Answers are:

Yes. But it's not a diet: it's an eating plan, a lifestyle choice.

Nothing happens when you are at goal. How you got there will likely be how you stay there.

See above.

It seems harsh, but then again, so is the despair when I'm trying to get ready for work and none of my pants fit, or the exhaustion at the end of the day which is supposed to be ME time and I feel miserable, or the constant tormenting hunger which doesn't leave for more than an hour at a time.

That was my previous life, and I'm not going back.

My own tricks involve finding the highest carb element and seeing what I can do about eliminating it. I have the extra hurdle of needing it to be quick and easy, without a food processor or much of a kitchen.

Reuben made on a plate, no bread, melted in the microwave.
Layer of egg, build a pizza on top, put cover on pan until cooked through.
Antipasto plate.
Brisket with a side of guacamole.

My rule is, Can I eat meat? If I don't feel like it, I'm not hungry.

I've got to try that lava cake