The first week for me always brings massive weight loss. The reason is I drink lots of fluids and eat lots of fruit to get "things" going. Unfortunately, last Friday night, both my wife and I came down with a 24 hr virus. Saturday, I was going at both ends. I took that as an opportunity to kickstart my diet and just went with the flow (pun intended).
I have set standards for myself on a serious diet. I don't eat bread, anything with sugar, no chips, no fries, and no fast food at all. For breakfast, I eat fruit: apples, oranges, tangerines, pineapple, bananas, peaches, etc. I'll eat one apple and one orange, or 6 oz of pineapple or peaches (unsweetened), or some other combination of fruit. I don't eat lunch at all. I drink water, coffee, or unsweetened soda all day. I eat a snack piece of fruit normally around mid-afternoon to curb my appetite and carry me into dinner without being too darn hungry. For my evening meal, I pick something less than 800 calories. I've had bowls of okra gumbo, blackeye peas, and cabbage rolls this week. I even had two left over smoked ribs with no added sauce. I also eat a nice big salad with a mix of broccoli, lettuce, tomato, onion, mushrooms, shaved carrots, etc. The salad provides a lot of bulk and I use 68 calorie per teaspoon dressing.
Yesterday morning I weighed 253 lb, down from 265 lb. I have not weighed today because my DW is still asleep and I don't want to wake her. I don't think I'll be anymore than a pound lower at best. So my first week of dieting has rewarded me with a 12 lb loss. If I average 5 lb per week, I'll be happy. Let's see how I do for the next week.
Good luck to everyone.