Yes, eating a balanced diet and exercising is the best way. I didn’t do fad diet or anything like that. I ate my protein, carbs and dairy… just ate VERY little in those 5 months… and things that were virtually fat free… e.g A LOT of tuna and salad… i did still have my salans every night though… my mum cooks HEALTHY curries… none of that oil malarkey!! 
I had enough energy to exercise… I practically lived at the gym…
I don’t believe in fad diets… you will ALWAYS put the weight back on… only way to lose weight and keep it off is exercise… and you should NEVER cut out a food group… people that believe carbs make you put on weight are wrong!! You need carbs for energy… you just have to eat the right kind of carbs!!!
I eat everything now… I have carbs, protein, fat and dairy everyday… and have the bad treats too but because I have built on my lean muscle, my metabolic rate is pretty fast and I am very active too… it all helps!!