Exercise is not secondary. Proper diet & exercise are equally important.

The basic formula for weight loss is burn more calories than you consume.

I've heard of an olympian female who consumes 10,000 calories per day. And because she's an olympian, she ain't fat. She looks like any physically fit female.

To the OP, don't go with low carb, high protein. Some recommend high carb diets. So who's right? I say go with the food pyramid that the USDA recommends.