4 easy ways to eat better. And how to stick with it

This may sound counterintuitive for weight loss, but you need to keep your food intake up so that hunger doesn’t push you around. If we learn to use food to minimize appetite, we can make more thoughtful choices in our eating habits. For instance, adding protein to every meal or snack will help reduce cravings.

Also key is finding an eating pattern that works for you. It could be three meals plus two or three snacks, or six small meals — experiment for your best fit. The goal is to avoid being in the position of fighting hunger and cravings at the same time because it’s a war you won’t win, says Dr. Yoni Freedhoff, author of The Diet Fix: Why Diets Fail and How to Make Yours Work.