You've been given good solid advice in this thread. I'm just going to prattle to reinforce some of it
Counting calories appealed to me because I
could eat whatever I wanted. All I had to do was account for it. During that process, I learned the nutritional values of food and gradually my intake became much healthier.
Healthy weight loss is a learn as you go journey.
Also, you have to work with what you've got. Financially we're able to eat lovely fresh foods most of the time but we do eat canned vegetables and packed food some of the time. It's what I can afford.
For you, it's a matter of what's available. You may just have to hang in there until you get home, where I assume you'll have a wider variety to choose from.
I'm going to off on a tangent here ... and it's mostly my thinking so anybody can jump in and say what they think, please.
I think there are several stages to weight loss. In the begining we cut back our food and start moving more and the fat begins to melt. As we draw closer to a thin, fit weight ... the minutiae of nutrients and macronutrients becomes more pertinent because we are working on a smaller frame in order to build a sturdy network of bone, muscle and healthy fat.
When we hear fitness gurus extolling the importance of 40/40/20% and circuits and intervals, it is good, it is noteworthy but I think it's like an advanced class.
Is this coming out very clearly?
Training like an athlete is not a different process ... it's just several stages away from losing the first five pounds. I don't think the stages are exclusive. Lots of folks start by running, cutting back fats and adding protein. And I don't think the same tweaks work the same for all people. I eat way less carbs than a lot of folks do.
I think that since you're already mindful of what and how much you eat, you'll do very well once you're home. And I wouldn't be surprised to hear that your jeans are fitting differently even though the scale isn't moving.