DietsThrow away all those fad diet books (and their accompanying "motivational" CDs). Tune out your brother-in-law's obsessive yammering about the miracle of Atkins or South Beach or, whatever, cabbage soup. A new study has confirmed what many of us probably knew all along: It's calories that make us gain weight and accumulate body fat. And as far as our bodies are concerned, it doesn't matter whether those calories come from protein or carbs or fat or anything else, the study, published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association, concluded. A calorie is a calorie is an extra inch on your waistline and unsightly bulge around the thighs.

More from The Stir: Your Diet Is Doomed No Matter What Day You Start

The good news is that this information rids us of the false hope those fad diets present.

Just eating more of one thing (say, protein) and less of another (say, carbs) won't really let us catch a fast train to slenderness. And so we can forgive ourselves

Astrology.com Weekly: January 9-15, 2012
Take advantage of all the assistance available to you as the Sun trines Mars on January 12. On the next day, January 13, your relationship life gets lots of help as Venus trines stable Saturn before she conjuncts idealistic Neptune hours later; then, as Venus enters Pisces later that same day, you're ready to open your heart. Luckily, Venus sextiles Jupiter on January 14, when you'll find plenty of fun things to do!

Put yourself in a position to make the most of your relationship with a free sample Love For Two In the New Year Reading!

Aries
Monday is emotional and weird -- and as is often the case when you're feeling emotional and weird, your family is involved. Read more...

Taurus
Just let others know how you feel on Monday and Tuesday. Read more...

Gemini
On Monday, your prevailing concern is to not spend any money. Read more...

Cancer
Monday is very much a Monday as far as the stars are concerned -- it's all about starting fresh, finding clarity and following your instincts.

How Your Sun Sign Can Help You Commit To Your 2012 Resolutions!
What's the one resolution the stars are urging you to live up to this year? Find out where to focus your energy in 2012 -- you owe it to yourself!

Aries

With Uranus in your own sign, you'll want to commit to fearlessly forging new ground. Arm yourself with the confidence that you're one of the very first to do what you do in a unique and experimental way ... and stick to your guns!

Taurus

With Jupiter in your sign for the first half of 2012, it's time to focus on broadening your horizons. If your resolution involves travel, consciousness expansion or higher education, your Taurus tenacity will kick in without a hitch.

Gemini

With Jupiter and Venus spending a good majority of 2012 in your stars, commit to working with your brilliant monkey mind instead of against it. Meditation, writing and all forms of constructive mental activity are encouraged. Make it a discipline!

Cancer

Make this the year you emerge from your shell and mingle like the extrovert you always knew you could

A look inside this fabulous Brooklyn townhouse...This 4 story townhouse in Brooklyn renovated by The Brooklyn Home Company is filled with cool features: a library ladder that leads to a sleeping loft, large double hung windows that flood the interior with natural light, tons of custom built-ins, and a guest room inspired by the sleeping quarters of a ship. Take a tour of this incredible townhouse below, but beware you might start drooling. We did.




A 5th Street Brooklyn Townhouse
A 5th Street Brooklyn Townhouse
One of The Brooklyn Home Company's first projects, this 4-story townhouse in Park Slope was gutted and completely renovated.


The Luminous Living Room
The Luminous Living Room
Extra large double-hung windows flood the home with natural light.

Related: 40 fun ways to decorate your boy's room


The Lofted Guest Room and Dining Room
The Lofted Guest Room and Dining Room
The library ladder leads to an extra lofted guest room. The original wood beams were discovered behind the drop ceiling during demolition.


A Unique Shelving Unit
A Unique Shelving Unit
Large built-in shelves house the owner's various collections.


The Spacious Kitchen
The Spacious Kitchen
The kitchen

Be Fit. Be CurrentIn today's world where obesity is an increasing health risk across the globe, more and more studies are being conducted to determine exactly how integral a persons genetic disposition is to becoming obese. There is certainly some evidence to suggest that humans are genetically hardwired to store fat; however, evidence that a genetic trait passing along a predisposition to obesity exists within families, is still in the nascent stages. Looking at the sum of influences including environment, family history, and psychological health can provide a good indicator as to an individual's risk of obesity. Usually, there isn't just one factor that creates conditions for obesity, but multiple factors working together - all of which must be addressed and overcome to regain control of health and happiness.

Psychological Risk Factors:

In an effort to make sense of the obesity epidemic around the world, scientists are studying links between various psychological factors and an increased

ellen with snooki and j wow

The girls of "Jersey Shore" joined Ellen to chat about everything from booze to boys -- though Snooki is cutting back on her favorite vice.

"Yeah, when I was 21 and I didn't really care, I would go out like every single weekend and just go crazy," said Snooki. "Now that I have a boyfriend and I'm in love and I'm 24, I only have a couple of glasses of wine once a week."

"A couple of glasses of wine once a week?" asked Ellen.

"I drink like two Pinots once a week and I'm good… I'm 24 now. So it's kind of like I've matured. I still know how to throw down a couple of shots… I prefer to take it easy," she said.

Ellen joked, "Well, because you're 24. You're mature now."

As for Mike "The Situation"? Things are not going well.

"Well, you see in Italy he makes up rumors," said Snooki. "He hasn't really done it to me before, so the fact that he did it to me and yeah, no, we're like really good friends. I was kind of hurt by it and disappointed."

"So you're not getting