@paul, it may not be rocket science. but you cant just cut down on everything. food containing vitamins, minerals, complex carbs etc need to be maintained.

lots of people end up anemic with this eat less thing.

I have been economically disadvantaged for most of my life, which translated to low body fat. I had to ration food with my six younger siblings until I started university, and would oftentimes only have leftovers of whatever was left behind. I have a huge meat tooth and sweet tooth but sometimes I can't indulge my cravings because there will be nothing in the pantry fit for it.

Coincidentally, I also have chronic anemia.

I ran two marathons in high school over a period of two years only because the food was provided free from some program. It helped me overcome the nutritional deficiency for those years (but the anemia will be with me for life). 

Even now, it doesn't matter if I eat chocolate, burgers, whey protein milkshakes, or fried chicken. They're so rarely an option, I just prioritize proteins and carbs and eat whatever else I can get. It won't affect me.

So if you can take anything away from that it would be to control your portions and eat slowly. Savor what little you do have, and watch your vitamin/mineral intake. And poop regularly!

If you are reasonably healthy, exercise more and eat less empty calories. Make sure you combine all groups of foods and that you avoid gym "helper" pills and other thining and muscle building medicine.

If you suffer from any condition at all, ask your doctor. Some people must not eat green vegetables, some people must eat more fats, others must eat more starches. Other people must reduce, avoid or totally forget all of above. Only your doctor can read your medical results. and suggest a diet. 

It would be a good idea to visit your doctor before you take up exercise. Heart, lungs, knees, blood conditions, even allergies have to be taken into account.

Mental stress diet worked for me. I didn't even trying. Here's how it works; you put yourselft in the situation which you can hardly eat due to stress, you will loose weight. lol

Of course I would NEVER recommend it. However in terms of effectivness, it really works EVERY SINGLE TIME. 

By the way, some people often say "you should excercise" combined with a healthy diet. 

But it's more about eating less, in fact. If you keep eating the same amount, working out won't make a big change in the weight. 

Other than surgery, the only way to lose weight is to burn more calories than you consume. Unfortunately, there are certain companies that market special diets and products as miracle weight-loss methods. Some of these work only because they make you less hungry than your current diet, but it's usually better just to do what others here have already recommended - eat better and exercise more.