8 small changes in your kitchen to help you lose weight

8. Serve dinner off the stove or counter, instead of having serving dishes on the table

This is a particularly strong tip for men, who tend to be fast eaters, Wansink said. They’ll often finish their dinner and see the rest of the family still eating, so they’ll have seconds from the serving plates on the table — not because they’re hungry, but just to pass the time while everyone is still finishing their meal.

Having serving plates on a back stove or on a counter in the kitchen instead of right in front of diners helps because simply having food at least six feet away makes a typical person eat almost 20 percent less, Wansink noted. They can still have seconds or thirds if they want to, but they’re just a little less likely to get up again and again