Low carbing with a carb up once a week sounds pretty much what I like to stick to also. I'm taking slintropin at the moment so I'm eating more carbs than I'm used to at the moment but once I finish it I will definitely go back to my old eating routine. I also believe that allowing yourself some candy/alcohol every now and then is just good for you. Makes it so much easier than to just stick to your diet 100% of the time.
You are right about slowly shedding fat to avoid muscle/strength loss. I'm down to about 80kg now a I'm currently just trying to maintain my weight while shedding that last abdomen fat. I don't do the same exercises as when I was heavier (due to injuries) but just yesterday I did managed 8 pullups with a 25kg plate which I'm really exited about 