Diet Tip #2: Start Losing at Breakfast

No matter what kind of breakfast you want—sweet or savory—there are easy and dietproof options.

If you're craving sweet cereal:

• Mix high-fiber cereal (like Fiber One or All-Bran) with an ounce or two (two tablespoons) of granola. (To make it thicker and richer—but still low-calorie—mix it with nonfat Greek yogurt instead of low-fat milk.)

• Blend microwave (or stovetop) steel-cut oatmeal with a handful of berries (fresh or frozen) or half a tablespoon of maple syrup. If you've been trying to be good by eating packets of instant oatmeal, consider this: The oats are cut very small so they cook quickly—but your body also digests them more quickly, which can leave you feeling hungry again within an hour. The steel-cut variety has larger oats, which provide a long-lasting feeling of fullness.

If you're craving something sweet or doughy, like a muffin, croissant, French toast, or bagel:

• Try this dieter's version of a chocolate croissant: Toast two pieces of low-carb bread, microwave a 40-calorie square of dark chocolate for about 20 seconds until it's almost melted, spread on one slice, and eat as a sandwich with coffee.

• ... or faux French toast: Dip two slices of diet Wonder Light White Bread bread in egg whites, cook them in a nonstick frying pan sprayed with Pam, top with cinnamon and Splenda, Aunt Jemima Lite Syrup, or a tablespoon of jam and Greek yogurt.

• Instead of a bagel, toast two pieces of Wonder Light White Bread—which is especially thick for diet bread—and spread with low-fat cream cheese.

If you're craving a cheese omelet:

• Pour a quarter- or half-cup of carton egg whites into a microwave-safe mug, and zap for about a minute.Add a wedge of The Laughing Cow Light cheese and cook for another 30 seconds. "It's so fast, and no clean-up," says hungry-girl.com blogger Lisa Lillien.

If you need to eat and run:

• First, make sure you eat while sitting down—so you don't inhale unconsciously. Second, ditch the Pop Tarts for something more filling (but still sweet), like EAS's AdvantEdge Carb Control Shake, which has 110 calories—about half of those in most other protein shakes.

If you're just never going to be a breakfast person

• You should still have a 150-calorie snack (a small apple, a few almonds)—at around 10 or 11—this small bit of fuel is all it takes to keep you from getting too hungry and overeating at lunch, dinner, or both.

(courtesy of allure.com)