1. Fat is the most calorie-dense food energy source; it contains 9 calories per gram while carbs or protein contain only four per gram. Fat is essential to keeping you feeling full, but too much fat leads to weight gain. This is due to the fact that eating more fat leads to eating more calories.

2. The average small bag of movie popcorn, popped with palm or coconut oil (both saturated fats) has been found to contain 400-600 calories with 27-36 grams of fat. Adding butter will almost double the fat and calorie count.

3. When dining out, request no sauce and ask for a separate gravy boat of sauce on the side. We can then add a little bit ourselves for flavor. This alone can save a few hundred fat calories!

4. A recent study showed subjects who consumed three servings of low-fat yogurt daily as part of a reduced-calorie diet lost about 22 percent more weight, 61 percent more body fat, and 81 percent more stomach fat than the non-yogurt-eaters.

5. Often, low fat items have more sugar added to enhance the flavor, which packs on the calories. Many of us think that by eating the low fat version of a food, we can eat more of it. If you are watching your weight, think again!

6. McDonald's Chicken Selects Premium Breast Strips are no healthier than the chain's Chicken McNuggets. A standard, fivestrip order has 630 calories and 11 grams of fat. That's about the same as a Big Mac, except the burger has 1,010 mg of sodium, while the Selects contains 1,550 mg.

7. The 20 oz. Starbucks Venti Caffè Mocha with whipped cream is more than a mere cup of coffee. One serving contains 490 calories and 16 grams of fat. Order a 12 oz. with nonfat and no whipped cream and reduce the serving to 170 calories.