Step 1

Clean up your diet. That should be a given. Eliminate all the foods that are high in fat, calories and have little or no nutritional value. This includes deep-fried foods, processed meats, red meat, whole-fat dairy products and commercial baked goods. Have your diet consist completely of lean meats, low-fat dairy products, fruits, vegetables, fish, beans, whole grains, nuts and seeds.

Step 2

Increase your water intake.To lose weight fast, you need to take it to the extreme and be critical of every calorie you put in your mouth. If you think calories in the form of liquids don't matter, you guessed wrong. Eliminate soda, sweet teas, highly sugared coffee drinks, processed fruit juices and alcohol. Instead, drink water. It can help flush toxins from your system, it can fill you up and it has zero calories. The Institute of Medicine recommends that women consume 2.8 qts. (2.7L) of water a day and men consume 3.9 qts. (3.7L) a day.

Step 3

Eat multiple meals throughout the day. Eating small meals throughout the day has been coined as "grazing." Eating this way has several benefits when you are trying to lose weight fast. It can keep you from overeating, it can keep you feeling satisfied, it can give sustained energy levels and it can also raise your metabolic rate. The end result is fewer calories in and more calories being burned. Eat every two or three hours and make sure your meals are a balance of protein and carbohydrates. A few examples of meals are a whole wheat pita with turkey breast and tomato, a bowl of rice and beans and a chicken breast with some steamed broccoli and brown rice.

Step 4

Do high-intensity aerobic activity. Aerobic activity is an absolute must if you want to lose weight fast. Do it at a high intensity and go for at least 45 minutes, three or four times a week. Examples of exercises you can do include running, biking, swimming, stair stepping, rowing and jumping rope.

Step 5

Lift weights to build muscle. Muscle is metabolically active tissue, meaning that the body burns a lot of calories to maintain it. Do exercises that target all of your major muscle groups, such as bench presses, shoulder presses, back rows, tricep extensions, bicep curls and lunges. Perform these exercises in succession, three days a week, on alternating days. Do three sets of each with weights that are heavy enough that you can only do 10 to 12 repetitions (reps). To increase your caloric expenditure, do active recoveries in between each set, such as jumping rope, step-ups or simply walk around the gym floor.