Even though losing weight rapidly is almost always a bad idea, sometimes you have an event like a wedding nearing and have no other option but to embrace the techniques of losing weight fast.

Thankfully, the best tips for weight loss can help you slim down quickly while still remaining healthy. Check out 5 of them below.

1. Stay Hydrated

Keeping the body hydrated is one of the best tips for weight loss. Drinking water not only helps when it comes to getting rid of toxins, but it’s also useful when it comes to speeding up digestion and metabolism. Though it may seem unlikely, drinking enough water can actually prevent your body from retaining water. It can also lower cravings, and drinking one glass before every meal can help you eat less calories by making you feel full faster.

2. Avoid Processed Carbohydrates and Sugars

Refined carbohydrates like processed grains, white sugar, and white rice should be avoided when you want to lose weight in general, but if you want to lose weight fast you might want to avoid all carbohydrates completely. Eating less carbohydrates makes it more likely for your body to burn fat stores and it also reduces intense cravings, which are usually caused by spikes in blood sugar from eating sweets. If you simply can’t live without carbohydrates and sweets make sure you at least stick to whole grains and fruits.

3. Get Some Exercise

When it comes to the best tips for weight loss, exercising can also help with those extra pounds from water retention. In the long run, it can help you build muscle, improving your bodies fat burning potential. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn by default, making rapid weight loss a breeze. Try to exercise at least 30 minutes a day, and be sure to vary your workout routine from week to week.

4. Try a Raw Food Diet

If you’ve got at least two weeks until your deadline, try eating only fresh fruits and vegetables. If rapid weight loss is your goal, this is possibly the most effective of the best tips for weight loss. However, if extreme is not something you can cope with, just try replacing as many of your calories as you can with fruits and veggies. Among the 5 best tips for weight loss, this one is perhaps the hardest, but also the most rewarding.

5. Get Enough Sleep

The body works extra hard during sleep to get rid of harmful toxins and balance hormone levels. So when you don’t get enough sleep every night you really cripple yourself in many ways. When it comes to losing weight, research shows that not getting enough sleep can slow your metabolism and throw hormones that control your appetite off balance. So one of the best tips for weight loss is to always get at least 7-8 hours of sleep every night in conjunction with all your other weight loss activities.