If you're hoping to lose fat, there's a pretty good chance you've tried a lot of methods. Unfortunately, the vast majority of people who are unhappy with their bodies don't succeed in their fat loss goals. That's because they're often using gimmicky weight loss plans that can actually damage their bodies! If you're in this boat, and you don't know how to get rid of the fat while staying healthy, here are a few tips that might get you on the right track.

1. Drink plenty of water. It is recommended that you drink 8 glasses per day, but that may take you some time to work up to. Your body needs a whole lot of water. Water doesn't just flush all the toxins out of your body, but it makes you feel better and healthier. When you drink a lot of water you just begin to feel fit and this is the motivation you need to lose weight. The best thing about water is you can drink as much as you want because it has no calories at all.

2. Have a glass of water prior to when you start the meal. Water needs space so that you feel fuller without really having to stuff yourself.

3. Stand back from sugared bottle drinks, particularly sodas. All those fizzy beverages and colas contain sugar which means calories. The more you may cut down on these, the better. Therefore if you must have sodas, then drink diet sodas.

4. Eat fresh fruit instead of drinking fruit juice. Juice is often sweetened but fresh fruits have natural sugars. When you eat fruit, you are taking in a lot of fiber, which is needed by the body, and fruits of course are an excellent source of vitamins.

5. Take fresh fruit instead of processed fruits. Processed and preserved fruits do not contain as much fibre as fresh fruit and processed and preserved fruits are mostly sugared.

6. Veggies are your friends when it comes to shedding pounds. There are tons of options here and you may even want to try some you haven't had in the past. The leafy green varieties are the best and you always want to work in a salad when you can. Salads are packed with nutrients as long as you don't pour too much dressing on and load them with too much cheese. The leafy greens also have a lot of natural water.