Leave It at the Store

If you know you’re likely to give in to a salty urge, don’t let potato chips sneak into your grocery cart. Instead, stock up Protein Crunchies to snack on. Same goes for a sweet tooth: Pick up some fresh fruit and leave the ice cream in the freezer aisle.

Drink Water

It’s a simple thing that can really help: If you drink more water, you’re likely to eat less fat, sugar, and salt, just what you want to avoid in a snack. This is because water helps fill the space in your stomach, and that can make you feel more full.

Stay Busy

Boredom can lead to mindless eating. Call a friend, read a book, go for a walk — anything to stop yourself from eating just because you don’t have anything else to do. You could even go to a movie, but walk right past the popcorn to your seat.

Make It Inconvenient

If other family members have foods you don’t want to eat (example kid’s snacks), put them in a place outside your everyday reach. Make them out of your reach then you can ask yourself “Do I really want to eat this ?”

Reward Yourself

But not with food — make it something else you really like. Give yourself a prize for each small goal when you skip an unhealthy option.

Eat Healthy

It’s not just good for you, it can actually make you snack less. Non-starchy vegetables, fruits, and lean meats fill you up more easily and with fewer calories. And they take longer to digest, so energy gets to you in usable amounts through the day. Junk food dumps all that energy at once and your body stores the extra as fat. This can leave you tired and hungry — even “hangry” — soon after.

Exercise

This can serve as a distraction, and it may make you less likely to snack afterward, too. Research shows that a brisk 20 minute walk in the morning may help curb cravings and make you more active throughout the day. If walking’s not your thing, try biking or swimming.

Stay Away From Triggers

A trigger is any situation that leads you to eat things on your “naughty list.” If you’re not sure what yours are, keep a journal and look for patterns. For example, if you’re often tempted at the bakery where you get your morning coffee, make your coffee at home or go somewhere else to get it.

Mindful Eating

This is paying attention when you eat — to the flavor and feel of your food. Take small bites and chew them slowly. Ask yourself often if you feel full — that can make you more likely to stop when you’ve had enough. A couple of other tricks: Eat with chopsticks, or eat with the hand you don’t normally use.

Plan Your Snacks

If you know you get hungry between meals, have the right snack handy. A good option is food containing protein such as yogurt, cheese, or peanut butter.

Brush Your Teeth

It may sound strange, but it makes you less likely to indulge. Why ruin that minty clean, fresh taste in your mouth?

Get Support

Sometimes loneliness or anxiety can make you reach for comfort food that’s not good for you. When you feel that happening, contact your coach. It can lift your spirits and may help you get past the urge, too.

Try Not to Stress

It can make you eat more, and it also seems to make you want foods with lots of fat and sugar — in other words, lots of calories. The easiest fix is to stay out of stressful situations. Since that’s not always possible, it can help to get plenty of sleep and exercise, including deep breathing or meditation.

Single Servings

It may seem like a smart money choice to buy the “supersize” bag of potato chips, but that makes it harder to control what you eat. Weighing your portions and something easy is to cut up 4-6 ounces of fruit and place in a ziploc bag to grab and go.