At the risk of being clubbed to death because I KNOW lots do not agree with my philosophy of eating, I offer the formula that helped me peel off 60 lbs and keep it off for more than 10 years now. I am a diabetic and you know how totally weight affects your blood sugar! So I absolutely HAD to get rid of the pounds, but the diets the docs gave me either made me sick or added even more pounds. Soooo...I made my own and it works for me. Maybe this philosophy of eating will help you.
Breakfast is a big bowl of Cheerios with fat-free milk.
For dinner (what most call lunch) I take the biggest bowl in my kitchen and chop/slice/peel every raw vegetable I can find--whatever is in season or growing in my garden. I dowse it with my own homemade dressing (olive oil, wine vinegar, oregano, garlic powder (not garlic salt), pinch of sweet'n low that I keep steeping in the frige). I add a protein like steak, hamburger patty, a chicken breast. I often add a hardboiled egg. I drink tea sweetened with sweet'n low.
Supper is another big salad, 2 cooked veggies, another protein like steak or roast or meatloaf, and a cup of a starch like macaroni, noodles, potato, or corn.
Snack before bed is crackers topped with a slice of cheese (usually Colby or Cheddar) --OR-- sugar free jello (gelatin or pudding, my choice).
Notice that except for the starch, there are no quantities listed. That's because I eat as much as I want. I drink my sweet tea all day long. Kidney stones are an issue with me if I don't drink enough, so I average a gallon a day. There is NO sugar in my tea. I sweeten it artificially. Also note that I don't generally eat bread, chips, cake, candy, cookies. I make my own noodles from scratch using my own eggs. Sometimes for supper I make quiche, but within the supper guidelines, using the eggs for my protein source, my 2 veggies inside, and the crust for my starch.
Yes, this really is eating to a formula, but that makes it easy to know what to eat and when to eat it. Hope something in here is helpful for you.
Rusty