Many people are determined to lose their last bit of excess weight right before they go on vacation. While 2 pounds a week or less is a healthy, sustainable weight loss, according to the CDC, it is possible to lose 10 pounds or more in the last three weeks before you leave. Eat healthy meals with low-calorie density and do fat-burning aerobic exercises every day, and you can fit into that special swimsuit by vacation time.

Eat a low-calorie breakfast every day, made of foods with low-energy density. These foods are those that are low in calories for their volume, so you can consume more without adding as many calories. Oatmeal, whole-grain toast, fresh fruit and egg substitutes are good choices that will fill you up while helping you to lose weight. Avoid high-fat items like cheese and butter, and keep your calorie total to 300 or less.

Eat a lunch filled with as many fruits and vegetables as possible to help you fill up while losing weight. Use lean meats and fat-free cheeses as garnishes, rather than the focus of the meal. Try a large chopped salad with boiled egg, a turkey wrap filled with vegetables, or broth-based soups with lots of vegetables. Make sure that your carbohydrates are whole grain-based to add to your fiber total. Keep lunch at around 400 calories.

Fill dinner with more fruits and vegetables to fill you up again. Cook two or three kinds of fresh vegetables and enjoy them with a small serving of broiled lean meat and half of a baked sweet potato, or create a veggie stir fry and add 3 oz. of poultry or shrimp and serve it over brown rice. Keep your dinner total to around 400 calories.

Eat a snack either in the afternoon or in the evening, whenever you are feeling the most hungry. Keep the snack calorie total at 100. Choose a large plate of fruit, raw vegetables and low-fat ranch or air-popped popcorn for a filling snack that will take you a long time to eat.

Drink at least eight 8-oz. glasses of water each day, to help fill you up and digest all of the extra fiber you are consuming. Add flavored drink packets to the water if you don't enjoy the taste of plain water, or drink it in the form of herbal tea.

Burn at least 500 calories per day through aerobic exercise. This can be done in a gym with formal exercise equipment or at home simply playing with your children or walking the dog. Any form of exercise counts, as long as it raises your heart rate and causes you to breathe heavier. Use a calorie-burn chart to determine how many calories you are losing each day.

Tip

Avoid fat, sugar and alcohol during this three-week period. Go right back on your plan immediately if you slip and eat something that you shouldn't. Don't use this as an excuse to go off your plan.

Warning

Drink at least the recommended amount of water. You might suffer from digestive upsets if you skip the water, as your system might not be used to dealing with all the added fiber that you are eating.