Building Your Own Diet Plan

I’ve been “dieting” for 22 days now. I’m not on any program, I’ve just cut out sodas and drink tons of water, eat salads for lunch, and about half of what I used to eat for dinner. I’m reading Dr. Atkins’ New Diet Revolution and believe I will commit to it when I have finished the book, but would like to know any problems that you had while on it. Did it work well for you? Is it a waste of your time? What are potential pitfalls I should look out for? Thank you!