A large salad before a meal can help you consume fewer calories. A recent study found that diners who have a large low-calorie salad before the main course of their meal consume 12% fewer total calories at the meal than those who have nothing before the main course at all. Why is this the case? Salads help to take the edge off of your appetite so you don't gorge on the higher calorie foods. Just make sure the salad contains a variety of vegetables and/or fruits and a low calorie dressing.

Diet Health Tip #2 - Yoga May Slow Midlife Weight Gain

In a recent finding, people in their 50s who regularly practiced yoga lost about five pounds over 10 years, while those who did not practice yoga gained about 13 pounds. Most yoga exercises do not burn enough calories to account for the weight loss, but some practitioners believe that yoga keeps people aware of their bodies and eating habits.

Diet Health Tip #3 - Snack After Dinner to Aid Weight Loss

If you are a night snacker or someone for whom after-dinner snacking significantly contributes to a weight problem, consuming a low calorie snack about 90 minutes after dinner may help to curtail eating and overall daily caloric intake and promote weight loss. A healthy choice for a snack would be one serving of dry cereal with fat free milk.

Diet Health Tip #4 - The Cereal Diet

The breakfast cereal diet calls for eating one serving (about one cup) of any ready to eat cereal (with 2/3 cup of skim milk and a small banana, two cups of strawberries or some other 100 calorie serving of fruit) for breakfast and another for either lunch or dinner.

Diet and Health Tip #5 - A Healthier Alternative

Why give up your favorite foods just because of one problematic ingredient? Take pancakes, for instance. If you replace each tablespoon of oil in the batter with three-fourths as much nonfat yogurt, you can still enjoy your breakfast with none of the worry. Don't want to give up your frozen treat for dessert? Try freezing a peeled banana, coat it in low fat yogurt and roll in chopped nuts, freeze again and enjoy!

Diet and Health Tip #6 - The Most Important Meal of the Day

Breakfast eaters tend to stay thinner than skippers because breakfast speeds the metabolism and helps to diminish midday food cravings. Breakfast can also help to boost your mood and sharpen your memory. If you really dislike eating early in the morning, pack a simple breakfast and eat it later in the morning when you are hungry.