is to treat most highly palatable foods that contain a lot of refined carbohydrates as just that - a treat, which I only consume sparingly and not regularly.

Along those lines, the following is a list of things each of which I only allow myself to have, at most, maybe once every 2-3 months on average:
French fries
bagged salty snacks (e.g., potato chips, Doritos, Cheetos, etc.)
sugar-flavored beverages (e.g., sugar soda)
cookies, brownies, cake, pastries
candy
pizza

I find that if I eat any of the above on any sort of regular basis, I gain weight (and that's with working out about 12 hours a week).

Specifically, the above list of foods poses two related problems for me:
(1) it's difficult for me to exercise portion control when I eat them; and
(2) they don't provide enough satiation per calorie.

With respect to the second point, I've found that if I eat too much of the above foods, I'm hungry too often, which leads me to overeat.

The only way I've been able to address this is to replace the above foods with those that are high in protein and fiber (augmented with some healthy fat). Basically, lots of fresh vegetables and fruits along with grilled meat (e.g. chicken, steak, and seafood), and some whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, and dairy.

Nothing else has worked for me.

Put another way, I try to avoid the middle aisles of grocery stores and shop around the edges while also generally trying to avoid eating fast food, ordering pizza, or visiting beverage places (e.g., Fizz, Swig, etc.).