Ive been on a weight loss/gain cycle for almost all of my life. I struggle with my weight and have to do a lot to keep it "normal" while others can eat whatever they want. If I don't watch what I eat or exercise I can easily put on 10+ lbs in 2-3 weeks.
Every person is different, but the #1 thing is EXERCISE! In order to loose ONE POUND, you have to burn 3500 calories. The "average" person eats 2000-2500 calories per day, so you need to find a way to burn 300-500 calories per day to keep loosing weight.
Starving yourself isnt the answer because your body will go into a hibernation mode where it burns stored body fat and muscle as engery - similar to being in ketosis. Once you go back to normal eating, you will put on more weight than previous because your bodys metabolism has been slowed and you body is trying to replenish those lost fats.
IMO, I found the best way to loose weight is to 1) watch what I eat and 2) exercise.
Watch what you eat: this doesnt mean you have to go on a strict diet, but rather, you should eat what you plan to eat normally (as in the rest of your life) and modify potions going forward. If your used to eating red meat, mashed potatoes and canned gravy, you still can, just cut down on the portions.
One important thing is watch your carb intake later in the day. Ideally, it is best to limit your carb intake later in the day. So eating a plate of pasta at 10pm then going to bed is NOT a good idea. Your body will store carbs when your sleeping and convert them to fat. Rather, try to eat your carbs for breakfast and lunch and very little at dinner and dont eat 4 hours before you go to sleep.
Personally, Im reading more and more about diet sodas and chemicals in them reacting to weight gain issues. Some people drink cans upon cans of diet coke everyday, but there is more and more research showing that it can actually cause problems in your liver which will effect your metabolism rate (im giving up diet soda unless im drinking rum).
Lastly, you have to exercise. If you cant run, then go for a walk outside. Do some squats in your house or some jumping jacks. Wake up and try to do 10 push ups or anything you can to get your heart rate up.
I found the best results where when I would exercise in the morning (20 min after small breakfast) which included weight training and cardo then a small amount of cardo later at night, like 20 minutes on a bike or jog.
Good Luck
