My friend is on diet. She usually eats only crackers for snack and dinner. She limits the intake of rice. She eats the crackers with tuna and for her drink, she has water. She avoids drinking softdrinks. This diet scheme is really effective on her (naturally because it is very limited). But I doubt that any doctor would recommend it.

I agree with mama mangia, cutting down your portions of foods that you want and exercising at the same time is better. An after 6 diet is a very good one. I'm not practicing it, but Im doing after 8 one. It's my own diet LOL. Works for me.

I've recently lost 25 pounds (last 4 months) just by counting calories. I always thought it was really hard because everyone was trying to follow diet plans, but it's really super easy & there's a TON of support on-line. From the nutritionists I've read/spoken to, cutting out any food group is bad - and it's not the carbs themselves but the complex carbs and refined sugars you should watch out for. I've been trying to make sure my carbs are coming from whole grains and natural sugars and I've noticed a serious improvement in my health as a consequence.

I think that what you need to do, is determine the amount of carbo that is recommended for you each day. I mean if you are 20 something and you are lean the RDA of carbo should be like 2000 a day (correct me if I'm worng please) then just maintain the intake and you can never go wrong with that I guess.