Weight loss = fat loss + muscle loss. Of course you want the percentages to be skewed as much as possible towards the former, which you can by eating enough/much protein(there are different figures out there but 1.5-2 grams per kg body weight should be fine) and by stimulating your muscles, i.e lifting weights.
If you do the above and eat exactly the amount of energy you need you'll change your body composition towards more muscles and less fat but you won't see a lot of weight loss. To accomplish that, you obviously need to eat fewer calories than you require. Here there are two ways - change what you eat in a way that makes you eat less than you burn, or count calories. The latter is useless advice for the general population, but for a lot of ERErs it could probably be a fine solution. The former is of course familiar through all the fad diets out there. To me, the first thing to start with is removing the obvious crap - soda, candy, the various "corn/potato/wheat starch, salt, sugar and vegetable oil"-concoctions(half your supermarket). Apart from the protein, make sure you eat your fruits ands veggies. If you do all this, you've managed the dietary equivalent of jumping from payday loans and collection agencies to debt free and $100k in the bank.
exercise tips for weight loss
Re: exercise tips for weight loss
Cut out refined carbohydrates, 3 X 30 mins moderate to intense cardio a week and do weight lifting twice a week.