Are you puzzled about the best way to lose weight and keep it off? If so, you're not alone. The sheer volume of information out there -- much of it conflicting -- makes it difficult to decide just what's best to do.

While there's no one-size-fits-all method that's right for everyone, you can enhance your chance for success by choosing from advice that's based on the best scientific research to date.

As the pieces fall into place through research, a clear picture is emerging to show that people who lose weight and keep it off follow a low-calorie, low-fat eating plan. Start today with these tips:

Trim the Fat. Cutting calories is essential for losing weight. Research suggests that eating less fat may aid weight loss by helping to reduce the number of calories you eat. A low-fat diet may be especially helpful for preventing weight gain to begin with.

Power up on Produce. It's no secret that most fruits and vegetables are low-calorie packages loaded with good things like vitamins, minerals and fiber. But, according to one university weight loss program, eating lots of plain vegetables and whole fruits as part of a low-calorie diet may help cut calories by "displacing" other higher-calorie foods. Pile sandwiches high with veggies such as lettuce and spinach leaves, tomato slices, sprouts, roasted peppers and zucchini.

Pump Up Your Volume of Watery Foods. Eating more foods with a high water content - such as fruits, vegetables, cooked grains, soups and stews -- may help you cut calories while enjoying a satisfying amount of food. How? Some researchers believe that we tend to eat the same weight of food each day, regardless of calories. Foods with a high water content weigh more but have fewer calories than the same volume of less watery foods.