2. Avoid leaving food out on your counters
People who had chips or cookies visible on their kitchen counter weighed about 10 pounds more than people with bare counters, according to one study, Wansink said.
Those who openly displayed breakfast cereal weighed about 21 pounds more and those who had soft drinks — even if they were diet sodas — on the counter weighed 25 pounds more.
“Simply the presence of food ends up being a really powerful cue,” Wansink noted. Every time you pass by a cookie jar or a can of soda, you have to ask yourself the question: Do I want one? The answer might be “no” 20 times in a row, but then “no’s” soon start becoming “maybe’s” and the 30th time you look at the snack, the answer will be “yes,” he added.
