By keeping food within eyesight as you are eating, you may find yourself reaching for a second helping even if you really aren't hungry. Place the food on the kitchen counter or stove, portion out a serving on your plate and then sit down at the table and eat. This way, if you want additional servings, you'll have to get up, which helps you to be more mindful of what you are eating.

—Erin Palinski-Wade, RD, CDE author of Belly Fat Diet For Dummies

We know you've heard this time and time again. Well, that's because keeping a food record is vital to losing weight and keeping it off long term. A study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that those who kept regular food records lost twice as much weight as those who didn't. When keeping a food record, make sure to track what you ate, how much you ate, anything you added to the food (condiments, oils, etc.), and what you drank. Also tracking your mood and appetite can be helpful and insightful into learning about your eating patterns as well!

—Erin Palinski-Wade

People who ate a low-calorie vegetable soup before a meal consumed 20% fewer calories at the meal, according to research from Penn State University. Have a low-calorie broth-based veggie soup before your largest meal of the day to reduce calories and lose weight without feeling hungry.

—Erin Palinski-Wade

Rapid eaters are often heavier than slow eaters, according to research from The University of Rhode Island. It takes 20 minutes for your stomach to send a message to your brain that you have eaten enough and are satisfied. If you rush your meal and eat rapidly, your body's satiety cues won't be tuned into those feelings of fullness yet and it's easier to overeat. Try slowing down by chewing each bite at least 10 times, putting your fork down in between bites, and fostering a relaxing eating environment rather than eating on the run. (What should you do if you're dining out? Follow our no-gain guide.)

—Erin Palinski-Wade

Even the most motivated and focused dieter will struggle to be successful at weight loss once hunger takes over. Our bodies secrete a hormone called ghrelin, which controls hunger and drives our appetite. If we don't understand, monitor, and control our ghrelin, we can forget about losing weight. Science tells us that the best way to control ghrelin is to eat small, balanced meals about every 3 hours or so. That's because ghrelin will spike after about 3 to 4 hours of fasting, so eating with regularity helps keep this eating trigger at bay. Ghrelin will also spike if we're deprived of carbs, so it's important to give our bodies and brains the carb fuel they need. When we skip meals or avoid carbs, we're inviting ghrelin to spike, which increases and makes us feel emotionally hungry. It makes us crave sugar and can derail even the healthiest eating routine. 

—Manuel Villacorta, RD, author of Eating Free: The Carb-Friendly Way to Lose Inches

It's a myth that you'll gain weight as a direct result of eating after 7 p.m. I see many busy professionals at my private practice, and they often get home late. This doesn't mean that they should skip dinner if they're trying to lose weight.

Many times, people stop eating by 5 p.m., which results in overeating the following day. This cycle is not ideal as it shuts down your metabolism. You should eat 70% of your calories before dinnertime and 30% at dinner, whatever time that may be. Just give yourself at least 90 minutes to end your meal before you plan to go to sleep. You need at least 90 minutes to digest so you can sleep comfortably. 

—Manuel Villacorta

Based on what I have applied in my practice, when it comes to weight loss we need to devote 80% of our efforts to nutrition and 20% to exercise. 

One way to do this is to schedule time and make a date with your supermarket and kitchen. Restaurant dishes are outside of your control, and the fact is most times, those outrageous portions come loaded with salt and fat. Start cooking at home to better monitor your calorie intake.

Schedule a day, like Sunday afternoon, to pre-cook for the week. Plan to roast a whole chicken. Cut up a batch of vegetables—like squash, peppers, eggplant, and sweet potatoes—toss them with a little olive oil and roast them in another pan alongside the chicken. Boil a pot of brown rice. Do all of this simultaneously and it should only take about an hour.

Now you have the makings for Monday's burritos, Tuesday's stew, Wednesday's pasta dish, and so on. Each working evening, you should only need about 15 minutes in the kitchen to put it together—less time than you might spend heating up fats, salt- and sugar-filled frozen pizza! (Get our 14 ways to make veggies less boring and work them into your diet more.)

—Manuel Villacorta

This may seem obvious. After all, you have to breathe no matter what, right? But few of us breathe deeply or consciously. Think about it: when was the last time you took a long, slow, deep breath, and slowly let it out again? Deep breaths of that kind take you out of your immersion in momentary stress, oxygenate your brain and tissues, and they help to reduce stress hormones. Take breathing breaks throughout the day, or, better yet, pair those breaks with a quiet walk to disassociate from the stress. Just a couple of minutes of walking, a few long, deep breaths, and you will start to see the results in your body. (See the two yoga poses that help control cravings.)

—Manuel Villacorta

9. Eat before a party or event

Don't arrive at a big meal, event, or party starving. One study found that you'll be 2.5 times more likely to start off overeating starchy carbs, fried or cheesy foods than those who didn't fast before the meal. And, you'll be more likely to eat 47% more calories of that first food before switching to healthier fare. Have a light snack before you go to an event so you don’t arrive ravenously.

—Wendy Bazilian, DrPH, author of The SuperFoodsRx Diet

Choosing chopsticks requires a bit more attention in picking up food from the plate. The portions are smaller, and eating with them takes more time because you have to closely watch each bite so the food doesn’t fall off. They can act as a reminder to slow down, savor and chew consciously which may help you realize you’re fuller sooner than you thought you’d be and then wind up eating less!

—Wendy Bazilian