About 2 1/2-3 years ago I was 212 lbs. I joined a gym and 5 days per week I did 1 hour of water aerobics and 30 minutes on a cardio machine (treadmill/elliptical/rowing - switched off day to day) and 30 minutes on their weight circuit machines. I didn't change my diet at all. I think coca-cola ran through my veins instead of blood! I lost about 10 lbs and that was it. The scale never moved down, although I kept up this routine for about 6 months. I got discouraged and stopped going to the gym. Strangely, I maintained that weight loss.
In 2010 I went on a raw food diet and lost about 10 pounds in 1 1/2 months. I couldn't stick with this extreme diet and went back to cooked foods, although I made more of an effort to eat more whole foods and less packaged foods. I maintained that weight loss, but still wasn't happy with myself in the 190s. In 2011, I started calorie counting, and finally started to lose more serious weight. I do very moderate exercise and not consistently. I haven't joined a gym again. I walk, jog, or bike outside. I love being outdoors and have some excellent paved trails around the forest preserves near my home. Occasionally I use my elliptical, but I find it boring unless I am watching TV.
I measure some of my foods (like oils/fat free mayo/raw sugar/vinegar/lemon juice/mustard/spices - mainly homemade salad dressing ingredients), but everything else I eyeball. I can keep track easily of a pint of blueberries, an orange, a banana, a cucumber, a pouch of albacor white tuna, or a greek yogurt, etc. However, I don't eat many packaged foods, so I have to eyeball/estimate many of my foods (e.g. proteins, leafy vegetables, cauliflower, broccoli). I also have at least one cheat day per week - or 2 or 3 cheat meals per week - whichever I need to do depending on my social calendar.
I do try to work those meals in with my overall calorie goals for the week. Sometimes I stay within the framework, other times not. I have a food scale that I might bust out soon - I've been too lazy.
I am the laziest dieter around, but I have still lost weight by calorie counting. Of course, I have lost weight more slowly than I would have with measuring everything, consistent exercise, and staying 100% on plan with no cheats. However, I know myself, and I would have never stuck with my weight loss goals if I had done things 100% all the time. I would have felt deprived and worn out. I wish I could have done it that way - for sure I would be at my goal weight by now. However, I am thrilled, yes thrilled (!), at the progress I have been able to make. I'm not complaining.
To sum up, for me, weight loss is all about the food - I was never successful with exercise alone, and exercise has played a very small role in my weight loss so far.