Now that you are armed with the ability to know what you are eating (by reading the label of course), it's time to put that knowledge to work. Each day you must play the fat game. Like any game, the more you play, the better you get. Eventually, it will become second nature for you to play the game and win!

The first step is to know how many fat grams you consume in an average day. Designate any day and count the number of fat grams you consume. Read every label and start counting. At the end of the day, count the total number of fat grams you ate. It's quite possible for an average person to eat up to 150 grams of fat per day. If you eat at a restaurant, try to estimate the number of fat grams in the meal you order. In general, one tablespoon of oil has 14 grams of fat. Most restaurant meals contain at least 4 tablespoons of oil or 56 grams of fat, especially if the meal contains creamy sauces and fatty meats. Don't hesitate to ask your waiter or waitress how much fat is in the dish you ordered. It's your right to know! Some restaurants may even indicate low fat meals on the menu. This will help you count your fat grams.

You may also want to purchase a fat counting book to help you count your fat grams. These books are inexpensive and can help you count fat grams in foods that don't have labels.

Quick Tip #15: Determine the total numbers of fat grams you eat everyday.

Now that you know the total number of fat grams you eat, you must set a goal and find a way to beat your current score. If you ate 150 grams of fat, you should strive to reduce that amount by half, or 75. If you ate 100 grams of fat, shoot for 50. If you can reduce it further, then go for it.

A good rule of thumb when counting fat is if one serving has more than 4 grams of fat per serving, try to refrain from eating it. This is a rather simplistic rule of thumb, but it works. You can also get a bit more complicated by limiting the number of "fat calories" to less than 30% of total calories per serving. This involves more math and just seems to complicate the issue. Remember that it doesn't matter what food you eat as long as you stay at or below your fat gram target. And remember, always read the label!