Gretchen - if it works for you stick with it, I say. You sound very focused, energised and happy, which is great! And I agree with Sarah - seems like your eyes are wide open in relation to maintenance, and you have a plan for that, so I wouldn't worry too much about the conventional wisdom that you're coming up against....
Sherry - well done for being brave enough to post your progress, even when its going in the wrong direction.....most of us don't have the courage to do that! Sounds like you're right back on track now.
Tammy - ooooh, what can I say? 5lbs down, that is really great...especially given the difficult times you're going through. Don't know about the muscle thing....I'm not sure how long it takes to build or lose muscle!