1. Eat Slowly

To begin with, it is important to eat slowly. Studies have shown that at least 10 minutes is required before the brain receives the message that the stomach is full.

Your meals should last at least ten minutes. Lengthen your meal by engaging in conversation, resting your fork between courses, chewing slowly and drinking plenty of water between courses. You should also wait at least ten minutes after your main meal before deciding if you need dessert. Within that period of time, you may discover that you weren't really hungry after all.

Also, do not eat directly from an ice cream carton, tortilla chip bag, or cracker box. Otherwise, you could find yourself easily overeating.

2. Eat At The Table

Eating at the table prevents you from trying to engage in multi-tasking, such as surfing the ?Net, watching television or flipping through magazines while you eat. At the table, you'll be forced to concentrate on how much food you are putting into your mouth.

If you eat anywhere else, you may lose track of how much food you're consuming. Abandon the idea that you must clean your plate. Research has shown that more than half of adults insist on cleaning their plates even when they are already full. This means that you are overeating simply out of politeness.

3. Keep Food Out Of Sight

Do not keep food in plain view during the day. If the cookie jar is open or the pretzel bag is out on the table, you'll have a tremendous urge to eat, even if you are not hungry. After a meal, put your food away. This way, you'll actually have to do some work to get at food before you consume it.

4. Change Takes Time

You may be self-conscious at first as you attempt to change your eating habits and begin your weight loss plans. It will take some time to correct those bad habits.

You'll quickly find that your new eating habits have helped you to lose weight. Hiding your food and eating more slowly will not in themselves cause you to lose weight, but they will help you to curb your overeating over the long run.

If you happen to overeat, don't spend a great deal of time sulking. Accept your mistake and take corrective actions. Otherwise, you could find yourself eating out of frustration, or going off your diet or weight loss effort entirely. It's better to sabotage a single meal than a lifetime's worth of meals.