I am an Atkins success story. I lost about 70 pounds in less than a year following a low carb lifestyle. I had tried low fat, counting calories, walking; this is the first thing to work.
I started my adult life thin. I was thin until after I had Nick, my first C-section. I was not a happy fat person. I'm sure, in retrospect, that my weight prolonged my depression, which made me fatter which made me more depressed, which....well, you get the picture.
I intend to add more low carb stuff here eventually. For now, I'll just direct you to the best site I've ever found for low carb eating. It's Atkins Friends and it is filled with pointers, tools, inspirational stories and recipes. If you're interested, please check them out.
So, how well does it work? See for yourself. My "before" and "after" are here. My son, Jesse, has some on his page, too.