Calorie deficits are more important for weight loss than specific macronutrient ratios.
But people (especially the people that most need to diet) like trend diets that tell them to binge eat steak, and still let them feel like they're doing something healthy.
It's telling to me that most people I've met espousing the merits of "palio" are (still) overweight.
If I eat lots of meat and fruits and veggies I tend to crave snacks less. This ends up meaning less total calorie intake.
The other one to avoid is the booze.
It's pretty rare that I want to eat an entire pizza without first drinking a few beers.
The book The "I" Diet by the noted nutritional scientist Susan Roberts has detailed instructions about how to go about this.