When trying to lose weight, there are probably a few rules you follow, including lowering your intake of fats and sticking fast to your lower-calorie diet. But, maybe you shouldn't -- AOL Health took a look at some of the ideas behind Crack the Fat Loss Code by Wendy Chant, and some of the suggestions might surprise you.

• Pig out -- Not all the time, of course, but every 18 days -- this keeps your body from getting used to the same caloric intake, thereby increasing your metabolism.
• Forget fat-free -- Skip the skim and opt for low-fat (or -- gasp! -- even full fat) dressings and dairy products, and make sure you get omega 3 fatty acids like tuna and flaxseeds, and monosaturated fatty acids like you find in nuts and nut butters.
• Spice things up -- Adding just half a teaspoon of a spice, like cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, or cayenne can boost your metabolism nearly 80%!
  
  

AOL Health has plenty more tips and tricks for cracking the fat loss code, and you can find them right here.

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I am well past the age when I thought I'd have to worry about major breakouts. I rarely had pimples or zits when I was a teenager and now that I'm pushing 30, I thought I was safe. Not true. I don't know what it is but suddenly I've began to have super, massive under-the-skin, painful zits on a regular basis and am getting other minor breakouts on occasion as well.

In the last week in particular my skin has been revolting -- and I use the word 'revolting' as both a verb and an adjective in this instance. I was afraid that I was alone until I got a text message from a very good friend giving me a quick update on her life. "Things are good but nearly 30 and suddenly breaking out all over".

Now that it's fall, those of you with apple trees are probably trying to think of ways to use up the buckets and buckets of ripe fruit you've got falling all over your yard. Sure applesauce and apple pie are great, but there is only so much of each you can a) make and b) eat.

It would be a shame to waste all of your apples as the fruit offers a range of health benefits, so for a few ideas on what you can make with the bounty currently dropping off your trees, you can take a look at this piece for 10 ways to eat apples. OK, maybe only 8 as applesauce and apple pie are on the list. But the article also mentions apple cider, apple butter and apple cake (mmmm!). The fruit also is a great addition to salads and soup, and the piece offers links to a few tasty recipes for each.

What is your favorite apple recipe?

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Sometimes thinking about changing your lifestyle in order to be happier or healthier seems like a daunting task. I know that times when I decide I'm unhappy with my habits and end up on a mission to make changes and improve my overall well-being, I tend to give up easily because I get in the mind frame that I have to change absolutely everything at once.

Of course, overhauling your entire life in a day isn't necessarily the best way to make changes for the better. A few small steps can be taken each day, week or even month to improve your life. Eventually all of these little alterations will add up to some major life changes.

I like this article from the Canadian Living website because it gives a list of 10 things you can do in the month of October to improve your well-being. There's nothing very difficult to accomplish on the list -- suggestions include eating more berries, doing push-ups, taking the stairs and trying out pomegranate -- but I bet if you made the commitment to try them all throughout the month, you'd find that you feel a bit happier, more relaxed and healthier overall.

If you want to see all 10 tips and find out just why they're all good for you, take a peak at the entire article here.

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I am a life-long night owl. When I was in school, I loved summertime because it meant that I could stay up later without having to drag myself out of bed in the morning, still half-asleep and dreaming of settling back in between my comfortable covers. It's not that I wanted to stay up late partying, it's just that I get a major burst of energy around 10pm and often can't fall asleep until well after midnight. It's like torture on days when I have to get up at 6am to get to work.

Life would definitely be easier if I were a morning person. Recently Rigel Gregg posted some tips on getting up earlier and Francesca Clarke at DIY Life also wrote about an article that offers 24 tips for becoming an early-riser. One of the suggestions that Francesca highlights is heading outside as soon as you get up as it will help you feel more awake. Some of the other tips in the piece include sleeping with the windows open for fresh air and planning events in the morning so that you have to get up.

Are you a reformed night owl? How did you teach yourself to get up earlier?

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For many people, flying can be really nerve-wracking. Getting to the airport on time, putting all liquids in clear, resealable bags, remembering important travel documents, the threat of lost luggage, making connections and much more, make airplane journey's stressful.

With all of these things to think about, you definitely don't want to also have to worry about getting sick or feeling ill on-board. In order to stay as healthy and happy as possible on your next flight, get prepared ahead of time with these 10 tips from AOL Body .

Suggestions include everything from making sure to get up and move around in order to prevent deep vein thrombosis (DVT) , washing hands or using antibacterial wipes to avoid picking up germs from your seatmates and swallowing, chewing gum and yawning to pop blocked ears. For more information on these as well as additional tips, such as staying hydrated and avoiding alcohol, check out the entire piece here on AOL Body.

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Ugh I'm am the pathetic victim tonight. I went to sleep at 11:00pm exhausted. My two year old son woke up at both 1:00AM and 1:45AM screaming. I calmed him down once, and changed his diaper once, but was able to fall back to asleep after each event. Then he woke up screaming at 2:30AM. Desperate, I bring him into my bed. He falls asleep and I stay awake. My husband comes home from fighting crime at 3:30AM and goes to sleep. I am STILL awake! It's 4:57AM and after three hours of lying in bed staring at the inside of my eyes, I've got my rear end up to ask for help.

Fortunately, I only experience this nonsense once in a blue moon. I can imagine though, that lots of you get stuck with insomnia far more often. What works for you? If you've found some spectacular way to get back to snoozing.....preferably without any sort of drugs, let us know! We've got a whole comment section available to share your thoughts. My kids are guaranteed to wake up at 6:30AM. I've just considered whacking myself over the head with a frying pan. That seemed to work so well in the old cartoons. Help!