Quick Weight Loss

Skinny by Saturday

From the AOL Health Editors

You made a promise to yourself months ago that you would slim down for that special celebration. Now it's a week away and you're no closer to fitting into your favorite jeans. Whether it's a reunion or big date in your very near future, we have a safe, emergency weight loss plan that works wonders -- fast.

Super Diet Drink

'Biggest Loser' trainer Jillian Michaels shared one of her best slim-down secrets with us, and it really works. Try her diet drink which helps your body naturally drop water weight over the course of a week. It's not a permanent solution, but if you need to fit into a dress for your reunion, Jillian's drink is a great fix.

Cut Your Meal in Half

Downsize your food, and you'll downsize your dress size. Portion control is one of the oldest weight-loss tricks in the book, but it gets a bad rap as being difficult. It's not. Pile your plate with your normal portion sizes, then take a quarter away and save it for later. The next day, take half away. In a few days you won't notice you're eating less. Practice this simple trick and you'll slim your waistline in no time.

Snooze Your Way Slim

Burning the midnight oil can sabotage your weight loss efforts. Research has found that lack of sleep affects the hormones that increase appetite. Another reason to hit the snooze button? Getting an extra hour of sleep every night may also help you avoid your late-night snacking habit, plus, you'll have more energy to work out.

Quit the Carbs

There's a reason celebs don't eat bread and pasta in the days leading up to an awards show. Those carb-laden foods may be tasty and filling, but they also add bulk in the way of water retention. By dramatically cutting back on carbs you'll reduce the water your body is holding and beat bloat.

Ban the Booze

If you're looking to shed some quick pounds, then put down that beer. Just one beer will add about 150 calories to your daily diet. That's over 1,000 extra calories in a week! It may not be the most fun, but cutting back on the alcohol will also slim your waistline, because less alcohol means less bloat. Water is looking pretty appetizing right about now.

Get Dense

Instead of reaching for salty granola bars or fatty chips as an afternoon snack, try eating more water-dense foods like apples or cucumbers. These natural snacks are loaded with nutrients and filling fiber. They also increase your water quotient and can satisfy a crunchy craving without adding a lot of calories.

Retention Prevention

When you struggle to squeeze into a pair of pants that fit perfectly the day before, bloat might be to blame. Packaged foods such as pretzels, peanuts and frozen veggie burgers can easily push you over the edge of the recommended daily amount of sodium, so cut your salt intake to diminish puffiness and fit more comfortably into your skinny jeans.

Up the Water

Drinking water may be the cheapest diet trick there is. Not only will loading up on the wet stuff help you feel fuller so you'll eat less, replacing sugary drinks with water can save you hundreds of calories a day. Downing water is also your best defense against bloating and will help keep you regular.

Lift to Lose

Weightlifting may be associated with bulking up, but that's not the reality. In fact, doing some simple exercises with dumbbells a few times a week will make you look sleek because muscle is more compact than fat. You'll also incinerate calories because muscle burns more calories than fat.