Nutrition tips that make you fat

Everyone has a different idea about the best way to eat healthy and drop pounds. However, if you feel like you're frequently dieting yet seeing no results, you may be surprised to find that some common diet advice isn't really working in your favor. Fortunately, Rania Batayneh, MPH, a certified nutritionist, shared with Jessica Smith for Shape.com some of the top nutrition tips that could be making you fat:

Fat-free snacks are better for your waistline.
Instead of snacking on highly processed, fat-free snacks that are basically empty calories, satisfy your hunger cravings with healthy fats. Avocados, olives, nuts and seeds are all fair play! "Reduced-fat versions of snacks typically have been stripped of one quarter of their original healthy monounsaturated fats, and to replace that flavor, the brand adds in fillings, additives, and sugar — all for the same amount of calories," Batayneh says. "Picking reduced-fat products may even end up hurting your waistline: in one study, average-weight participants ate 22 percent more calories if the food was labeled 'low fat' and overweight participants ate up to 50 percent more."

Fruit has too much sugar to be healthy for weight loss.
"Eliminating fruit from your diet when trying to lose weight makes no sense," Batayneh says. Dropping fruit like a bad habit will force you to miss out on a whole lot of filling fiber, which studies have directly linked to long-term weight loss. Plus, skipping fruit means you'll lose out on valuable vitamins and nutrients in a form that is easily digested and absorbed by the body. You may also be more likely to reach for empty, processed foods to full the fruit void, which most certainly will pack on the pounds. So don't be afraid to reach for an apple or banana if you're in need of a snack.

Eating after 8 p.m. makes you fat.
Having a snack after 8 p.m. doesn't mean the food will automatically go to your hips. "Late-night snacking gets a bad rap because often the foods that are consumed late at night are calorie-dense foods (chips, ice cream, pizza, and other junk food) and may be in excess calories to your daily caloric needs, which translates to weight gain," says Batayneh. The bottom line is that your metabolism doesn't know what time it is, says Batayneh, so calories are calories, no matter when you eat them. The important thing is how much you're eating and what you're snacking on, not the time it enters your system.

Cut all carbs to shed pounds.
Cutting carbs completely out of your diet usually only makes you crave them more. So to drop weight (and stay sane) try swapping out processed carbs for fiber- and nutrition-filled carbs like whole grains. "Starches and carbs are actually an important tool in weight management," Batayneh says. "They provide belly-filling fiber, complex carbohydrates to keep your engine running all day, and they stimulate the production of serotonin, the feel-good neurotransmitter that regulates mood."

Check out the full list on Shape.com.