Meet Dana.
I did Atkins years ago and lost 40 pounds, but sadly didn't finish the diet and gained all of my weight back plus more. However I always remembered how good I felt when I followed a low carb diet. Last year, while at my heaviest I was diagnosed with endometrial cancer. Obesity is generally one of causes of it due to all of the excess estrogen stored in my fat.
Thankfully it was caught very early and after surgery I was considered cured. However my oncologist told me I may now be cured of cancer, but my chance of an early death was still possible due to my high risk of a heart attack or a stroke due to my weight. My doctor recommended Ideal Protein to me as she lost a lot of weight on it and so have many of her overweight patients. I started Ideal protein in September of 2011 and as of February 2012 I have lost 65 pounds so far. It is a low carb, low fat, low calorie diet.
I have never lost so much weight on a diet, have never felt so good (thanks to ketosis)and in the 5 months I have been on the diet I have not cheated once and have no plans to. I still am only 1/2 way to goal and hope to be at goal by the end of summer with a total loss of 135 pounds.
The new Dana.
Going through carb withdrawal that first week felt like going through a drug withdrawal. After that it really hasn't been difficult this time around.
ADVICE:
Committing yourself to the plan. When I started I told myself this was a life or death situation and I could do anything for a year. I knew this would take about a year to loose all of my extra weight.