Here’s a “weighty” fact; the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that about 70% of all dieters regain the weight they’ve lost. Faced with such statistics, how can you be sure you’re ever really eating the “right” foods? And if you’ve undergone bariatric weight loss surgery, these choices can dramatically affect your overall health.

However, a recent article in Newsweek magazine may make it a little easier to dine as nutritiously and deliciously as possible. The article suggests that dieters with weight that “yo-yos” may not be eating enough of the following food groups:

1. Protein — the multi-part “Diogenes” (a blend of the words “diet,” “obesity” and “genes”) study focused on the benefits of consuming protein. In the study, 205 people who’d lost weight on a fixed diet over two months were divided into five groups. Each group consumed a different kind of diet, in order to see which group was most successful at keeping the weight off. Early results found that those participants who ate more protein were least likely to regain weight. But those who consumed a diet focused on low-glycemic foods (such as that of diabetics) were not as successful.

2. Nuts — while high in calories, studies show that nuts may effectively help to keep weight off. Not only are they very filling, but nuts may actually “push” the body to burn additional fat. As nuts contain mostly unsaturated fat, especially monounsaturated fats, they may increase “good” (HDL) cholesterol. In a study conducted at California’s Loma Linda University, overweight women were given almonds to eat , while otherwise being allowed to eat as they chose. It was shown that these women lost weight over six months. And a University of Navarra (Spain) study, involving more than 8,000 participants, found that over the course of two years, those who rarely or never ate nuts gained slightly more weight than those who consumed them at least twice a week.

3. Fruits and Vegetables — the CDC has determined that women who consume five or more fruit and vegetable servings daily are more likely to maintain weight loss than those who eat fewer servings. But how much is in a serving? Well, one serving is about a half-cup of cut-up fruit, berries, or non-leafy vegetables,. And, it’s also one full cup of leafy veggies or one medium-size whole fruit.

4. Berries — OK, you’re eating the right amount of fruits and vegetables every day. But are you eating enough berries? Japanese researchers have found that anthocyanins — the flavonoids (compounds) that give berries their color — may effectively alter the activity of genes in human fat cell. Another study, in which mice were fed anthocyanins, found that these mice never gained weight, even when fed a high-fat diet!