Caution: Gulping down food

If you make a habit of rushing through meals, you could end up eating more than you intend to―or even realize. Your brain takes at least 15 minutes to register fullness, so if you shovel food into your mouth at a frantic pace, your stomach could become overstuffed before you actually know you've had enough.

The fix: Make a conscious effort to savor the flavor. Try to dedicate more chews to every mouthful. You can also place your fork on your plate between bites and pick it up again only after you've swallowed. This will double the time it takes to eat. The payoff: In a recent study from the University of Rhode Island in Kingston, women were told to eat a pasta dish slowly by pausing between bites and chewing each mouthful 15 to 20 times. As a result they consumed about 70 fewer calories during the meal than when they consumed the same dish at a fast pace.

NextCaution: Confusing liquids and solids