Thanks for the honest account. I'm very similar to you - 5'4" and 145 most of my life without dieting. But I always felt fat: lots of fat around my waist, wore a size 12, and had a very high body fat percentage (38% without exercise; 29% with intense weightlifting). I've discovered I do better on low-carb, partly because I can't eat carbs in moderation, even foods like rice and yams and fruit. But, I agree heartily - having a goal that is a number like 115 lbs is mental torture. I feel normal at 120 and with low-carb that's no problem at all, but the biggest plus is I don't crave foods, feel hungry all the time, feel deprived, and have blood sugar swings.