thats always a tough one, myway, everyone is different. its so much easier to put the weight on than it is to take the weight off.. Obviously you need to burn more calories than you consume to lose weight. with Atkins, (or any high protein-low carb diet) the benefit is you dont feel hungry, the high protein and high fiber content provide a satiety that you cant accomplish on a low fat, low calorie diet. if i am hungry, i wont be successful, if i dont feel hungry, i can avoid the temptations. thats what works for me, and everyone is different, not everyone can do the Atkins.

one piece of advice i found useful was to write down everything you eat, sometimes you arent aware of how much youre eating because you arent paying attention, and when you do see what you are actually consuming, it helps to avoid grabbing some snacks on the go. and the other helpful hint is to cut down on portion sizes. if there is something you want to eat, go ahead, just make the piece you would normally eat smaller, and over time, you will consume less calories.

i hope that helped a little, i am by far an expert, but ive tried quite a few things, some work, and alot doesnt work :(