The Tip: Sniff green apples, bananas, peppermint or vanilla whenever you're feeling hungry.

The Study: Alan R Hirsch at the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation.

The Theory: Smelling "neutral" sweet scents can curb appetite, so when you sniff one of these aromas, your brain is tricked into thinking you're indulging in a yummy snack.

The Tip: Keep your bedroom as dark as humanly possible, invest in a sleeping mask and shut your laptop, TV and cell off at least an hour before bed.

The Study: Ohio State University

The Theory: Neuroscientists found that mice who were exposed to a dim light at night over eight weeks gained 50 percent more weight than mice who slept in complete darkness at night. Why? Those exposed to dim lighting (yes, the blue light that emits from your cell and laptop counts) started eating at odd hours (hello, late-night snacking).

The Tip: Start eating off of blue plates (the smaller, the better), especially if its a dish you tend to binge on.

The Study: Boston University

The Theory: We eat more when there's less contrast between the color of the food and the plate. Few foods are naturally blue, which makes it the calorie-counting plate color of choice It's also less "stimulating" than yellow and red, colors favored by fast food restaurants for a reason. The size of your bowls and plates is also a factor. Bigger dishes can make a portion look smaller, so you're more likely to pile on more food.

The Tip: Sit in front of a full-length mirror when you're eating.

The Study: Arizona State University/Erasmus University Rotterdam

The Theory: It's hard to imagine anything more sad than eating alone in front of a mirror, or more bizarre than eating in front of a mirror with other diners at the table. But, if you're trying to drop a few, watching yourself chow down makes you more aware of your body and forces you to think about the food you're eating. You'll eat less, and more healthfully.

The Tip: Turn your thermostat down to the lower 60s, especially when you sleep.

The Study: Fiona Johnson of University College London

The Theory: In mildly cold conditions, your body can generate heat without shivering ("non-shivering thermogenesis" if you're a scientist), and researchers believe that this response has an impact on brown fat. Unlike regular fat, brown fat burns calories like a furnace when it's activated by non-shivering thermogenesis.