I would say that dieting is 90% elimination of bad habits/foods. As long as your basic nutritional needs are being met, it doesn't really matter what diet you choose. And, having done many diets, I find that the most effective ones actually cost me less than what I would normally spend on groceries. In other words, I eat whole foods, and just less of them. Almost no processed foods in plastic bags or cans. I cook my meat and eggs myself, then supplement that protein with fresh fruits and veggies. I occasionally have a slice of bread with Laughing Cow cheese as a special snack. Plain berries as a dessert. If you can purge your home of the things that are either bad for you (any straight-up junk: sweets, chips, sodas) or that you tend to overeat despite them being "healthy" (for me, that's quinoa and rice), then you may have a lot more success because self-control won't be a major factor. You may not look forward to meals as much (or sometimes at all), but, as a popular diet documentary noted, "people should eat to live, not live to eat." I have spent way too much time living to eat, and am glad to have my priorities straight now.
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