Does it really work? (Beginner)

Hey all!

A bit of background: I have fluctuated weight my entire life. I go from one crash diet to the next, lose the weight I want to lose for a year or so, then eventually it all comes back.

The fast results are always great, but nothing feels worse than the inevitable weight gain. What’s more, it seems harder to lose each time and I now suffer from CKD.

I have always gone the Keto route, and that always seems to do the trick, so eating anything with carbs and calling it a “diet” almost feels sac religious. But with CKD, I have to watch protein. I also just want to live, enjoy meals, and not gain all the weight back…just be in a deficit (TDEE is telling me to shoot for 1500 Calories).

So, that said, does this really work? Especially for someone who has only ever seen results from keto-esq diets?

TL;DR: coming from a keto background. Will CICO work?