Fad diets come and go, and over the years dieters have tried eating nothing but cabbage soup, cutting out the carbohydrates with diets like Atkins, or drank milkshakes instead of eating proper food. Although these sorts of crash diets will undoubtedly help you lose weight, the problem is generally keeping the weight off once you start eating normally again. The cycle of crash dieting and putting the weight right back on again is what’s known as yo-yo dieting and it’s only once you manage to break out of that cycle that you will lose weight and keep it off.

• How to lose weight with a diet

Calories: best way to lose weight

Yes it’s very boring, but the only way to make sure you lose weight and don’t put it back on again is to make sure that you are eating fewer, or the same amount or calories than you are using up over the day. It’s only once you start counting up everything that you eat that you realise just how much you are eating every day, and that a whole bag of salad and a can of tuna has the same calories as a couple of slices of bread. Nowadays, nearly everything you buy from the supermarket has the calorie content clearly marked on it, and there are a number of apps that you can get for your smartphone which will help you keep track of what you are eating.

There’s nothing wrong with having the occasional treat, but as long as you watch what you are eating most of the time it will form the foundations of a healthy eating regime that you can keep up for the long term.

Supplements: best way to lose weight

Part of the danger of the crash diets which cut out some food groups entirely or advocate eating one type of food only is that the restrictive nature means that you are not taking in all of the essential vitamins and minerals to keep you healthy. Even if you are losing weight using a calorie control method, it is a good idea to take a multi-vitamin supplement every day.

There are other products which will claim to be able to speed up the rate at which your body loses fat, but do some research into the best T5 fat burners as many of the products do not do what they claim. Ask your GP about the best T5 fat burners they can recommend. Consulting a medical professional before starting on any weight-loss programme is always advisable. Many of the apps which are available to download which will track your food intake will also let you measure how your diet is stacking up against the recommended daily allowance for nutrition.

Exercise

Some people love going to the gym and keeping active and for them the exercising side of losing weight is very simple. If you really hate exercise, then it is perfectly possible to lose weight just by eating less. However, if you manage to burn up some calories by doing a few lengths of the pool or by taking a walk around the park that means you can have an extra rasher of bacon at breakfast or a well-deserved chocolate bar as an evening treat. Exercising doesn’t have to mean aerobics classes or lifting weights at the gym so do a bit of research to find out what is available in your local area and try to rope in a friend to go with you to your first class or lesson. If you prefer a less structured approach to keeping fit, consider taking up running around your local area or even just taking a walk a few times a week with a friend.

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About the author: Freelance writer Emily Starr has an interest in issues surrounding healthy eating and weight loss, including the best T5 fat burners,apps to help with calorie counting and nutritional supplements.