Atkins does work. Yes, your body needs carbs...but good carbs. In the beginning, on induction, you eat 20g net carbs. Then when you have lost 45% of your goal weight, you up that 5grams per week. It is a diet that works. Your body does not need all of the extra carbs when you are overweight. People only knock this diet because they don't understand it. Go over every single thing that you eat and drink and figure out exactly how many carbs you are eating. Make sure that 15g of them are from veggies. Make sure you are drinking 64 oz of water as well.
"diets never work, once your done, you gain the weight right back" well, Atkins is a lifestyle change, not a diet, so you won't gain any weight back if you follow it the way you are supposed to.