In the world of weight loss, there are definite do's and don'ts. Exercise is a must, and so is diet choice, but these are hardly issues to play by ear. Diet is quite possibly the most important consideration in any personal weight loss effort. So don't just rely on hearsay - consider these 4 recommendation in formulating a fat loss diet for you.

1.) Water: Worth its Weight
It's so simple, it's so easy, and it's absolutely key to losing weight. How? Most of us don't drink enough water during the day. If we spend the entire day indoors, it's much less of a necessity. When our bodies get less water than the average daily requirement - about 8 eight-ounce glasses, or two quarts - they tend to retain the water we do take in as something akin to fat. We look chubbier, more puffed up in the ankles and legs.

But if we make sure to drink enough water, this retention virtually disappears - and so does the water-fat. Also, our kidneys, when given less water, don't function as properly, shifting the burden to the liver. If the liver has to deal with water in addition to changing fat into energy, less fat gets processed - which means more ends up on our bodies. The solution? Keep a glass of water on your desk, and keep it filled.

2.) Fiber Fights Fat
High-fiber foods, like whole grain breads, fruits, and vegetables, make you feel fuller, longer. So what likely puts on the pounds more than anything - eating too much - becomes a significantly reduced problem.

Instead of sandwiching a piece of meat and cheese between a couple slices of white bread, go wholesome. Whole grain breads are sold at every grocery store, and are only increasing in fat loss diet popularity. Their popularity might just increase with you.

3.) Avoid Processed Foods
With convenience in mind, many of us turn to processed foods for our daily nutritional needs. This is not the best choice. Processed foods, like what we find at fast food restaurants, as well as within many packaged products at the grocery store, usually require little preparation and have long shelf lives. They are recognizable by the paragraph-long ingredient lists, full of foreign words we can't pronounce.

Processed foods also have comparatively little nutritional value, and don't fill you up as easily (not enough fiber, perhaps...). But if you choose unprocessed foods, you'll be serving yourself high-nutrition meals that will take less calories to fill you up.

4.) Change Your Eating Habits
This doesn't mean stop eating entirely. Quite to the contrary, eat more often, but just not so much at one time. When we talk about overeating as a problem, we often find ourselves looking at plates laden with second or third portions because we're just so hungry before a meal.

Dietitians recommend that rather than eating three meals a day, try five or six. Snack. But instead of heaping on the food, take less, in knowledge that you can eat again in a few hours. Your body will feel fuller more often, and you'll become far less prone to binge eating.

Drink water, eat fiber, don't eat processed foods, and eat frequently. Doesn't sound so bad, does it? It isn't. If you're ready to make your own fat loss diet, don't hesitate to start. These four recommendation will set you on your way to looking and feeling great.