My sister just had a knee replacement after losing 100 pounds.

Doctor told her the same thing about anesthetics.

Wow, good for you! I agree sugar is a drug. I still have a bit of a sweet tooth, but I've come to realize I don't need a full serving of ice cream. I can have a few spoonfuls and be happy. I also don't eat foods with added sugar.

My favorite euhpemism for sugar I've found on labels is "evaporated cane juice".

I lost a few pounds in France last week, eating tons of bread, foie gras, cream sauces, and wine. But very little sugar. :)

Do you mean that they have actual sugar added to them (which I doubt in most case) or that they are a simple starch that your body converts readily to sugar (which is true)?

The latter. Although I think a lot of fast food fries are coated in sugar to help them crisp and brown during cooking, and taste better.

Ah yes, I think you're right.

No program here. But willing to try less carbs to stsrt. As well as less diet sodas.

I bought a SodaStream a while back and use it to make plain fizzy water. It makes me feel like I'm having a beverage that isn't water. Sometimes I put a little squirt of lime juice in it.

Lately I have been through more and more places with urns of chilled fruited water available to guests and residents. I've noticed it in hotel lobbies as well as the assisted living center and nursing home where my mother has lived the last year. I worry about the cleanliness of these and for whatever reason the urns always have the most recalcitrant stopcocks. Despite health worries and the mess I inevitably make, I have found most of these incredibly refreshing.

Pamplemousse is my favorite. It's just kind of annoying to schlep the cans around.

I have found calorie and macro tracking useful rather than specific diets which can backfire after prolonged restriction.

Tried keto (no carbs/ less than 20g net) for a month in October 2017 which led to a host of health issues for me including amenhorrea and thinning hair and to this date I still have not got my period back. Also restrictive dieting led me to undereat and occasionally binge due to cravings.

However I did learn a lot from various diets including being much more aware of my sugar intake especially from fruits. I used to have a lot of acne on my face and since I started tracking my macros (and hence sugar which causes inflammation), the acne has disappeared and never returned. Having gone extremely low carb also makes it easier for me to maintain a moderate carb intake by substituting carb heavy ingredients such as flours in baked goods etc. - for example I now regularly make chocolate pancakes using just a banana, cocoa powder and two eggs - no sugar and the only way I eat bananas nowadays!

Here's a bit of advice from what I've learned through my weight loss journey.
From my experiences I think the first step would be to cut down on sugar and really read the ingredient labels on packaged foods. Be aware of your macros and the number of calories you are consuming but don't be obsessive, remember to leave some room for treats once in a while. The fundamental principle of weight loss is to consume fewer calories than what your body burns, which allows your body to use its energy stores to fuel itself. Also do remember not to diet for extended periods of time as it will cause your metabolism to slow down, hence making it harder for you to lose weight again. Inevitably, your metabolism will slow as you lose weight due to there being less of you.

In terms of exercise, weight and resistance training is more beneficial than cardio, as it helps to reduce muscle loss as you lose weight. I'm no professional but also went through a fat loss journey and would be happy to offer some advice and insight if any of you have questions and queries! Also would be glad to offer emotional support when times are tough :)