You try every diet, exercise trend and gimmick in the book. You even drop a few pounds... only to find them slowly creeping back on. So you try harder. You diet more vigorously, but somehow the weight keeps finding its way back to your hips, thighs and waist. What gives? It could be that your personality is sabotaging your efforts to get thin. Here are six of the most common personality types that tip the calorie scale toward weight gain.

Personality #1: The Couch Potato. You may be cutting back on calories, but you don't move enough to stimulate your metabolism. (Picking up the remote control to change the channel does not count as exercise!) Activity is the only way to achieve calorie deficits. Counting calories and watching your portions are key to maintaining a healthy weight, but you must also get moving to burn extra calories and shed weight. Start taking the stairs at work, park your car farther away from your destination and invest in a couple of sessions with a personal trainer.

Personality #2: The Meat-and-Potatoes Gal. If your meal plan features meat-based protein and white carbohydrates, such as rice, potatoes, breads and cereals, losing weight and staying healthy will be a challenge. Replacing meat entrees with fish, eggs, beans, legumes or soy products, and opting for lean cuts of red meat and skinless white meat can have an enormous positive impact on your health, weight and fat calorie consumption. Choose high-fiber sweet potatoes, whole grain breads, brown and wild rice, couscous, bulgur and low-sugar whole grain cereals. And don't forget to watch your portions.

Personality #3: The Busy Bee. You don't have time for breakfast, lunch comes from the vending machine and you eat dinner in the car on your way home from work. Sound familiar? Studies show that a healthy, hearty breakfast containing a protein, such as eggs or yogurt; along with a healthy fat, such as nuts or a serving of avocado; plus a carbohydrate, such as fruit or whole grain bread, can fuel your physical and mental energy levels, decrease your stress levels and help stimulate your metabolism. For lunch, choose nutritious, filling foods, such as a salad with beans, fish or grilled chicken, or steamed vegetables with whole grain pasta and tuna. For dinner, try a hearty bean soup with a salad, or vegetable chili and a small fruit salad, or scrambled eggs with veggies and salsa and a piece of fruit. Two small 100-to-150-calorie snacks daily (such as nuts and a fruit, string cheese, or celery and hummus) will help stabilize your blood sugar and keep you feeling energized and productive.