I had really good success with a low-carb, high protein diet. The two biggest dieting tips I've found are to invest time into food prep so you have meals that are easy to make and it's easier to not say "I don't feel like cooking, I'm gonna go to McDonalds" and to keep healthy snacks around (I like raw veggies, roasted chicken, and sugar-free jello) because it's a lot easier to eat healthy snacks than to force yourself not to eat. I've also found a crock pot to be an invaluable tool for dieting because it's super easy to quickly make healthy meals with one.
