How long did it take you to lose the weight?
19 years

Dieting only made me fatter

Just improving what I eat has helped tons, but if I want ice cream, then I HAVE ice cream. Just not 1/2 of a gallon every night

I know it's super hard, it took me a long long time to finally be back to my "fighting weight"

Just take one day at a time, try to eat lots of fresh fruit and veggies, and low fat dairy, and get as much exercise as your day will allow.
You can do it!