I have just searched for "diet". There were over 117,000,000 results. Much of the material is contradictory. I am giving you the top 10 tips you need to know if you want to lose weight long-term.

1. There are thousands of diets. However when you think about it there are only three types of weight loss diet plan. These are the low carbohydrate diet; the low fat diet; and the counting calorie (ie low calorie) diet. At the center of each is the reduction of calories. Don’t be scammed by a "new" diet that comes to light. Look behind the detail and it will be one of the three basic diet types.

2. There is little evidence that supports one diet is better than another for long-term, sustained weight loss. Any diet, if carried through, should produce short- term weight loss. The key word is sustainability – if you are unable to stick to a diet long- term, you won’t sustain long-term weight loss.

3. The word diet doesn’t help. Diet means the food and drink consumed by an organism. Every living thing on the planet is on a diet. Yet, we think of diet and dieting with regard to weight loss. In particular we think of "going on a diet" as a short-term measure to achieve weight loss. It’s the wrong approach. Instead of "going on a diet" what most people should aim for is a permanent change to diet and lifestyle.

4. What changes should you make? First, cut out refined sugar. No sweets, candy, cakes. You already know this. For most of our history sugar has been an extravagance. Think of it in that vein and use it sparingly.

5. Next, cut down the starchy carbohydrates. We consume bread, pastry, potatoes, pasta, rice – the mainstay of most meals – far too readily. Carbs are an important energy food. Pre industrial revolution most men carried out physical labour, so a high carb diet made sense. Nowadays we mostly have a less active lifestyle, yet we still pile up the carbs. In particular, cut down the heavy carbs with your last meal of the day. You don’t need energy to sit at home and get ready for sleep.

6. Cut down the fat. When is a food fatty? The magic figure is 4% - cut down foods that are more than 4% fat. In the UK foods are labelled per 100g, so it’s easy enough to avoid foods with more than 4g of fat per 100g. However, some foods are a good source of healthy fats. Oily fish and nuts have high fat contents, but should be part of a well-balanced diet.

7. Red meat tends to be fatty. Look for leaner cuts, or lower fat meats such as turkey or chicken. Lean meats are high in protein and are great for people watching their weight. They are filling and stop cravings.

8. What else should we eat? Where possible, switch to whole grain foods. They are more filling and are high in fiber. Eat more vegetables. They are low fat, are high fiber and loaded with vitamins and minerals. Eat more fruit. Fruit provides natural sugars to satisfy a sweet tooth.

9. Eat smaller meals, 4-5 times a day instead of 3 large meals. Try to combine non-starchy carbs and protein in every meal. Have fruit as a snack.

10. You have to exercise. If this feels like a cheat in a diet article, tough luck. If you are serious about losing weight you have to burn the calories you hold in addition to cutting down the calories you take in. No excuses.

And that is all the weight loss diet information you will ever need. No scams, no pseudo-science. Just the ten basic truths.