Most people have the same view about dieting as does the popular cartoon character Garfield the cat, “You know what a diet is? It’s DIE with a T, that’s what it is!” Dieting does get uncomfortable at times, but it does not have to be painful if you keep in mind these eight tips to help you not only get the weight off but keep it off.

In order to burn fat, you need to eat fewer calories than you expend in daily activities. This is why dieters are encouraged to exercise more often when on a diet. Some dieters obsess over calorie counts, carting little calculators with them wherever they go. They want to avoid feeling starved but still eat enough food to get them through the day. Calorie counting is off-putting to the new dieter. You don’t need to be a mathematical genius in order to be aware of high-calorie foods to avoid. If it has lots of sugar and fat, it’s going to be loaded with calories.

There are tons of advertisements that claim that by cutting only one food or groups of foods from your diet will make you suddenly and painlessly lose weight. Don’t fall for that old line. There is no foodstuff or even groups of foods like carbohydrates to avoid when you want to lose weight. The world-renowned Mayo Clinic website states that cutting out an entire group of foods can even be harmful for your health. Cutting out all fats or all carbohydrates, for example, leaves your body deprived of vital nutrients it needs to keep going. You need to eat less of everything and exercise more. If you suspect you have a food allergy, talk to your doctor to be sure.

Choosing an exercise routine can be confusing. There are so many options available. Which is best for dieters? There is no one best exercise or best exercise routine. Whatever the exercise you do and like is the best exercise for you. You’re the one who has to do it, so you may as well do something you enjoy.

Cheating on your diet is inevitable, so don’t beat yourself up about it. Keep in mind that in order to lose weight, you need to burn off more calories than you consume. You will only make it harder on yourself by cheating. However, there are no significant studies that suggest that cheating one day a week will be especially harmful. For some people, knowing they have one day to cheat a week makes it easier for them to stick to their diets the other six days of the week.

It’s a popular misconception that you need to be hungry 24/7 in order for your diet to work. You do not have to starve. Learn to eat snacks that are filling but better for you than the junk you usually eat. Foods in high in fiber, for example, help fill you up. Nuts help fill you up and give you energy. A glass of water also helps fill you up and gives your body what it craves.

Don’t worry if you seem to stop losing weight after a few weeks or months on a diet. This is normal. As long as you haven’t gained weight, pat yourself on the back. Keeping weight off is harder for some dieters than taking the weight off in the first place.

Seven: Exercise to Aid in Your Weight Loss It’s not easy to lose weight without an increase in your exercise. Exercise not only helps you lose weight, but it also helps strengthen your body overall and helps you sleep regularly.

Eight: Vitamins and Supplements are Necessary

In a perfect world, we might get all the necessary vitamins and minerals from our daily diet. However, in the real world this usually doesn’t happen. For one thing, most people simply do not consume a well-balanced diet.  We skip meals, especially breakfast, tend to eat a lot of ‘fast’ food.

In addition, there is a loss of vitamins and minerals due to food preparation, processing and storage as well as by soil depletion, environmental pollution, high stress levels, and the use of alcohol, tobacco and prescription medications.

By taking a whole foods vitamin such as Lazarus Labs Complete, a Multi-Vitamin/Minerals/Antioxidant formula that contains a full spectrum of vitamins and essential minerals from A to Z and includes a proprietary blend of over 40 Fruit and Vegetable extracts as well as a digestive enzyme complex and probiotics.

However, if you feel sick or unusually tired you may not be getting all the vitamins and minerals your body needs. Talk to your doctor for help.