What has worked for me
- 24 hour fasting once a week
- At most one sugary drink every other day, and under 200 calories
- so none of the 500calorie starbucks drinks
- A normal healthy diet of home cooked foods with an aim on high protein/calorie ratio (divide protein by calorie per serving and make decisions that up that). Alternatively if it his high in fiber instead of protein, that is fine too. Gotta get your veggies in.
That is all. No restricting calories, but not consuming stuff that are mostly just empty calories.
It is easy to drink your way to being fat.
The 24 hour fast is a big one. I eat at 6pm one evening, and don't eat again until the same time the next evening. Basically just skipping two meals.
I have been lifting weights for the last 5 years, and my weight was stable with about 25% body fat. 6 months ago I started with the weekly fast, and I lose about half a pound a week on average (you have to average your weekly weight... don't just look at highs and lows). It is slow and steady, but has been a very straight line progress.
Note: don't try to diet without lifting weight. That will reduce your muscle mass as much as your fat mass, and decrease your metabolism. You need to do this coupled with progressive lifting.