You eat when you're hungry and you stop when you're full. Makes sense right, but it can be a hard rule to follow. Not only does food taste good and make us happy when we eat it, but portion sizes have gotten out of control. Restaurants serve huge plates of food and all you can eat buffets offer an endless amount, so we don't realize that we're actually eating two or three times the calories we should be. Here are some tips to help prevent you from overeating [1].

• Savor the first few bites. Those initial moments the food enters your mouth are the most satisfying because your taste buds are so sensitive. Taking the time to enjoy those first bites or spoonfuls of food may prevent you from eating until you're stuffed.

• Eat slowly. When your stomach is full, your brain won't necessarily get the message until 20 minutes later. So if you take time to enjoy every bite, you'll be able to notice when your body feels satisfied. If you scarf down your food quickly, you'll end up eating much more than you need, and you won't realize it until after you're stuffed.

To see the other helpful tips .

• Eat off of smaller plates and bowls. When you use a big plate, it's hard not to fill it all up with food. Smaller plates mean smaller portion sizes.
• When you're eating, just eat. Don't eat while driving, watching TV, or while on the computer. You'll end up mindlessly putting food in your mouth because you're distracted, and the food tends not to register in our brains, so we end up eating more. Instead take at least 20 minutes to sit and eat, so you can really feel the pleasure of your food.
• Eat nutritious foods. Ones that are full of fiber, protein, and vitamins will make your body feel physically satisfied, so you won't feel hungry as quickly.
• Eat the foods you really enjoy. Denying yourself the foods you crave will only make you crave them more. If your favorite food happens to be high in calories and fat, just have a few bites to satisfy your taste buds.
• When you're out to eat, order smaller portion sizes [2], split a meal or dessert with a friend [3], or put half your meal in a to-go container [4] before you take your first bite.

Source [5]