Hi Miki,
>>"Does anyone have suggestions about how to avoid failure?"
If I did, I'd publish the book and become a multi-millionaire.
It's tough; no one's the same and we all have different reasons for falling off the wagon.
One thing you'll want to do is make sure it's a permanant lifestyle change. I know everyone says that, but you really have to accept and mourn that your body simply can't handle carbs without storing a lot of fat, and it will be that way for the rest of your life. It doesn't mean you can never have carby stuff again, but you have to consider it a rarity.
The other thing that you have to learn to do is deal with it when you decide to have that chocolate chip cookie, and move on. Jump right back on that wagon. It's tough, but it comes with practice. Heck, I work at Subway, so I'm faced with hot, gooey chocolate chip cookies daily!
For me, I know I'll feel c-r-a-p-p-y after eating them, so it's simply not worth it - especially since I can have pepperoni, turkey, roast beef, etc instead.
I also agree on the journaling: sometimes you'll have an Aha! Moment
(tm) and figure out something you've been doing wrong, or "issues" behind why you do some of the things you do to sabotage yourself. Weight issues are rarely only about food.
I'll stop rambling; if you start a journal, I'll pop in.
Take care.