Imagine if you did get sucked into one of those diets, and you went out for a meal with friends, how annoying will selecting a 3 course meal be? I certainly wouldn't bother. The best way to lose fat, get lean and in shape, is to keep things simple. Stick to eating lots of fruit, vegetables, protein and drinking plenty of water. Most fruit and veg have hardly any calories compared to meats, so you can eat plenty of them. As i have said in previous posts, you will do dam well to get overweight by eating fruit and veg! I personally have not come across one person who has.
If you stick to eating lots of fruit, veg, protein and drinking plenty of water throughout the day, that is a simple way to lose weight. I personally do not believe in calorie counting as so many people end up getting annoyed and fed up. If you eat those foods, you don't have to calorie count, because you know your putting nothing but goodness into your body, so there is little to no fat for the body to store. A lot of people who want to lose weight become obsessive, weighing/measuring everything to 'the t', which is not enjoyable. If you know that the meals you consume are healthy, and your getting regular exercise in (preferably intense training) then you WILL lose weight. Its up to you how hard you work out and how committed you are diet wise.