I lost a max of 27 pounds by cutting out bread, chips, FF's, donuts, pizza, pasta, fast-food hamburgers, sugar drinks, and no beer except on weekends. It took less than 6 months too.
That was the diet. On the other side, I began to ride my bicycle, at least four times a week. Where I live there are several steep hills, so I'd wear myself out going up them. Over and over again until I could make it to the top. Then I began on going on longer and longer rides. Two years later, I've gained some of it back (247), but still ride a lot, up the same hills, it's a great fat-burning workout and I'd never fear a medical stress-test as I do it several times a week.