Great posts Flier. Sounds like you have a good handle on what is going on. Hopefully she doesn't believe the lies that fat burners and carb blockers allow one to lose weight without changing their eating habits. If it was true, this nation wouldn't be so pudgy.

My wife cannot come close to eating my diet either. But, your daughter isn't trying to put on a lot of muscle so I would think simple calories-in vs. calories-out would be a great start. Knowing how many calories to eat is key...and then she needs to eat less than that. Easy peasy. Yeah, I know, it isn't easy, but the concept is.

For example, here is my daily diet (without quantities since everyone is different):
Breakfast: Egg whites
Snack: Chicken, broccoli, almonds
Lunch: Chicken, brown rice, asparagus
Snack: Chicken, almonds, broccoli if I can take three portions in a day
Dinner: Fish, salad, asparagus
Snack: Protein shake or cottage cheese, almonds

I change the diet slightly every week, but I eat the same thing every day. That is the complete list. No sauces, no cheese on top, nothing.

I do 30 minutes cardio 3-5 days a week.

I lost 15 pounds of mostly fat in four weeks. I am still doing it...until I see abs.

Crap, gotta go, time for lunch. :-)