Imagine eating all you want. A Carnegie Mellon study found that people who pictured themselves eating 30 M&Ms later consumed about half as many as those who visualized eating only three. “Imagination can elicit the same physical responses as real-life experience,” says Dr. Carey Morewedge.
Think indulgently. In a Yale study, those who thought they were having a 620-calorie milkshake had a steep drop in the appetite-stimulating hormone ghrelin compared to people who thought the shake had only 380 calories.
Come home through any door but the kitchen. This small change may make you 18 percent less likely to graze, says a Cornell study.
Call yourself a healthy eater. Positive labels can influence behavior: In one study, people who referred to themselves as healthier eaters went on to eat more fruits and vegetables.
