Liz: not only didn't I eliminate butter on the road to goal, I substantially increased it by using it where I once used olive oil. I got to goal eating moderate dairy (greek yogurt, HWC, half n'half, cheese) and a lot of butter. Staying in maintenance is a whole other story. I am toying with the idea of eliminating everything except my Kerrygold to see if that will shed a few pesky pounds. But I don't want to do it half-hearted, so waiting for the strength to give it my best shot, lol.