First of all, I'd like to say congratulations on your loss so far!
20 pounds is a great start. Also glad to see you're over the whole fad diet thing...the weight will just creep back!
As for myself, I'm currently trying "The Belly Fat Cure" which limits myself to 15 grams of sugar and no more than 120 grams of carbs / 6 servings of carbs a day. I'm a little stricter with the carbs, aiming for no more than 3-4 servings daily. Within one of his books (I've seen some at the library so no need to spend $$$ for the books!), there are methods of carb swaps, a fast track plan (I did this for 14 days), and other meal plans based on how YOU like to eat. So far, I've lost about 8 pounds as of September 1st. (Though prior to that, I was doing nothing to watch my weight, so my body went through a woosh in the beginning.)
When it comes to exercise, I'm a heck of a lazy person. I hate running and am severely out of shape. I try to exercise 5x a week for at least half an hour. I tend to just do anything that keeps my heart rate up - whether it be Cardio X from P90X, DDR Workout Mode, just random stupid dancing to upbeat music, stationary bike, etc.
I noticed my biggest weakness is feeling let down when I weigh myself daily and see a gain, even if I know the previous day I was OP. (Okay, I told myself I wouldn't be sensitive, but I am!) So I finally decided it's not just a numbers game - I'd measure myself, base things off my energy level, anything just to keep myself positive.
I know this is a long read, but I hope to see you around and committed!
we're also around the same age, so who knows? Maybe we have similar mentality?