I am somewhat of a foodie, too, but self discipline is necessary when you want to lose weight. I have found that making your eating habits a new lifestyle, rather than a diet is what works. I lost 30 lbs. when I was 25 (57 now) and basically have kept it off, even after pregnancies. I've tweaked what I eat over the years, and the one constant thing has been exercise. What I do for exercise has changed, as I find my body needs me to "mix it up" a lot more as I age.
I eat a lot like Veronica. A lot of protein and mostly complex carbs, low on the glycemic index. I don't crave sweets, either. I cook a lot during the week, using recipes from Cooking Light. We go out quite a bit, too. Sometimes I really watch what I eat in a restaurant, sometimes I allow myself a treat. I don't have fast food, fried food, and I have to watch how much Asian food I eat, because the salt content really affects me.
I do have 2 squares of dark chocolate almost every day, 3-4 glasses of red wine a week, and I have a little weakness for chocolate dipped soft serve ice cream when summer comes around (thankfully when my cycling miles are at the peak).