Why Diets Don't Work (and What Really Does)

If you've tried every calorie-restricting diet out there but still can't keep weight off, there's a reason: Diets don't work -- at least not the typical ones people jump on in January.

This year, instead of counting calories, eat for good health. Choose nutritious foods that make you younger -- it'll soon become a lifelong habit that will shrink your waist as a fringe benefit. How to do it? We just updated and expanded a whole book about that (YOU: On a Diet). The keys:

• Focus on your waist, not your weight. Belly fat is the most dangerous fat and is one of the strongest predictors of health risks associated with obesity. So ditch the scale and measure your waist at your belly button as you suck everything in (you will anyway). Aim small: The ideal waist size is 32 1/2 inches or less for women; 35 inches or less for men.

• Eat three main meals, plus snacks, so you're never hungry.

• Read labels. Don't buy anything with more than 4 grams of saturated fat or 4 grams of any sugar (especially high-fructose corn syrup) per serving. Avoid trans fats.

• Eat the same things for breakfast and lunch every day -- we call this eating automatically. People who minimize food choices lose more weight.

• Eat a little healthy fat. Try a handful of walnuts about 25 minutes before a meal. This allows a satiety signal to go from your brain to your stomach, so you don't overeat.

• Eat a fiber-rich breakfast every day to help control afternoon cravings.

• Walk every day for 30 minutes. Walk with or call a buddy every time.