Weight Loss Rules to Bend #4: All calories are equal

Who breaks it: Dr. Mark Hyman, author of Ultra-Metabolism: The Simple Plan for Automatic Weight Loss. Hyman uses functional medicine to debunk many weight loss myths and rules that can (and should be) bent.

Why you can, too: While the physical value of a calorie is a constant, the manner in which your body treats the calories is not and it varies based upon the form of the calorie. Even the popular Weight Watchers program just recently revamped their points system to Points Plus, which puts higher point values on fat and empty calories and gives lower points to foods that are high in protein and fiber, which make the body work harder to convert them into energy. Fruit and vegetables are now considered "free" foods - not because they are calorie-free, but because they are much easier to process than high-carb and high-fat foods. You do not need to follow the Weight Watchers plan to adopt this way of eating, though, but it is a good model to go off of if you are looking to eat more nutrient rich calories.

Do it right: Drinking 140 calories of soda versus eating 140 calories of kidney beans is going to have a dramatically different effect on your body, Dr. Hyman says. The beans offer fiber, vitamins, protein and minerals. "Calories from protein affect your brain, your appetite control center, so you are more satiated and satisfied," Dr. Hyman says. Granted, it is okay to have the occasional splurge. Just make sure to make most of your calories come from what Hyman calls "functional foods" to get the biggest bang for your daily calorie allowance.