Most of us can afford to shed a few pounds. These sites will help you assemble low-fat menus and fitness routines while keeping abreast of the latest nutritional research. You'll also be able to exchange dieting information with others in pursuit of a leaner body.

Cyberdiet
Use this colorful site to assess if you're ready to lose weight and how to do it. There are myriad exercise tips, tools (including one to calculate your body mass), recipes and cooking suggestions. To thicken gravy, for instance, avoid flour and instead puree cooked vegetables and add cornstarch. At the resource center, learn how to shed pounds while keeping up your nutrition.

EDiets.com
The site's nutritionists will create a personalized meal plan based on convenience foods, recipes or a combination. Sample recipes and shopping lists give you the gist of what you'll get before you sign up. Pick up free advice on eating out, food substitutions and links to diet tools. There are more than 50 support groups to keep you motivated.

Nutrio.com
Before you gulp that Gatorade, turn to the Food Analyzer. You'll find that a glass contains about 14.4 grams of sugar. At this site, you can analyze calories, vitamins, minerals and nutrition labels. There is a broad range of articles on fitness, mind/body and nutrition with a special section for kids.

Nutrition.gov
Information-packed portal to the latest on nutrition and food safety from 14 federal agencies. Read about government-sanctioned eating plans. Click on Healthy Eating for diet tips from organizations like the Centers for Disease Control. One tip: Eating breakfast helps you lose weight. Also, targeted diets for kids, seniors and cancer patients.

The Diet Channel
Managed by registered dietician Kathleen Goodwin, this site has more than 600 links to help you find your ideal weight and set meal plans. Articles focus on unusual topics like cancer-fighting diets, fats and food trends. The site tells you how to choose diet-friendly foods like whole-wheat bread and low-fat peanut butter while grocery shopping.

3 Fat Chicks on a Diet
Did you know that a hamburger from Burger King has 320 calories while one from McDonald's has 270? Here you'll find such data plus dozens of links to health, nutrition and exercise sites. There are recipes for chocoholics, links to plus-size clothing providers and lots of chat rooms.

ThriveOnline
Divided into six sections-Medical, Fitness, Sexuality, Nutrition, Serenity and Weight Loss-this multilayered site is run by Oxygen Media. Customize a fitness program, visit chat rooms, pick up recipes and diet tips. Or watch a four-minute video on genetically engineered veggies. Plenty of expert advice.