Creating Healthy Habits

• Prepare a healthy shopping list before you go to the supermarket, and stick to the list.

• Confine your meals to the dining room or kitchen table.

• Pour a reasonable portion of cookies (one or two, depending on size), chips or crackers (a small handful) onto a plate or into a bowl instead of eating directly out of a box or bag.

• Freeze leftovers immediately so you can't raid the refrigerator later.

• Drink six to eight glasses of water a day, including a glass immediately before mealtime. Water helps you feel full faster and longer and also helps your body digest food.

• Limit alcohol consumption. Alcohol is packed with calories, but no nutrients. Also, it increases appetite and weakens your willpower to avoid the wrong food choices.

• Begin lunch or dinner with a broth-based hot soup. It forces you to eat more slowly and fills you up so you don't overeat.

• Eat more slowly. Rushing through meals doesn't give your brain adequate time to register and signal you when you're full.

• When dining out, request sauces and low-calorie dressings be served on the side so you can use as much or as little as you want.

• Never leave home starving when heading out for a restaurant meal. Before you go, eat a light snack, such as a piece of fruit or a carrot, or drink a glass of tomato or vegetable juice.

• Don't eat while watching TV. Watching the tube instead of your plate can lull you into overeating; so will the food and snack commercials.

• Stick to your own plate. Nibbling off someone else's dish may seem harmless but the calories add up.

• Choose healthy items if you eat fast food. To do so, avoid fried foods and "super-sized" portions.

• Don't go food shopping on an empty stomach. Eat a little something first or you'll be tempted to buy more than you should.