This sounds counterintuitive but if you wish to lose the weight, keep it off, and have less hunger and cravings throughout the day, eating a well-rounded breakfast -- then topping it off with a sweet treat -- may help.

In a study, 144 obese people were randomly assigned one of two low-calorie diets. The diets were identical in calories (1400 a day for women and 1,600 for men) except that one included a high-carbohydrate, protein-enriched breakfast with a choice of cookies, chocolate, cake or ice cream for dessert.

The results? While each group initially lost an average of 32 pounds during the first four months, people on the dessert-with-breakfast diet subsequently lost an additional 13 pounds on average, while the others gained back 22 pounds per person.

Those on the dessert regimen maintained lower levels of ghrelin (aka hunger hormone) and reported significantly higher levels of fullness. That's because the dessert-with-breakfast diet contained high protein content which reduced hunger; the combination of protein and carbs increased satiety, or feeling full; and the dessert decreased cravings for sweet, starchy and fatty foods, explains lead author, Dr. Daniela Jakubowicz of Tel Aviv University.