going on a diet (ie cut down on food intake) is actually a bad idea for losing weight. What you want is a balanced diet where you will have sufficient intake of nutrients that is required by the body. Carbs in glucose form is very important for your brain, cholesterol is essential as it forms a part of your cell membrane. If you really want to lose weight, my suggestion is to start with cardio workouts (i know, its a torture. but its a necessary evil
and get your body ramp up to be an efficient burning machine. (you see, your body doesn't know if you are eating chocolate or meat or vegetables. it only knows that you are eating some form of 'fuel' for it to burn)
Finally, for the ladies. Please do more weight bearing exercises (simple task like lifting) Note that you don't have to carry heavy weight to qualify as weight bearing. This is good for the bones especially for ladies who are prone to osteoporosis. And don't worry about the myth of building muscles. Ladies have lower level of testosterone, hence your chances of bulking up like a drumstick is far far far lower. As the matter of fact, you will have a more toned body.
Hope the above helps