Sotired, one of the changes I made was to go lower carb, and it was a good choice for me. For the first 2-1/2 months, I lost weight much faster than what the simple "calories in, calories out" math should show, so I do think there is more to weight loss than the basic math we've been led to believe.
I've not had BP or any bloodwork done since last summer other than thyroid levels (I'm hypothyroid) so can't speak to the effects on cholesterol, etc., but we did decrease my thyroid replacement dose this past fall. I need to go get that tested again soon, suspect we may be lowering it even more. This is after years of a steady increase in the dose...
Whole foods, no grains, and carbs under 100 g a day is what I've been doing, and so far I seem to be on the right track. Weight loss has slowed to a more normal rate, about a pound a week, but then, I didn't expect to continue the super-fast loss of the early days.
ETA: Just read your post, Lexie, and I used to feel the same way about carbs, thought I could never give up bread. Believe it or not, I don't actually even miss that stuff--maybe once in a while, but if I do eat half a brownie or something like that, I generally feel like "well, that was nowhere near as good as I recalled..." Wouldn't believe it either if it wasn't happening to me!