Basic rules

I just read these basic rules for shedding weight, and since it's the new year and all thought I'd share them.

• Have at least three meals a day. Eating on a regular basis prevents extreme hunger that can wreak havoc on your resolve to eat better and exercise more.

• Stay fuller for longer by combining protein (found in the greatest amounts in foods from the milk and meat/beans food groups) with fiber (found in whole grains, vegetables, fruit, and legumes) at every meal and snack. Noshing on fat-free yogurt and an apple, or a hard-cooked egg and a small whole grain roll, is more satisfying than spending the same number of calories on soda crackers, which are very low in fiber and devoid of protein.

• Conserve calories. Choose the lowest-calorie choices from each food group. For example, opt for 1% reduced-fat milk or fat-free milk instead of full-fat; 93% lean ground beef instead of 85%; and light popcorn instead of popcorn smothered in butter.