There are two that I like the best. The first is Weight Watchers. I've been on it a few times and I always enjoy it and I like the meetings. I just can't afford it and WW online wouldn't be enough for me.
The second is a low carb diet (Specifically I'm on the 4 Hour Body diet also called the Slow Carb diet). This is what I'm on now and it has given me the best results of any diet. You are supposed to eat a veggie, a protein, and beans/legumes at every meal. No fruit, no dairy, nothing bread-like. I do cheat and eat cheese sometimes, it really don't seem to negatively impact my progress. Creator of the diet encourages you to experiment with it to make it suit you. I don't like beans so I only eat them in slow carb chili. I don't eat veggies at breakfast, only eggs. I will use dressing with sugar for cooking but not a lot. I still use butter for cooking. Stuff like that. Keeps me able to stay on the diet.
The reason I picked this diet and absolutely adore it is that once a week you are SUPPOSED TO gorge yourself on everything you can't have during the week. The theory behind this is that it keeps you sane and on track all week and also the mega spike in calories is supposed to be good for your body to not get use to the lower calories to keep your metabolism up.
Would I get faster results if I didn't have a cheat day? Of course. But the cheat day is what makes this diet doable for me. I lose about 1-2lbs a week. And that I'm on a low carb diet at all is absolutely amazing. I swore for years I'd never touch one of them. I love bread too much. The first 2 weeks were really hard but it's second nature now (I've been on it for 7 weeks). I eat 2 overeasy eggs for breakfast. I make a vat of slow carb chili on Sunday and eat that all week for lunch and cook a meat and a veggie for dinner. Sometimes I have cellophane noodles (they are made 100% from mung beans) and that really helps if I want pasta.
I am currently 99% paleo. I eat meat, veggies, some fruit, a few nuts and berries. It's super simple and now that I have detoxed if I eat dairy or grains in any quantity I get very ill. Legumes I just don't miss at all. Found that out the hard way after Christmas dinner with the family. So not worth it. Anyway, it's simple, cheap, and I don't have to count anything. If I want to drop some weight more quickly I do intermittent fasting (Eat, Stop, Eat)
Most people on 3FC do some form of calorie counting, either alone or in conjunction with another program (like Kara said above, WW, low carb, etc.). Calorie counting is mathematically sound and works for most people.
Calorie counting would work for me physically, but not mentally, so I don't do it. My "diet" is most closely related to intuitive eating (there's a thread on here somewhere). To sum it up: I eat healthy foods when I'm hungry, I stop when I'm full, I don't eat when I'm not hungry, and I enjoy treats occasionally (usually on a day when I've had "lighter" meals). I wouldn't recommend IE to everyone actively trying to lose weight, but it's definitely something to consider.
I calorie count, but I do it mostly in my head because I know that I will NOT have it in me to go to a website for the rest of my life and track my calories that way. I've been calorie counting since I was about 15, though, so I have a pretty good idea of how many calories are on a plate of food. I don't have a strict number I keep to everyday. If I'm working out that day, I allow myself a little extra (1800-2000). If it's a day off from the gym I try to stay around 1500. For my body size I know that these numbers are healthy and I'm not going to bed starving. Figure out a good number for you (I caution you to not go too low though because it will put your body into shock and you will stop losing after a while) I expect to have to lower my calorie count a little once I get smaller, but I won't go below 1200.
Also, just try to eat clean. You will find that if you are eating lots of lean protein, beans, veggies, whole grains, and fruit that you fill up on less calories.
I concoct my own calorie counting plan, according to availability + taste. I also chop it into portions so I can just focus on/ note the portions and don't have to be exact with it.
