There is no 'right' diet or exercise routine that works for everyone

There is no 'right' diet or exercise routine
that works for everyone.

Here's a framework to more easily design what works for you:  

 

1.)  I use MyFitnessPal website and app for tracking. It's easier to be mindful and see at-a-glance what I have eaten, and how much I have left.

2.)  I started importing my recipes to this blog so they're easy to import into MFP.
 
3.)  The best diet & fitness plan is S.A.F.E., Sustainable, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient 

• Sustainable -- One you can maintain for a long time, months, or even years.  This is a lifestyle change, not a temporary 'diet'.

• Accountable -- Involve a friend, significant other, partner, family member, online community, etc. Avoid relying on willpower alone. Also, involving another person might be easier than trying to track every morsel.
  
• Flexible -- "Your fitness plan should revolve around YOU; you shouldn't revolve around the plan." Aim for the 'middle of the road', i.e., progress without giving up all food, fun, and freedom. You can't always control your life, but you can forgive yourself for getting off-track.
  Take note of the concept of 'zig-zagging' or 'cycling' calories, and realize you don't have to hit the same exact target every day. Flexibility is KEY.  
• Efficient -- Figure out your Minimal Effective Dose (M.E.D.) of Exercise. (This will keep your plan sustainable.) "[T]he most time any Average Joe or Jane needs to spend in the gym is 3-4 days a week for about 45-60 minutes."

4.)  Know your caloric requirement. 

Don't attempt extreme caloric deficit, i.e., unless under a doctor's supervision, caloric goal for weight loss should never be under your Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) and never under 8 Calories per current pound of body weight. The simplest diet plan is to track your Caloric intake, and your protein and fiber needs, while letting your other macro-nutrients (fat and carbohydrates) fall where they may.

5.)  Know your macro ratios and increase your protein if you're attempting to change your body composition.
Consider the "If It Fits Your Macros" approach.  I aim for 20-25% protein, 40-55% Carbohydrates (with the minimum recommended fiber at first and now with 5g over the minimum), and 25-35% fat.

If you're exercising or trying to change the composition of your body, you need more than the minimum recommended 50g protein daily, that was set in the 1960s for the average, healthy sedentary person.  Consider these recommendations and increase your protein slowly, week by week, monitoring how the differences make you feel.  There's also some thought that distribution throughout the day has an impact.  What I take from that is that portioning out protein throughout the day will be better for you overall, which makes sense.  I've not chased down the studies as I'm not worried about the detailed claims.  For the most part, only elite athletes need worry about details like food and macro timing.  Most of us would be better served to shoot for an attainable average that fits the S.A.F.E. plan.

Remember flexible.  Beyond my minimum daily protein and fiber intake, I only worry about my weekly averages.