Losing weight normally takes time and concentrated effort, and, losing more than 1 pound a week takes a true sense of dedication. You need to be committed to making quick lifestyle changes that may be temporarily painful. Not painful in a physical sense, but you’ll need to be ready to deprave yourself of some foods you enjoy.

First of all, you’ll need to hit the salads heavily. Some people make a joke of diets having you eat rabbit food, but that rabbit food is actually good for your body and quickly reduces the calories that you consume. Now, just because you’re going to be eating more salad, doesn’t mean that salad has to be boring.

Here’s some things you can put on your salad:

Alfalfa sprouts

Avocado slices

Bean sprouts

Beets

Black Beans

Broccoli

Carrots

Cauliflower

Celery

Chicken

Cottage Cheese

Craisons (dried cranberries)

Croutons

Garbanzo Beans or Chickpeas

Green Beans

Hard Boiled Eggs

Kidney beans

Low fat Cheese

Onions

Peas

Peppers

Raisins

Red Cabbage

Sunflower Seeds

Tuna

Turkey

Be sure to add crunchy items to your salad so that you can feel like you’re eating a meal of substance. Crunchy foods also give you a sense of variety. As for the salad dressing, opt for oil and vinegar, or light salad dressings on the side. Dip your lettuce and veggies into the dressing so that you get to enjoy the flavor, but not have to deal with all the fat.

Say goodbye to cocktails. If your favorite cocktails contain lots of sugar or creamy liquors, then they are loaded with fat calories. Just one drink like a Mohito or Appletini can add 500 calories to your body weight.

Cappuccino coffee in the morning is a delicious way to start the day, but it’s also extremely fatty. Getting a cup of your favorite cappuccino with all the works: including vanilla, caramel, sugar, chocolate and whipped cream can pack on a ton of calories – all before you’ve even eaten anything. If you must have a flavored coffee in the morning, then choose low fat versions of your favorite.

Replace sugary soft drinks with water. Water may be a little boring, but it’s one of the healthiest drinks you can put in your body. Your body is made up of mostly water, so when you quench your thirst with this plain liquid, your body loves it. Also, water will flush out a lot of toxins and free-wheeling fats out of your body, so it’s a great way to easily lose weight. If you need a little flavor, add a squeeze of fresh lime or lemon.

Cereals and Soups for lunch and dinner. Substitute a regular lunch or dinner with a bowl of cereal or savory soup. When you’re limited to a bowl of either one of these foods, you won’t be as tempted to overeat. Eat out of a normal sized bowl, and make sure you choose broth based soups (not creamy), and whole grain cereal. Make your cereal more interesting by adding fresh or dried fruit on top.

Steam, sauté and grill your meat and vegetables. No fried burgers, fries or fish. You want to eat your food in a more natural state. Steam fresh or frozen vegetables to bring out their natural flavor. Grill or sauté meat and fish in canola oil or cooking spray to cut down on fat calories.

Go for a brisk walk every day. You’ve got to get up and move around in order to train your body to burn more fat. Walking is easy and a great non-strenuous way to drop pounds fast. Casual walking around the mall isn’t going to cut it. You need to go someplace where you can walk at a fast pace for at least 30 minutes without stopping.