There’s no doubt that many people need to lose a few pounds. Walk around where people gather, you’ll notice the fat. Look in the mirror, unfortunately you’ll likely see it there too. If you’ve made fast weight loss your goal, keep these simple things in mind to lose the pounds quickly and safely.

When people want to lose weight one of the most common things they do is to skip meals. Hey, if eating fewer calories is the goal then why not skip breakfast or lunch. Doesn’t weight loss come with eating less calories? Yes, but skipping meals is a mistake, not the right way to reduce calories. Your body thinks it’s being starved when you skip meals. It goes into “starvation” mode. It starts to retain fat to counteract what it perceives as a shortage of food. When you skip meals you’ll end up hungrier at the next meal. The result is binge eating. Skipping meals is the worst of both worlds that results in gaining even more weight. Don’t skip meals.

Have a plan on how much to eat. It’s called portion control and it’s as important as eating the right foods. Too much of even a healthy food will still result in weight gain. It’s hard to do when large portions are so common. Restaurants and even most people in home cooking serve portions far larger than needed.

The FDA and other sources list recommended daily allowances. And remember portion size when you eat at restaurants, especially fast food restaurants. Don’t eat the full portion served at the restaurant, or order less than a full meal, such as soup and a salad.

Eat more whole grain foods, skip the white grains such as white bread, sugar and white rice. Whole grains are rich in nutrients and low in fat. The fiber in whole grains helps you become full faster, and feel fuller longer. Finally, whole grains add nutrients that many people lack in their diet.

Drink more water. Drink it instead of juices and sodas which add about 90,000 calories to the average person’s diet each year. Drink it between meals too. The goal is 8 glasses of water each day. It’s easily possible. Drinking water will also promote health in general by keeping you well hydrated and cool.

In order to maintain proper blood sugar eat healthy snacks between meals since the body needs food every three to four hours. Eating healthy snacks, such as fruits, helps control eating at meal times.

With some knowledge and planning, fast weight loss is easily possible. It won’t be long before you’re slimmer and trimmer.