Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

I take out all white flour and sugar products. And I add walking. Or I should say I mean to add walking!

as much as i hate to admit it, i do atkins (the induction phase) for a couple days or a week if i need to lose about 5 pounds. i love carbs (well, actually most carbs - i dont really care at all for pasta) and i'm a vegetarian which should mean that atkins is not for me, but i do a modified version (still going along with all the induction rules) and it works.
the first time i tried it i did atkins induction phase for 6 days and i lost 7 pounds, and no, i didn't gain the weight back once i started eating my regular diet again.

no diary, lots of water, chicken or turkey or fish with lots green vegetables and fruits-serious detox . try to eat small protein packed meals throughout the day instead of three large meals,

Rather than dieting, I try to eat a consistent diet of real, whole foods which includes "good fats" like whole-milk yogurt, whole cheese, and eggs. I try and follow The Schwarzbein Principle. I recently gained six pounds eating my way across Montreal on vacation, but I'm sure once I go back to eating just real, whole foods (and not french fries, wine and chocolate with every meal!) they will fall off.

Add: Fresh and Dried Fruits, Salad, Vegetables, Lean Protein: 99% Fat-free Turkey, Chicken, and Egg Whites, Diet Soda, Sugarfree Gum, Vinegar (add to salads) lots of Spices and Seasoning, Salt, Coffee, Skim Milk, Fat-free Dairy, including Fat-free Cheese, Sorbet and Fat-free Fudgsicles, Fat-free Icecream and Frozen Yogurt

Avoid: Starchy Carbohydrates, Fat: Nuts, Seeds, Olives, Avacados, Oils, Lard, Red Meats, Butter, Margarine, Creams, Mayo, Creamy Dressing, Pasta, Wheat, Bread, Flour, Regular Sodas, Regular Milk (use only Fat-free Milk) Full-fat Cheeses, Full-fat Ice Cream

Don't forget protein. Eating only fruit until noon will only ensure that you will be hungry until noon. Protein has a very low calorie content and satisfies hunger. When I diet, I eat a lot of grilled chicken (very little fat) and a lot of vegetables but little to no carbs. Cottage cheese is a really great food, too: a lot of protein, not a lot of calories, and it's delicious with fruit.

i'm with you DocChuck - I was looking at this thread and thinking, well duh, I just stop putting the junk in my mouth and eat like I know I should - balanced meals (which means still eating carbs!).

Everything in moderation but red meat once a week - small amounts of cheese, cut down on the carbs and the sugar (by a lot). Don't eat after seven at night. Skip desert or only have it once a week.

Go to the gym or walk a lot!

Avoid fried foods at all costs. Eat lots of deep greens like collards and brocolli rape. Eat like a European (good stuff in small portions).

Eat slower and drink lots of water.

Moderation is key. while it is important to eat lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean meats, it is ok to splurge as long as portion sizes are normal. When you start restricting foods from your diet, the more you will begin to crave those foods. So in the end, eat a wide variety of foods in moderation, while allowing yourself the occasional splurge-it wont even feel like a diet. Also make sure to incoportate exercise because not only will it help you lose the extra weight, but it is essential for overall physical and mental health.

I also tend to cut out foods a,b, and c only to substitute for the calories with foods x,y,z, so I agree with the comments that taking out specific foods is not helpful. I try to keep track of everything I eat using an online database - a lot of work but keeps me honest. Portion control helps a lot. I think a lot of people have no sense of the caloric content of different foods, nor how many calories one needs per day; in the absence of that understanding, portion control is tough.

I also try to walk about 10,000 steps a day, every day, weather permitting.

22 grams of fat a day, more fiber less starch. The weight just comes off. Grill your meats. Eat your biggest meal early in the day and a small one at night. Don't eat after 6 pm .

NO soda (diet or not), limited juices, lots of water, fresh fruits and vegetables, and I don't eat any of the 'fake' foods--no 'lite' anything, nothing with aspartame or Splenda or any of those other chemicals. When my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer (11 years ago), her doc told her to stop using margerine and go for butter, use sugar if you need a sweetner, and stick to REAL food whenever possible. I immediately went cold turkey on all of the fake stuff.
This time of year, I'm eating both asparagus and strawberries every day; it sounds weird, but I was on a diet many years ago that said they have a chemical interaction that helps your metabolism, and for some reason, that stayed in my head. Since I love both of them, it doesn't matter if it's true or not!
Overall, I do agree that moderation is key. One thing I've learned is that there's no reason to be embarrassed to ask for a doggy bag when eating out. My theory is that I get to enjoy the meal more than once that way, but the great thing is that I don't leave restaurants uncomfortably full!