Welcome! I started with Protein Power (the original) in 1999 and lost 113 pounds... and then went to doing more of a Atkins/Ketogenic and lost the rest of my overweight. Can't tell you if it's 'sustainable'.. I've only been maintaining for 13 years.

I don't have a craving for bread anymore (serious Celiac disease and five other AU diseases), no craving for sugar/starch bread etc. UNLESS I eat something 'off plan' (and for ME, personally, that would maybe be some fruit.. might 'trigger' me.. but I don't 'rise to the call'.. why would I? This way of eating doesn't work if you aren't doing it.

As far as 'how fast it works'.. well, that depends on the individual. I felt so much better eating this way, and SO many people 'noticed' that I went back to school in my 'golden years' and became a Cert. Nutritionist.. I only teach low carb/ketogenic (I'm disabled/retired.. therefore this is a volunteer outreach to those who cannot have WLS for one reason or another...so far, out of 22, only three dropped out and didn't want to give up sugar, and 10 no longer feel they 'need' WLS.. they have a handle on it.. the rest are 'ongoing weight loss'.

I do see PCOS clients.. and this reduces insulin resistance, which can, in some cases, change hair growth/loss a bit.

I hope you stick with it.. I hope you far surpass my '13 years of sustainability'.. I'd say 'best of luck' but it's not about 'luck'.. it's about just changing how you eat.