I have lost a significant amount of weight over the past couple of decades, really, and while I have had some ups & downs, I have basically maintained the loss, yes, have been on & off 3FC for a very long time & pretty much every other diet site that has come down the pike lol.
I have done it by a combination of strategies, chief among them diet & exercise, & it has been fun for me all the way. I HAVE binged but for the most part it was binge behavior BEFORE I gained a lot of weight that made me gain a lot of weight. And most gains I have had have been during periods of denial of how much I was eating during occasional periods where I knew I was regaining & wanted to eat more on my merry way anyhow lol.
To me, now, calorie counting or points counting or portion counting, or whatever way I practice my merry calorie cycling restricted (slightly) little ol' lady wannabe bodybuilding lifestyle, is now a hobby & game. I do sometimes get tired or rebellious & eat a mountain but I log everything & just consider it a high calorie day in my cycle.
I love this thread & do not dispute the viewpoints of those who differ from my experience, just sharing another perspective. Not everyone who counts things is miserable.