Try a Meal Journal
Apologies if already in the thread, but freely admit I didn’t read all 18 pages.
I find I am most effective when wanting to lose weight if I keep a meal journal. By this, I mean write down everything you eat, every day, and for each item log the calories, the protein count, carbohydrates count, and fat content (all in grams). Good to track when consumed as well. It’s kind of a pain at first, but once you get most things you eat accounted for, it’s really easy as you already have the numbers. Apps can make it even easier.
Figure out how many calories you roughly burn daily (usually goes by your weight and your daily routine - some online guides can help).
Goal is to ingest less calories over all than you expend. Every 3500 calorie offset = 1 pound. So in a week, if you consume 17,500 calories, but burn 24,500, you’ll drop about 2 pounds (water weight not withstanding). If you’re doing exercise that builds muscle, you may actually gain weight, but drop body fat (harder to track). If you want to eat more, burn more calories through exercise. Watch the protein/carb/fat ratios of your daily diets to help even more with weight loss. Ideal ratios for varying goals can be found on line.
I have seen people do this and they hadn’t realized they were ingesting 3-4K calories a day - mostly fat and carbs.
I’m getting ready to start tracking/logging my diet again as I want to drop 15-25 (currently at 220) and can’t seem to get there. Yes, I’m 62, but I walk 2 dogs 5 miles 3 times a week, and 3 miles on 2-3 days more. (1 dog for 2 miles, 1 for 3 on five mile days, 1 and 2 on the others). Recently (Sep 3rd) got first bike in 45 years and been out 5 times, last for 5.86 miles at 12.8 mph for 27:27. Nothing special, but I’m certainly not sedentary, so it’s likely I’m not paying enough attention to what I’m shoveling into my mouth!
Not an expert in nutrition by any stretch, just sharing personal experience.