1. Think about why you are eating before you eat. Ask yourself if you are eating because you are hungry or are you eating to soothe your emotions or to experience taste.

2. Use a hunger scale to help you decide when to eat and when to stop eating. Measure how physically hungry you are before you are eating and while you are eating.

3. Wait 20 minutes before eating a second portion in order to give your stomach time to tell your brain it is full and to not impulsively eat.

4. Use a healthy distraction to change your focus when you want to eat for emotional reasons. Begin journaling your emotions instead of eating through them.

5. Set limits for eating when you want to taste food. Decide on a reasonable portion and enjoy the experience. Realize that the second portion will not taste any better than the first one even though your brain can convince

6. Eat breakfast every day with no exceptions. Eat breakfast at about the same time every day to create a healthy eating pattern and avoid extreme hunger by mid-morning. Our mental bodies like structure and tend to respond well to a routine.

7. Have healthy snacks on hand in case meals are delayed and to avoid temptation. Keeping your environment healthy helps you to maintain healthy behaviors.

8. Order half-portions at restaurants, ask the waiter to put half your meal in a to-go container, or share an entrée with a friend. Ask the waiter to pack your half-order to go before plating the meal so you only have a half portion on your plate.

9. Drink water throughout the day. This habit is good for your body and prevents you from confusing thirst with hunger.

10. Focus on the food you are eating and eat slowly. Do not eat while watching TV, reading, doing homework, or surfing the internet as this may cause you to eat more food than your body needs. This helps you be more intentional about eating instead of mindlessly eating.