A note of caution is warranted on the discussion about carbohydrates. Many people tend to think that because they have reduced or eliminated fat from their diet, they have free reign to overeat and binge on no fat foods. For example, many people will eat an entire box of no fat cookies thinking that they are "eating healthy." Remember, if you overeat, whether it's carbohydrates or fats, the extra calories are converted to fat.

Quick Tip #18: Carbohydrates such as cereals, breads, and pasta are a great replacement to high fat foods.

Eat All Day

The perception that Americans must eat three times a day is false. Remember, your body stores extra food as fat, and if you don't need the energy, it goes right to your fat stores. The best habit is to munch all day (low fat of course), just the right amount. A good comparison for this is if you're driving from New York to Los Angeles in your car. The most efficient way to travel is to add fuel as you need it and not completely fill up your gas tank. The extra fuel is only additional weight that decreases your gas mileage. Of course that's not really practical for driving your car across country, but it is for your body. Try to make frequent pitstops for high energy carbohydrates. That way you're not carrying extra fuel that may be stored as fat.

Quick Tip #19: Eat throughout the day and refuel as you need it. Eat smaller "big three" meals and munch on low fat snacks in between!

Protein...Make Muscle and Burn Fat

Proteins are the building blocks for muscle and you need muscle to help you burn fat. The more muscle you have the easier you can fight fat. Proteins are also great replacement foods for fat, but, and this is a big but (no pun intended), most protein comes with lots of fat. Unless it's lean cuts of meat, most meats are high in fat: hamburger, steaks, and pork chops for example. Fortunately, most grocery stores now carry lean cuts of meat so you can purchase alternatives. But again, know what you're eating and read the label - count the number of fat grams per serving. If it doesn't meet your criteria for fat content, you shouldn't buy. Chicken, fish and beans are usually great sources of low fat proteins.

Quick Tip #20: You need protein to build and maintain muscle but it usually comes with lots of fat. Be extra careful about your proteins since they may be combined with fat.