A new study from Harvard University concluded that many current weight-control tips work, while others do not.

For example, eating everything in moderation, eating fewer calories and avoiding fatty foods isn’t the best approach.

Instead, what you eat makes quite a difference. Just counting calories won’t matter much unless you look at the kinds of calories you’re eating.

Here are some other findings the scientists tested and proved about weight loss:

To guard against creeping weight gain, weigh yourself at least once a week, on the same scale under the same conditions.
Exercise alone is rarely enough to shed lots of pounds — you must change your diet.
Read package labels. Whole grains should be the first ingredient of starchy foods like bread, rice or pasta.
Fill your dinner plate mostly with vegetables, and limit consumption of red meat.
Snack on nuts or add them to dishes, but don’t get carried away; they are high in calories.
You can drink one glass of wine a day and not gain weight, but other forms of alcohol are likely to bring added pounds.