Do you want to make your road toward successful dieting and weight loss less rocky? Tired of the constant detours you seemingly face?

Then try these 10 diet tips to smooth out the bumps in the road:

•  Eat a “rainbow” of color. Once in the grocery store, make a bee line to the produce section and load up the cart with fruits and vegetables so you can get the most fiber, vitamins, minerals and disease-fighting antioxidants for the lowest amount of calories.

Fruits and veggies also will keep hunger at bay longer and are great replacements for sugar-laden snacks that will derail your diet with the power of an onrushing locomotive.

•  Don't miss regular meals. You may think that skipping either breakfast or lunch will help you cut calories, but chances are good you’ll overeat at dinner or will gorge on unhealthy snacks because you just can’t stand the hunger pangs any longer. Eating throughout the day—keep it sensible—will stablize your body’s metabolism so you burn calories.

Always eat breakfast and sneak in healthy snacks between meals to thwart the munchies.

•  Give your tummy time to tell your brain. Your brain will need at least 15 minutes to get word from your tummy that you’ve had enough to eat. In that time before the “Stop” goes into full force, you may eat more than your body really needs, thus making you feel overstuffed. After you’ve eaten, put your fork down and back away from the table. Give your body a chance to catch up.

•  Eat fresh. Stay away from preservative-laden foods that often are missing the nutrients and vitamins that flood over from fresh foods. These pre-packaged foods and fast foods are brimming with calories, fat and sodium.

•  Get moving. You weren’t meant to sit on the couch or behind a desk all day. Strengthen your muscles and heart—and burn calories—by getting daily exercise. You’ll find that you’ll sleep better and the blues will vanish, regardless of whether you’re a gym rat or strolling briskly through the neighborhood.

•  Treat yourself. Every now and then, go ahead, indulge in your favorite food. Restricting certain foods, especially the ones you’ve loved, from your diet can make you overindulge down the road. If you are hankering for cheesecake, for example, then go ahead and dive in—just from time to time, and in moderation. Better still, just take a few bites, not the whole slice.

•  Know what the food labels say. Whatever you buy at the grocery, turn the package over and read the Nutrition Facts. See what ingredients the product contains, how many grams of saturated and trans fats, how much sodium, how many calories, and what is a single serving.

•  Become a fan of whole grains. Unrefined whole grains, as opposed to, say, white bread, maintain their nutrients and fiber. Whole grians, such as breads and pastas, also help your body maintain its blood sugar levels, so you experience less spiking then crashing—which only means hungry—throughout the day.

•  Learn the "good" fats. Not all fat is bad. Look for foods that are built around monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat, not saturated fat or trans fat. The latter two are more apt to increase your waistline and bump up the scales. For instance, try olive oil, rather than butter or margarine, in your cooking.

•  Don’t be bamboozled by “liquid calories.” That 12-ounce can of regular cola can contain 10 teaspoons of sugar—and your waistline won’t think that’s sweet. These kinds of “empty calories” won’t fill you up. For instance, reputed “health drinks” contain several teaspoons of sugar, which is the ingredient that gives you the “boost” you seek.

Nubella News, a division of Marketing Technology Solutions, Inc., offers content intended for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. We encourage our readers to seek prompt medical care for health issues and consult their physicians before starting a new diet, fitness regimen, or medical treatment.