If you find traditional diet plans too restrictive, Nutracheck could be the very programme you're looking for. Nutracheck is based on the principle that the best way to lose weight is to eat smarter, not less.

Sticking to a rigid diet plan can be very time consuming, and show few results. Instead, Nutracheck enables you to eat what you like as long as you stay within the personal targets you've been set. Signing up for the online weight loss service means keeping a personal food diary every day, so you can monitor how many calories you're eating.

Unlike more restrictive diets, this programme works because while you can still eat all the same foods you ate before, you don't feel as if you're "on a diet". All you have to do is reduce the quantities of the food you eat. The website offers you a five day free trial, and also promises to help you lose 10 lbs in five weeks.

The initial assessment on the website is free, and will set you personalised daily calorie, fat and exercise targets. As you enter everything you eat and drink into your private food diary, the system automatically tracks your progress against your daily and weekly targets. You can also work towards a healthier diet with tools such as the 5-a-day fruit and veg tracker, Water Meter, and Alcohol Monitor.

Your online food diary helps you focus on exactly what and how much you eat. You'll be surprised to discover the difference between writing everything down and simply relying on memory: did you know that most people underestimate their daily food intake by a third? The real secret recipe of the programme is honesty: if you're truthful about what and how much you're eating, you'll soon start to eat less.