I've had a lot of luck (as has my wife) with a Low Carb High Fat (LCHF) diet. As counter intuitive as it may sound, it really works and is really very healthy. Google LCHF diet, or go to
www.dietdoctor.com and read about it. It's pretty easy, and you get to eat a lot, just no carbs. Mix in some exercise and the pounds will come off. A good book is "The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Performance" available on amazon.
Good luck.