I have recently lost 84 pounds. I think the key thing has been to eat a lot healthier. I have never felt deprived in my 18 months of "dieting". In fact, it never felt like a diet. I eat lots of fruit and vegetables. I cook food from scratch most of the time. My previous food was mostly processed and I ate lots of ready meals. The first step is to make healthier choices. After a while,you start to make healthy choices automatically. I am eating very much the same diet even though I have reached my target. It helps to have had a diet that I enjoyed. Good luck !!