I got the bulk of the weight off in my first year at uni, by going to the gym every day, and (not recommended!!!) only eating 3 bowls of rice or pasta with gravy a day...more due to being a skint student than a sensible eating plan! I also continued to lose bits here and there doing SW, CD, Atkins, calorie counting, fat-fasting, and the fruit and rice diet...... I have done virtually everything!! Plus I paid a horrific amount to go to a Paul McKenna seminar and get 're-programmed'.
In my experience....CD (if you can cope with it) is good, calorie counting is dependable but slow, SW is too vague for me, Atkins nearly killed me through constipation!! Paul McKenna was good but lessened with time......