Have seen people lose quite some weight with one "magazine diet" though. It was a meal planner, including precise recipes for weeks. Just follow the program get a very full feeling and lose weight. Everyone I knew using that lost weight indeed. Fairly healthy, with fresh veggies and fruit. But also with desserts and snacks.
I never tried it. Too little vegetarian options. And I dislike weighing or watching everthing I eat. If I want to lose weighing, I need to change habits. I know that does work indeed, for me.