I tried low carb and I felt like **** all day every day, and didn't have the energy to do anything....maybe i did it wrong...
maybe you need to not eat sugary-ass granola and fruit as your carbs. try some beans, corn, and brown rice. they all have a synergy, as they complete one another protein-wise. there's an endless list of COMPLEX carb combos that make for awesome absorption/composition changes.
listen, i don't mean to get fired up. it's just that i have finally gotten happy, not too long ago either, with my dieting scheme. hell, it's no scheme at all. and heck, i'm even now, not to long ago either, happy in general. i've been making some major changes within just about 5 weeks alone. eat these foods and only eat em' when hungry (which, if your metabolism is right, should be every 3 hours, even less if you are hitting good weights/cardio):
Proteins:
Poultry
Fatty fish
Leanest steak you can find
string cheese (i haveo one before bed on occasion if i feel hungry)
Nuts/seeds (opt for flax seed/walnuts------these compliment each other protein-wise)
eggs
whey
Carbs:
beans (i prefer black beans, as they are higher in protein than some, and are very good for the body/brain)
corn
brown rice
white/sweet potatoes
moderate fruit (1-2 servings a day, if that)
FRESH carrots, tomatoes, etc.
Fats:
again, nuts/seeds
sesame oil to cook your meat in
fatty fish
steak
eggs
Don't eat carbs after your post-workout meal. And don't eat as many as you would on lift days. Lower them a good bit. Eat smaller handfuls of beans/corn. Eat smaller potatoes. Up your flax and nuts a bit.
Eat, if you wanna lose, to where you wanna be protein-wise. You don't need to fuel body fat with protein. Fuel muscle. If you wanna hit 220 in weight, eat 220g protein a day. That's the only thing you need to really measure.
Each actual meal should have 10g fat in it, no more really, with the exception of the last meal of the night. It can have a few more. I like to make me a three-egg omelet with some lean steak and spinach for example. That's probably, with the 1/2 tsp of oil I use to cook in, about 20g fat.
This is just my opinion. I am NOT an expert. I suck, actually. BUT this is actually giving me results. It's powerful in it's simplicity.
If you fear staying overweight and do elaborate things/excess work/under-eat, you will probably stay overweight.