@ADFnFuel@StowgateResident@bordergirl
Thank you all for your brilliant replies and for caring enough to reply at such length. It makes me feel so much better.
I should tell you that I am a type A personality who is a workaholic and very self critical and driven. As a youngster I had no interest in food as eating was a waste of time. My adult weight was 71/2 stone and I worked from the moment I woke and put on my 4" heels until about midnight when I took them off and crashed out for 6 hours. I didn't eat much and what I did eat was burned off anyway. Fine until I did so well at my job and in my mid 30's got to the top of the tree and a job which took me off my feet and at a desk, a job which was very wrong for me and very stressful. Add ageing parents and getting married, which added to the workload as we had a quite high status social life, and I started to struggle. I discovered that food and drink were a consolation. The weight started to go on and I hated it. i struggled for 10 years and the weight went up to 12 1/2 stone which was dreadful for me. Finally , when I was 49, I burnt out completely and had to give up work. I was put on medication which piled on more weight and I ended up at 15 1/2 stone. After 3 years I took myself off the medication and managed in the next two years to lose 5 stone. However I was left with CFS which is the bane of my life and hard to come to terms with as it is so contrary to my personality, I still want everything done yesterday. I constantly struggle with my weight and so want to get it under control again and really beat myself up that I just can't do it (did I mention I am also a control freak?)
So, thank you for your kind words and wisdom. Please stay with me, I really need you!
By the way, my hair is the only young thing about me these days. I am blessed by good genes which keep it brown even though it should have been silver years ago (I am now 67). It saves me a fortune at the hairdressers!!!
Thank you so much,
SilverSlimmer
Thank you all for your brilliant replies and for caring enough to reply at such length. It makes me feel so much better.
I should tell you that I am a type A personality who is a workaholic and very self critical and driven. As a youngster I had no interest in food as eating was a waste of time. My adult weight was 71/2 stone and I worked from the moment I woke and put on my 4" heels until about midnight when I took them off and crashed out for 6 hours. I didn't eat much and what I did eat was burned off anyway. Fine until I did so well at my job and in my mid 30's got to the top of the tree and a job which took me off my feet and at a desk, a job which was very wrong for me and very stressful. Add ageing parents and getting married, which added to the workload as we had a quite high status social life, and I started to struggle. I discovered that food and drink were a consolation. The weight started to go on and I hated it. i struggled for 10 years and the weight went up to 12 1/2 stone which was dreadful for me. Finally , when I was 49, I burnt out completely and had to give up work. I was put on medication which piled on more weight and I ended up at 15 1/2 stone. After 3 years I took myself off the medication and managed in the next two years to lose 5 stone. However I was left with CFS which is the bane of my life and hard to come to terms with as it is so contrary to my personality, I still want everything done yesterday. I constantly struggle with my weight and so want to get it under control again and really beat myself up that I just can't do it (did I mention I am also a control freak?)
So, thank you for your kind words and wisdom. Please stay with me, I really need you!
By the way, my hair is the only young thing about me these days. I am blessed by good genes which keep it brown even though it should have been silver years ago (I am now 67). It saves me a fortune at the hairdressers!!!
Thank you so much,
SilverSlimmer
The cork floating on the waves analogy is really apt. The thing is, you need to keep an eye on both the cork--you wouldn't want to lose it--and the horizon (maybe the ultimate goal?).. I think a way to do this is to think about a Way of Eating and Living that you can live with and then use that as one of your metrics. The other metrics might be body measurements, exercise of some sort, health assessments, meditation practice (I highly recommend it.) and maybe contentment? Don't put all your eggs in one basket. In a way that's what got us in the fix we are in and which we are striving to get out of. 
As M. Messier, my college French Professor used to say, "Courage!"
I understand though, it can get to be a bit obsessive. I am doing 16:8 now and am technically only counting calories during the week (using MFP) but I find myself tracking them on the weekends too. I know the whole point of this WOE is to get to enjoy eating sometimes and not be restrictive 7 days a week. In reality, I would be very happy losing a pound a week, especially if I get to splurge a bit in the process! I just have to remember that!
2018 Goals 
But, glad you are feeling better. I think the dressmaking is brilliant! I can sew and used to do it a fair amount, but could never consider myself a dressmaker. Congratulations! As you fashion your new clothing, be sure to build in the fact that your body may change pretty quickly in some nice ways and you will have to alter some things. It is a great problem to have. 
