I lost 25 lbs on a carbohydrate-rich diet!
I have friends that have lost large amounts of weight on carbohydrate-free diets
I have other friends who have lost weight on food-combining diets.
IMHO within reason, it is simply being on the diet that gives you the most beneficial effects. The actual type of diet does not make much difference. You get the benefit simply from the rigid eating pattern and thinking about food before you eat it - if it's highly calorific, it's not going to be great for you, if on the other hand it's low-calorie and not highly refined, it's generally going to be OK for you.
Here's my five-point diet:
1. Reduce red and white meat intake, replace with Quorn, soya, fish and beans.
2. Eliminate intake of bakery food (bread, cakes, biscuits etc.)
3. Eliminate intake of high-calorie sweet things (chocolate, sweets, candy etc.)
4. Reduce intake of dairy products - only have low-fat yoghurt, cottage cheese and a small amount of milk in tea and coffee.
5. Fill the gaps with fruit and vegetables
Another great trick is to look at the statutory label on food (UK) - the one that says how much energy it has per 100g. As rule of thumb aim only to eat food that has around 100 calories per 100g. That way you will fill up before you can eat too many calories.