Want chocolate cake? Follow the 3-bite rule

Trying to drop a few pounds but gotta have that chocolate cake? Sometimes, it's a must, I know. Go ahead, have it. Just follow the three-bite rule.

Studies show that people eating yummy food tend to rate the first and last bites as the best. Take just three bites of your favorite cake, then, and you've got a first, a middle, and a last -- all you really need to enjoy a dessert completely. Or anything really. Well, maybe.

Dying for some loaded nachos dipped in salsa and sour cream? Dive in, but just three times. Is it imperative that you devour some of that garlic bread that Martha tells us is so full of calories, fat, and carbs? Three bites. Got a thing for granola (you know it's not always very healthy, right?). Take one bite. Two bites. Three bites. You get the drift: Don't deprive yourself (deprivation is fattening, you know), but don't go overboard either. Just remember the magic number three and happy -- and lean -- you will be. Hey, it's why French women don't get fat. Seems worth a try. Or you could just stick with the always-good-for-you options. Click through a few ideas in the galleries below.