You have to wear that old dress or suit and now you need to lose weight? Lose weight too fast and you could harm your body.

Fad diets, diet pills, extreme fasting and other fast weight loss methods may work but they can also cause you to lose muscle, counter productive to a long term weight loss program, and can cause damage to your heart and other internal organs. Here are some tips to safely lose weight fast.

Determine how many calories you consume, because burning more than you consume results in weight loss. Carry a small notebook for a week to write down everything you eat.

That means everything, every morsel, every sample, every sip of water. Now with the help of sources you can figure out the calories in what you eat.

Now that you know the calories you consume, start cutting. One great way is to eat from a smaller plater.

Portion sizes are generally too large both at home and in restaurants. Smaller portions will result in weight loss. And there are more cuts to make too. These include salad dressing, butter, cakes, and juice or soda.

Salad dressing is the largest source of calories on most dinner tables! Getting used to the healthy taste of a salad with a pinch of lemon juice makes a big difference.

Also note that empty calories such as sugars and starchy foods (carbohydrates) are the first things to cut. These are easily replaced in your diet - try whole wild rice.

An easy place to target for calorie cutting is the side dish. This portion of the meal often holds more calories than the main course.

Replace these items with healthy alternatives such as steamed vegetables, cottage cheese, or salad (minus dressing.)

Build up some muscle to increase muscle mass and metabolism. It’s a great calorie burner, but will help you burn calories even when not exercising.

Aerobic exercise is the best for calorie and fat burning. Many experts say to enjoy aerobic activity for 30 minutes a day 3-5 days a week. Hog wash!|Don’t pay attention to the 3-5 times a week school of thought on working out. Make it seven days a week, which means an activity you can sustain day after day for the rest of your life.

There’s the plan to lose weight fast. Now get moving!