First, let me add that I didn't completely, 100% cut out white flour and sugar from my diet - that would have been really really hard and I don't want to live without birthday cake on my birthday. What I did was mindfully and purposefully cut back on nutritionally vacant food and make healthy decisions as much as possible.
I would highly recommend the book that changed my life -
Super Foods Rx: 14 Foods That Will Change Your Life. My goal was to eat as many "super foods" as possible every day and I kind of fell into healthy eating as a result. It was a big change for me, to change from a diet where I cut out food to a way of eating that encouraged better foods. Making my goal what TO eat instead of what NOT to eat was very positive for me.
I was successful with weight loss beyond my wildest dreams. The way I eat now makes me very very happy. The way I eat is very beneficial for my long term health!