Diet advice you should ignore

Everyone has different ideas about the best ways to diet and eat healthy. However, if you feel like you're frequently dieting and exercising yet seeing no results, you may be surprised to find that some common diet advice isn't really working for you. Fortunately, Oprah.com's Corrie Pikul debunks the top myths that may be messing with your diet:

Small tweaks are just as effective as big changes
You cut soda out of your diet but it wasn't really hard, since you didn't drink soda on a daily basis anyway. If occasional sacrifices like this are the only kind of diet changes you're making then that could be why the numbers on the scale aren't changing.
A better way to think about it: "You'll see more impressive results by focusing on changes that are part of a regular routine," says registered dietician Keri Glassman, the author of The New You (and Improved!) Diet. So for example, if you generally steer clear of breads and crackers, then munching on the hummus and pita platter at the office party won't kill you. But if, say your midday snack ritual has you noshing on pita chips five times a week, then switching to veggies on the side of your hummus will award a bigger payoff.

Wait until you're really hungry to eat
You've been starving yourself all day for the big summer barbeque tonight — cut to the moment you get there and the second your eyes glimpse the picnic table you devour everything in sight. Sound familiar? We've all been there. But waiting until you're really hungry to finally eat will only lead to overeating, which means your body has a harder time processing the foods you're putting in. "We also now know that overweight people have a harder time recognizing when they're truly hungry — or full — and tend to be more susceptible to messages from ads or friends urging them to eat," writes Pikul.
A better way to think about it: "Eat small, healthy snacks to help keep your appetite in check," Glassman says, and track hunger using a 10-point scale (10 being stuffed). Glassman recommends trying to balance your appetite between a 4 and 6, or slightly satisfied to slightly hungry.

Avoid fat. Any find of fat. Always and forever.
"Fat is not only an essential nutrient, but it can also help you lose weight by filling you up and helping to satisfy cravings," says Glassman. "In fact, a sensible diet is made up of about 30 percent fat." But we're not talking about just any fats. You need to make sure you're incorporating the right kinds of fats into your diet.
A better way to think about it: Try to adopt a Mediterranean-style diet, which puts emphasis on fatty fish, nuts, seeds, avocados and olive oils. "But be mindful of portion size (for example, only a palmful of nuts) and limit your consumption of not-so-healthy saturated fats from cheese, butter, cream and fatty cuts of meat," warns Glassman. Healthier fats can also assist the body in absorbing essential nutrients such as fat-soluble vitamins from foods.

For the full list, check out Oprah.com.