I didn't carry much excess poundage at diagnosis, although I did have love handles. I never, ever tried to lose weight.
My approach was to eat to my meter.
I began esting, immediately on diagnosis; self-funded. I tested when I woke, before eating and 2 hours afterwards. I kept a diary of what I ate every day for a long time (say, a couple of years), and recorded every blood test for about the same term.
If my after eating blood test was more than 2 above my pre-eating number, I had to alter that meal, by either ditching the carb-containing content (swapping it for something else) or reducing the amount of the carb-containing and trying again another day.
If my after eating blood test was less than 2 above my pre-eating number, and I had enjoyed my meal, it was a keeper.
I didn't snack, but then I have never snacked.
Doing that, I noticed my overall scores come down, although, as I said before my fasting number was last to come into line. That is something many, many report. I also trimmed up quickly, then had to set about a strategy to maintain weight, whilst continuing to work on the bloods. My HbAics have gone like this:
T2 since October 2013. No medication.
HbA1c:
October 13: 73 or 8.8% (How did that happen?)
February 14: 37 or 5.5%
May 14: 34 or 5.3%
August 14: 32 or 5.1%
November 14: 33 or 5.1%
May 15: 31 or 5.0%
October 15: 33 or 5.1%
September 16: 31 or 5.0%
November 17: 33 or 5.1%
March 18: A "bonus", unexpected test due to other bloods - 30 or 4.9%. I joined the 4s club! I hadn't expected a reduction, having got used to toggling 33<>31<>33<>31 for the last 3 years, literally.
March 19: 27 or 4.6% Another surprising reduction.
Work in progress, but GP took me off the Diabetes Register, late 2014.
A very wise and well respected person once said we we moderate our carbs to satisfy our blood glucose meters and our fats to satisfy the bathroom scales. That makes sense to and for me.