I have the hardest time with low carb diets.

I've had low-carb "flu" a few times, no fun. Last time, I decided not to worry about reducing calories right away. Instead, when I craved carb, I ate fat (but not cheese because I was also beating a cheese addiction). I got through the low carb flu in less than a day. Then I whittled back my calories. Fats like coconut oil, fish oil, even some (low salt no nitrate organic) bacon now and then, is key for me, maybe because for twenty years I ran screaming from it? Now if I go easy on the cheese I'm okay.

I made the horrible mistake of not eating everything in moderation for decades, and now I am paying for it because invariably over a dozen carbs a day makes me fat and tired. Everything in moderation is great advice, however...

I think a person might want to give low carb a really good effort IF that person suspects severe carb addiction. I was very addicted to carbs as a child (you know, diving into 2 BIG bowls of cereal every day after school for eight years) and I developed a propensity for weight gain. The mentality back then was fat makes fat, so I joyously embraced high carb super low fat super low protein. Oops. I was on a twenty year adrenalin rush from the high carbs and stayed thin. Then I crashed. Tubbed out. That concludes my story of carb addiction.

I know you want to believe that low carb was the "only" thing that worked in the past, therefore it's the "only" thing that will work now... except is isn't working. Eating at a manageable calorie deficit will cause you to lose weight. You won't be able to graze on just anything (since you have to stay in your calorie requirements) but holy crap it's way easier than avoiding certain foods. For dinner tonight I'm having breaded meatless chicken nuggets with veggies and then maybe some beer and bread pudding. I will continue to lose weight (see ticker).

My only suggestion would be to not do low carb. You only need a slight caloric deficit to lose weight. If you cut out most of your carbs, guess what? You created a deficit (by eating less carb calories). It's all about the deficit when losing weight. If you don't like how low carbs make you feel. Create the deficit from a better balance of macros. Hope this helps.

Carbs aren't bad. Eat them. Just don't eat bad ones like plain ole white bread and pasta

Why not?? I ate pasta, brownies and a blendini from Rita's yesterday and guess what I was down another pound today and had lots of energy for a bike ride this morning.

... if eating low carb (example: cutting way down to cutting out bread chips pasta cookies cake flour bagels rice SUGAR Candy etc) only causes you to lose water weight and not fat ... i'm 8 lbs away from losing 50lbs of water weight??? OH NO!

try drinking lots of water - and getting creative with some carb like things - mashed cauliflower - flax meal - almond flour - coconut flour - make sure you're eating enough - when you get a craving have a big salad - occasionally let yourself choose one thing in a meal when you're out to eat or something that you miss - don't kill yourself or you won't stick to it. cut back your carbs a little more gradually and make sure to fill up on lots of good stuff!

there are a lot of recipes here http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/

of coarse if it doesn't jive with your mood and lifestye it may not be for you!
You have to pick something you feel great doing or else you won't stick to it
Experiment a little with just cutting back on a few things and not everything and then just take it slow and see how it goes and what you can stick to and what works

edit:
BUT the reason I think lowering my carbs works for me is just because the things like chips / pasta / bagels / pizza /cookies / bread etc are the things i tend to over eat on - so cutting those out in my day to day diet - cuts down my over eating - which cuts down my calories - which helps me to lose weight - of coarse I never cut out beer either or wine so there's that too. to each his/her own.

For me, I genuinely feel carb control is where its at for me to maintain control over my weight, as once bread, grains and added sugar leave my diet, I simply find it impossible to overeat on what remains in my diet. Maybe others are different, but thats how it is for me, and I must say I do enjoy having a very effective lever like carb control when it comes to my weight, as it gives me hope that when I lose what I'm seeking to lose, that I shall have a powerful tool in helping me calibrate my weight when I need to

All that said, low carb may not be for everyone, but I'm finding it definitely is for me. If you're seeking to explore the low carb path, why not consider doing it gradually, and take it in stages ? I've found when it comes to my dietary habits, slow changes seem to work best, and make things so much easier to maintain. In your case, why not strip back the superfluous carbs and added sugar bit by bit, and in doing so gradually, see if it doesn't eliminate any severe cravings either. Also, it gives you the coice to stop wherever you want if you find dropping below a certain level of carbs to be counterproductive, and always remember low carb isn't the only way to go, but instead rather one of three ways to go, those three being high carb-low fat, low carb-high fat, and moderate carb-moderate fat.

Lastly, no matter which way you go, or however many carbs you choose to include in your intake, try make sure they are decent carbs, ie of the complex, slow-releasing sort, as opposed to the simple, blood sugar spiking sort. This should help deal with the cravings a little, and when I've lost weight in the past following a moderate to high carb approach, a large element in my success was keeping my blood sugar under control by eating decent carbs. I still find the low carb way easier, as higher amounts of fat and decent amounts of protein in my diet just keep me feeling full for so long, and thus find it less of an effort to stay the course

Sorry, but losing weight & gaining it back is not really success. I've tried "diets" too....always gained the weight back. Now I'm doing something different. If it's not something that I will change permanently......then I won't change it to lose weight.

I will exercise regularly.....forever. I will eat more veggies (everyday!).....forever. I will not snack mindlessly....forever. I have to make some permanent changes to be successful.

Oh, you know me?

Eating a low carb intake, does in fact make me feel badly. It's why I eat quite a bit of carbs. Because carbs aren't the enemy. They are a source of energy. I feel wonderful with carbs. This is where the "it's an individual thing" comes into play.

I'll be enjoying my lovely carbs now

"Low carb" is a vague term so attacking "low carb" for making you feel bad is a bit of a straw man. I am not saying that the vague "low carb" diets make you feel better. I am saying a diet that produces ketosis and is properly getting correct amounts of macros, micros, water, etc. will probably make you feel better. Maybe it won't. There are certain people that can't do this. It isn't for everybody. Particularly, we know that severe alcoholics and certain diabetics may get into ketoacidosis.

I have a feeling that you weren't on a proper ketogenic diet. Again, this is just a specific strategy for health and weight loss, but it isn't a good argument to attack the strategy when you aren't getting the strategy

I'm not attempting to make a strawman I'm telling you that if I am happy with my carbs. I'm going to eat my carbs. Give me one goooood solid reason if I've lost 53 lbs 17% BF and gained a considerable amount of strength from doing so that I should do keto? Of course I've never done it because I'm happy with what I'm doing.

Not once did I say OP shouldn't do it.

My point was merely that they are means to the SAME end and if, in the event, OP is doing all things correct for keto, and is STILL miserable. There are other ways that work the EXACT same.