Losing weight is pretty simple, you simply have to consume fewer calories than you use.

A typical person needs about 2,500 calories per day (what this means, just being alive will consume a certain amount of energy and 2,500 calories is the recommended amount, obviously the actual amount varies from person to person).

A gram of fat is worth 9 calories, so if you are interested in losing 1lb of fat, you would have to use 4086 calories MORE than you consume over any given period of time. As:
(1 lb of fat = 454 grams of fat x 9 calories = 4086 Calories)

This is why it is completely possible to accomplish weight loss through correct eating. Assuming you actually use 2500 calories per day, and then you are careful and only consume 2000 (of the right kinds of food, not just anything), you would burn off an excess of 500 calories per day which would mean that if you did this for 8 days, you would lose a single pound of fat. (as 4000/500 = 8)

Another way to speed this process up is with light cardio (aerobic) activity on a consistent basis. So this is how I speed things up a little:

I exercise in the morning after sleeping because sleep is essentially fasting for 8 hours. Your blood sugars are already low, so when you begin a sustained period of exercise, eventually your body MUST convert fat to energy. I also do 15-20 minutes of lifting before I hit the tread mill. I am also extremely careful to not over do it, you really can if you are not careful, just light easy aerobic exercise, like a brisk walk or good elliptical speed. I try to burn 1000 calories through aerobic exercise, twice a day. This equates to losing about a half pound of fat per day, sustained 6 days a week allows me to lose 3 lbs of fat per week (which is probably a little too fast, but I have found it works good for me).

What this means is, if I eat right and consistently exercise on this plan, I can drop over 12-15 lbs of fat per month through eating smart and consistently exercising.

Again, as I mentioned yesterday, the most important thing you can do is start a food journal and become extremely aware of everything you are eating in terms of calories, carbs, protein and fat. This will have the biggest impact. Once you have a grasp on this, speed the process up with exercise you are most comfortable with and enjoy.

Its kind of comforting once you know how this all works. ☺