Well, I lost 90 pounds in about 11 months. I did not follow a "plan," mainly because I was BROKE! I "shopped the horseshoe," meaning that I shopped produce, meat and dairy. I did not count carbs, fat or calories because I did not need to. If you stay away from the processed foods, you have nothing to worry about. Brown rice and whole wheat pasta works great. Fish twice a week, actually, the fattier (salmon) the better (Omega 3 fatty acids). I cut back on beef, picked up the packages of boneless skinless chicken breasts at Wal-Mart.
Cut back on salt and no canned foods! Most frozen vegetables are OK, just make sure they don't have a bunch of preservatives.
Cut the sugar (cookies, cake, etc) and watch the sugar in yogurt, it tends to be pretty high. I would not go more than 12 - 15 grams and let that be your snack, maybe throw in a little Kashi cereal. Some of the "carb cutter" yogurts are OK, but most are pretty nasty. Just try until you find one you like. I also like the EAS or Body for Life drinks for breakfast. They have a lot of protein, very little sugar or fat and they taste pretty good.
You don't have to spend a whole lot of money, just think healthy and fresh.
Also, check out the USDA's new version of the food pyramid. It is an interactive site that actually takes your age, gender and activity level into account and then gives recommendations for your diet. The website has tons of valuable advice. You can find it at
www.mypyramid.gov
Hope this helps. I have a lot of great recipes that even kids love. Just let me know if this "non plan" sounds like something doable for you and I'll get the recipes to you.
Good luck!