Good to hear you're having success! There's a lot of information (much of it really terrible) about diet and exercise roaming around the Web. It's always good to hear success.
I really need to work on my diet too (I'm about to start crossfit so I have the exercise covered). Did you do any research on finding a diet or just general knowledge applied? If you have a reference I'don't like to look at it. Keep it up!
First, a note on Crossfit. It works, but it is nothing new or revolutionary. It is nothing more than HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training.) Basically the goal is to keep moving while exercising, so you rotate to different muscle groups so others can rest. If you look at my post above, I give an example of what I will be doing.
As far as diet, it is pretty simple. You are right there is a lot of misinformation, but much of that is due to people thinking it is more complicated than it is. I am not a nutritionist but...
I work as a cook at a hospital, an LTAC (Long Term Acute Care.) We deal with many different diets and diet restrictions. I have stuff from to do carb counting to altering menus for renals. I have worked in the position where I am responsible for going over all of their menus, so I know the standards well. In addition to that...
I was a certified personal trainer
Was trained by the Air Force in fitness and took the Fitness Fundamentals course
Started as a Kinesiology major
My mom has Celiac disease (has to be gluten free)
Has a best friend that has a Masters in Sports and Exercise Science
My wife's first job after her nursing degree was working for the diet company SlimGenics
My wife is currently on a new diet program which has allowed her to lose 15 lbs in about a month and a half
I also work in food service, so I am very familiar with food.
I have also done personal research
Diet is really quite simple once you get a few things down. The biggest thing is serving size (and how many calories are in a serving.) Serving sizes are often much smaller than people realize. You do not have to be real specific when it comes to diet, but getting an idea about how much a serving is really helps. Typically a serving will fit into your palm. A palm full of rice, or blueberries, or raspberries is a serving. An apple or an orange is a serving. A small potato is probably around 1 and a slice of bread is one. Meat is easier. It is generally an average size piece of meat, a normal chicken breast, ect. Actually, you could use the hand again...a piece of meat about the size of your palm. The exception is veggies...that is closer to two palms full...but personally, I don't even count veggies, as their calorie value is so small. I just try to get them in at least 2 meals a day and then a couple times as a snack.
There are a few things to keep in mind that many people do not know...some fruits and veggies are actually carbs or a starch. Bananas, peas, and corn actually count as carbs.
Once you get the serving sizes down, it comes down to calories. Caloric requirements depends on muscle mass (not weight) and activity level. Muscles burn more calories and require more calories to be maintained. That is the flaw with all the apps and programs that tells you to put in your weight. Someone that is 230 lbs at 15% body fat is far different than someone that is 230 lbs and 30% body fat. The typical male should get 2,000-2,500 calories a day. It may be more based on size and activity level. The next part is the break-down...
In diets carbs are typically the problem. People think fat is the problem, and a lot of bad fat can be, but unless you completely overdo it on sweets, carbs are the reason people are packing on the weight. Carbs break down into sugar...
Carbs:
The key to any diet is limiting carbs. I would say limit yourself to 3 or so servings of carbs a day (unless you have a very labor intensive job or workout a lot.) Remember, a slice of bread is 1 carb, so a sandwich would be two of your carb servings. I try to limit myself to a wrap. If I have not had any other carbs I have a potato. Also, you want to get whole grains. For these you need to read the label on things. If the first ingredient is anything other than "Whole Grain Wheat Flour" or "Whole Grain," it is not whole grain. If the first ingredient is "enriched" something or another, it is trash. Also some whole grain rice with something like beans will make a complex protein for the vegans out there.
Fat:
Not all fat is bad. There are good fats, such as the fats found in nuts. UNHEATED olive oil is good and coconut oil is healthy cold or heated. We cook everything in it. I make sure I get my good fats, but ignore this group for the most part. If you are staying away from fast food, processed food, and not dousing things in dressing, oil, and butter, it shouldn't be a huge issue. (another note...use real butter, not margarine.)
Protein:
This should be the main source of your calories and what fills you up. This is what will repair your muscles. Fish and Chicken are the leanest, but since so much protein is eaten, I rotate pork, steak, ground beef, eggs, ect in there. It is important to get some red meat.
Veggies:
These are the other staple to go along with protein. I try to have a couple servings with two meals and then one or two snacks with one to two servings. These are what you will use to fill yourself up when the protein wasn't enough. You should try to get 4-6 servings a day.
Fruit:
Our final group. These have more calories than veggies because they have a lot of sugar. You don't want to over-do them, but they give you vitamins and nutrients. You want about 3 servings of fruit a day.
The key is getting a well rounded, balanced diet. You want to get all the vitamins and nutrients your body needs...and there is a simple way to do that...color...
Most fruits and veggies have different vitamins and nutrients based on color. Purple with have the same as other purple and green as other green. This makes it real easy. I just try to get one of each color a day...
Veggies-
Green (Romaine lettuce, kale, spinach, broccoli, other green veggies) They will all give you the same thing, pick one.
Purple (Beets, purple/red leafs, purple cauliflower, anything purple in color)
Red (Tomatoes, red sauces, red peppers, ect)
Orange (carrots, orange peppers)
Fruit-
Blue/Purple (Blueberries, blackberries)
Red (Strawberries, raspberries)
Orange/yellow (orange, pineapple)
Other than that you want to make sure you are getting a few potatoes a week in addition to your whole grains.
You also want to drink a lot of water. 80-120 ounces typically depending on activity level. The rule of thumb is drink until your pee is clear. Just remember to replace your electrolytes (salt, potassium.) I eat enough salt and I have a banana every day.
Also, caffeine increases metabolism, which helps with weight loss. I use green and black tea. Coffee is also an option as long as you don't put tons of sugar and cream in it.
That all may sound like a lot, but it is real simple. There is no magic diet. It is about eating a balanced diet and having a clue of how many calories you are putting into your body based on how many you need.
If you have any more questions, let me know!