Tip 1: Get a physical feel for what you're missing

How much do you need to shed? 10 kg? 20? Load up a backpack to that exact weight. Then wear it at all times for a week anywhere you go, including at meetings, at meals, on the toilet. Notice how much it slows you down and fatigues you. Once you take it off at the end of the week, you'll know why you need to do this.

You can't afford to keep carrying that backpack every day for the rest of your life.

Tip 2: Whatever you choose to do, pick a sustainable approach

Trust me: if it makes you hungry all the time, you won't keep it up. Been there.

Tip 3: Whatever your approach is, give it a chance

Whatever you do, do it properly, as instructed, and stick with it for at least a month before deciding whether it works for you or not. No cheating. Give it a chance.

Tip 4: Measure whether it actually works for you

Don't take anyone's word for it. Measure, measure, measure. Even just your waistline, if not your body fat; but daily. Once you've got a month's worth of logs, check if there is a significant change. If yes, give it another month. And another.

Tip 5: Reward your wins

When your waistline finally shrinks by another 5 cm, celebrate by buying new clothes you like—nice clothes that flatter your new, leaner shape. You earned it.

Tip 6: Burn your boats

When you buy those new clothes, give your old ones to charity or throw them away. Make it clear to your subconscious that you won't go back to the old size. And don't be afraid to do it all over again when you shed another 5 cm. It's worth the expense.

Tip 7: Nutrition > Exercise

If you have a fat accumulation problem, you can exercise as much as you like, but it won't help you slim down unless you fix your metabolism. (Pro tip: this does not mean "eating low fat".) Of course, exercising will make you healthier, but it can never make you lean if your hormones forbid your cells from releasing stored fat.

Pick an approach that actually works. You know which one I'm talking about.