I am a 78 y.o. white male in generally good health.
In the past 20 years I've come down from 226 to 175--180. I did it with the following:
1. avoid refined carbs--bread, crackers, pasta, etc.
2. Atkins diet. For first 6 months I was on the Atkins diet, almost no carbs, lots of protein (don't forget about bean curd, which you can flavor w/ vinegar, sesame oil, etc).
3. I fast 2 days/week. Max 600 calories/day, calorie-free liquids OK. Takes some learning, but you can do it.