For the non obese, losing fat and keeping it off takes 3 things to be successful:

1) A properly designed diet (this is 80% of it). Key words are "properly designed".
2) Lifting weights (this is 10-15% of it)
3) Cardio (this is 5-10% of it)

Here’s TWO options for dieting:

You should be eating 1300 calories. 550 calories from protein. The other 750 can be split amongst the carbs and fats as you like.

If you prefer to diet in a low carb manner (which is my recommendation between the two methods), than do this:

Still 1300 calories
Still eat 550 calories from protein.
Eat 550 calories from fat.
Eat 200 calories from carbs.

For the low carb diet, design your meals around these foods:

Protein: eggs, chicken, tuna, salmon, white fish, turkey, whey protein powder

Fat: almonds, cashews, all natural peanut butter, avacado, extra virgin olive oil, fish oil capsules, evening primrose capsules

Carbs: only GREEN veggies.

If you go the NON low carb route, you can use the same protein and fat sources but with these carb sources too:

Carbs: oatmeal, fruits, veggies, rice, pasta

Lifting weights.

Lifting weights is important (and no, you won’t get big, manly muscles. It’s hormonally not possible for women unless they take steroids) during fat loss because they help you to maintain your existing muscle. This will keep your metabolism higher than the alternative. This will also ensure that you only lose FAT "weight" not muscle "weight".

3 times per week (mon/wed/fri)

1. Squats 2 x 10
2. Bench Presses 2 x 10
3. Bent-Over Rows 2 x 10
4. Overhead Barbell Presses 2 x 10
5. Stiff-Legged Deadlifts or Leg Curls 2 x 10
6. Barbell Curls 2 x 10
7. Donkey Calf Raises or Standing Calf Raises 2 x 10
8. Reverse Crunches 2 x 10

Start light and add volume and weight gradually over the first 6-8 weeks. So after 2 weeks, change the 2 set to 4 sets. After 4 weeks, change the scheme to 4×8. You can youtube these exercises to see how they are done. You can even substitute the barbell with dumbbells if you’d like.

Cardio

Start off slowly because our bodies are highly adaptive. 30 mins 3 x per week AFTER your weights. LOW intensity only. Low intensity is defined as keeping your heart rate between 125-130 beats per min. Stationary bike is fine. Walking on the treadmill at an incline is fine. Running is not fine. Each week add another day of cardio to the mix. When and IF fat loss stalls then add 10 more mins to the mix. Don’t adjust the calories downward. They are low enough. ONLY add this cadio adjustment IF you are positive your diet is 100% according the numbers above. IF your diet is NOT 100%, fix it first.

So can you handle all that? How bad to you want to lose those lbs?
References :

i recommend going jogging, cycling or walking..
swimming is great exercise also. i try to bike ride as much as i can right now

it’s not hard coming up with a diet plan.. if you like to be organized like me then make yourself a chart of what you’re meals you’re having that day, add colors and whatever to jazz it up a little (just gets you more interested in it)

write things like:

breakfast:
small bowl of cereal with 2 peices of fruit and a yoghurt

lunch:
chicken salad

dinner:
baked potato with coleslaw (or any topping that’s not too fatty) and a side salad

just things like that i guess! i think i may do this, haha i’ve just inspired myself
hope i helped!

p.s. if there is any meals you have with meat try to change from meat to fish when you can.. obviously if fish didn’t go with the meal you prepared, don’t have it but fish is much healthier, it’s great for the body!
References :