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It happens every year. We resolve to lose weight and jump-start our lives with a trendy diet and stringent exercise regimen.

Every year we fail.

That may be why 65 percent of Americans are overweight and 30 percent are obese yet the diet and weight-loss industry brings in nearly $46 million in a year.

We've been doing this entirely the wrong way.

Earlier this month, the Journal of the American Medical Association released a study that found postmenopausal women who added more vegetables, fruits and whole grains to their diets, while reducing their fat intake to less than 30 percent of total calories, dropped an average of about five pounds the first year and kept it off for 7.5 years.

And they didn't even have to count calories.

Only five pounds, you say?

Yes. Only five pounds. But they kept off the weight. They weren't on "diets" but instead seemed to have developed healthier eating habits that lasted for years.

When someone is "dieting" it implies that his or her eating habits are only temporary and that when the weight's off, so is the diet.

That's why we end up yo-yo dieting and making the same weight-loss resolution each year.

Enough.

What this study teaches us is that developing healthier eating habits, without dieting and counting calories, will help us in the long run, said Canyon Ranch nutritionist Hana Feeney.

Slow and steady wins the race.

"The thing to remember from this study is that the change in their diets wasn't huge. They ate about one-and-a-half more veggies each day and lowered their fat intake by about 9 percent," Feeney said.

In recent years, carbohydrates were blamed for Americans' weight gain, and it seems like everyone jumped on the low-carb bandwagon and tried diets like Atkins and South Beach, which limit fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

But this study counters the argument that carbs are bad.

The truth is that not all carbs are created equal.

Fruits, vegetables and whole grains are all rich in carbohydrates, but they also contain vital vitamins and cancer-preventing antioxidants, as well as fiber. They're generally low in calories.

Crackers, cookies, chips and cakes — even if dubbed "low-fat" — are usually made from refined sugars and white flours and lack nutrients and fiber. They're often high in calories.

Those are the carbs that are adding to your bulge. Swap your low-fat cookie for a piece of whole-wheat toast or an apple and you'll be on the right track.

Feeney, the Canyon Ranch nutritionist, suggests you try to eat eight to 10 servings of vegetables and fruits each day, with more than half of your intake coming from vegetables.

That's a worthy challenge, and I'll take it.

It takes extra work to buy fresh produce each week, so I often keep some frozen vegetables on hand for when I'm busy or feeling lazy.

It's not cheating — it's being realistic, and that's the first step to maintaining a nutritious diet and a healthy lifestyle.

Try it. You might even like it.