It’s okay if you splurged and ate one of everything from the buffet at the company picnic!

Eating one large meal won’t derail your diet but black-and-white thinking — “I’ve ruined it now, might as well eat whatever I want!” — will. Plus a 2009 study showed that cycling your calories (i.e. alternating large and small amounts) produced greater fat loss than consistent eating.

It’s okay to order your salad with dressing that does not have “low” or “reduced” in its name!

Researchers from Purdue have discovered that salad dressing is just as nutritious as it is tasty because the fat in the dressing unlocks the vitamins in the veggies by maximizing your body’s absorption of health-boosting carotenoids, powerful antioxidants that can help prevent some forms of cancer and heart disease, and improve your immune system. The key to maximizing this delish discovery is using the highest quality ingredients in your dressings. Skip the cheap soybean oil and looks for dressings made with olive, grapeseed or walnut oils as a base.