Hey Dante !
I think diets are so complicated. It feels like the more I look into them, the less I end up knowing.
I am pretty happy that from a young age, my mom made sure we had a good idea of which foods are good and which are bad. What portions are too large and what is too little. Because of it, I have a pretty healthy relationship with food that does not involve any extensive mathematics or require me to read any books. I also do not have to stick to any diets, that is, my normal diet is actually pretty ok.
I found that focusing on diet alone is a painful way to get in shape. I am a cyclist (or a runner if the wheather does not allow it), which keeps me from ever becoming really heavy. But I also find that if weight would become a problem for me, it would be more likely that I would follow a stricter training regimen than that I would start counting the calories.
A friend of mine struggled with his weight. He also tried diets and told me things about food I had no idea of. Still, the diets did not work for him. It may sound cocky, but I feel he would be better off if he tried my advice. When it comes to food, use common sense. Your mom taught you, you know. When it comes to exercise, do it. But not only do it half-assed. Find something you like and go for it. Think of yourself as an athlete, set goals etc. The worst excuse people have is that they have no time. I do most of my exercise saturday and sunday mornings before 10 AM. I understand that this is hard to do if you are busy, but in the end you will end up having more energy instead of less.
Sorry, i know this does not really contribute to the topic. I just sometimes feel that losing weight becomes an obstacle because people tend to overcomplicate things. Even though the basics of it are really obvious. The most important thing, that is typically not covered in a diet because of their temporary nature, is that you need to change your everyday life, the things you do and the things you eat. Do it right, and it wont drain energy and make you feel miserable like so many diets do, but you will feel more energetic and stronger. If at all possible, do not weaken, but empower. I do not believe you have to feel miserable to reach your goals. I also think that the common approach, like getting healthier involves some kind of torture, would not be the right one for me personally.