Knowing how and when you eat can impact your health and your weight. Improve your eating habits to maximize fat burning and keep hunger at bay.

1) Eat breakfast

Eating in the morning gives your body the energy it needs to start the day and sets your metabolism rate for the rest of the day. Missing a healthy meal in the morning also increases stress. Lean protein, whole grains, fruits and vegetables are ideal for a good healthy breakfast. If you stick to this, you’ll eat less throughout the day.

2) Eat every 2 – 3 Hours

You should enjoy your meals at the same time every day. Timing your meals will improve your fat loss, and allows you to control your appetite and metabolism. Eating your protein on your plate first will help speed up the signal to your brain that you are full.

3) Do not eat within 3 hours of bedtime

Eating too close to bedtime interferes with the quality of your sleep and the natural fat burning benefits of a good night sleep. Sleep deprivation leads to more cravings and a greater likelihood of overeating the next day.

4) Develop good eating habits

Do not eat while you are watching TV, working, surfing the Internet, etc. Relax and enjoy your meal!

If you are eating out, make sure that the meal you order contains green vegetables and ask the server to only put half the meal on your plate and pack the other half to go. Make sure that you include green veggies in your order…get full on those before eating other food.

Write down what you eat, think before you eat, and then eat slowly. Snacks should typically contain no more than 100 calories and 15 grams of carbohydrate, so plan ahead.

Control portion size with a smaller plate, it really works! Larger plates can make a serving appear smaller. You’ll eat 20% to 25% less and save up to 500 calories.

5) Stay hydrated

Drink WATER. A glass of water 30 minutes before a meal will curb your appetite and help reduce your calorie intake. Also, don’t reach out for a beverage that contains sugar or words you can’t pronounce. Tea, coffee and alcohol intake should be minimized, as these substances are diuretics that lead to dehydration. Dehydrated body tissues are much less elastic and do not absorb the stresses of exercise well. What’s great about water…it will help you lose weight because it makes you feel full and it is zero calories!

Adjust water intake depending on the weather conditions. As a general rule, drink eight 8-ounce glasses of fluid a day. Also, increasing your water intake is one of the most important things you can do when attempting to cleanse your body naturally. Drink the recommended 8 glasses throughout the day…drink a glass of water first thing in the morning and with every snack or meal.

6) Multivitamins

Even the best eating plans fall short of meeting all of the 40-plus nutrients you need each day. Taking a once-daily multivitamin is an easy way to fill in small nutritional gaps. Choose a multivitamin designed for your age and sex so that the nutrients included will be right for you.

7) Measure and weigh your food

Put your measuring cups and food scale to use! Measuring and weighing are a critical component of controlling your calorie intake.