.  And the cheese chips are a good idea also.  In fact, I'm glad I saw White Dove's post, because it reminded me I need to get moving on making some cheese chips and pepperoni chips for tomorrow!

I was feeling like that about a month ago - it looks you had your surgery a few months before mine, so I guess it's something we grow through.  I felt like maintenance was going to be just like 'dieting' was in the old days - trying to ignore the hunger and stretch out the times between eating to stay under a calorie target. Not fun and I wasn't sure how successful I would be.  And I was really worried - I do not want to gain a pound back, but I do not want to feel that I am at war with my body's natural instincts.

I signed up for a course in Midfullness.  It's meditation-based checking in with yourself.  I've been at it for 3 weeks (I took it awhile ago, also).  I feel it is very helpful - I am not perfect, but it is easier for me to slow down, to not eat mindlessly - to enjoy and savor the taste, but to stop when I am full.  I feel more hopeful about using the skills to keep it off.

It may be coincidence, but after staying the same for 6 weeks and thinking I was in maintenance, I lost 4.2 pounds this past week.  Only 5.8 of those last 10 pounds to go!

I still don't keep Cheetos in my house - I ate enough of them at a family b'day party.  I'm sur your boys have access to them at other places too.

Hang in there - I think this Mindfulness Training is a missing piece for me - I hope you find this or some other missing piece so that you feel long-term your path is doable and that staying healthy is not a burden too heavy to bear.

You know what my therapist told me: "Insight does NOT lead to behavior change".  So you can absolutely know what the problem is, what triggers it and what to do to prevent it -- but that doesn't mean you'll change your behavior. 

People always say that food addiction is worse than any other (and I go to OA so I hear this a lot!).  I disagree:  alcoholics don't have to abstain from ALL drinks, just alcohol.  Drug addicts don't have to abstain from ALL drugs, just opioids/narcotics.  Food addicts don't have to abstain from ALL food.  But most have to completely abstain from the specific foods that cause us problems.  And most of the time, we know exactly which foods are dangerous.  

Set yourself up for success: get those Cheez-Its and every other thing that causes problems out of your house.  It's probably a fairly short list and your family can certainly  find a place and time to get those foods on their own if they absolutely need them.  That is realistic and it's the kind of good self-care you should be practicing right now.