There is only one foolproof way to lose weight - take in fewer calories than you expend. The simplest way to do that is to use one of the online calculators with a target of 1-2lbs of weight loss/week - figure out how many calories to eat, start counting how many you put in your mouth, and stick to it.

Everything beyond this is either a gimmick, or some way to trick your body into accepting this concept.

Worked for me.