Great story Dave and thanks for keeping us updated with your progress!
My situation is a bit different than yours in that I have a lot less weight to lose before I too reach my goal of 185 lbs (the fit weight of my 20s). My heaviest weight was 231 lbs and I weighed 195 this morning. My focus has been on becoming metabolically healthy and curing myself of diabetes. I've learned that the types of calories you eat (and when) is probably more important than the amount and I've switched to a low-carb, high-fat diet to keep my insulin levels as low and steady as possible. I don't count calories but instead eat when I'm hungry and don't when I'm not. See Weight Loss.
I started using a FreeStyle Libre continuous glucometer in November and it has been an eye-opener with how my blood sugar responds to meals. I now have no trouble keeping my blood sugar in the healthy range of 3.9-6.9 mmol/L (70-124 mg/dL) and my average glucose for the past 7 days is 5.1 mmol/L (92 mg/dL). This is with me no longer taking Januvia and Rosuvastatin and I will stop taking Forxiga/Farxiga next week.
While I see that you understand ketogenic diets, I would suggest that you not discount the effect of hormones (particularly insulin and glucagon) on weight loss and overall health. The following video explains why there is more to weight loss than counting calories.
I actually know Dr. Mason and the Pharmaceutical company I work for is based in Australia and has a working relationship with him. In fact, the acne photos in his presentation are from one of our studies.
I wouldn't say that I discount the effect of hormones on weight loss and health, but rather that I separate them. Weight gain or loss is simply energy balance. Hormones, metabolic conditions and balanced diets are about health. I choose to view them separately because combining them tends to muddy the waters for understanding both.
My experience has been that some people can get overwhelmed, confused and latch onto sometimes incorrect and unsustainable approaches to weight loss. By separating them, it makes each part easier to understand and work on. My journey chronicled here is simply about weight loss. Overall health and balanced diet is a different discussion.