How much of your eating do you do because you are actually hungry?  Often, people eat when they’re bored, stressed, or feel pressured or obligated to do so.  Reducing calorie intake is critical to weight loss, and eating only when your body needs sustenance is a good step in that direction.  Look for other outlets to alleviate your stress or boredom.  When weight loss is your goal, exercise is great option — jogging, for instance, can clear your head and keep you away from the junk food cupboard. When you do eat, focus on your food and eat slowly.  Turn off the TV and eat only at a table, not standing or sitting on the couch.  Think about what you are eating.  Savor each bite.  Stop when you are full. Giving yourself challenges can also make eating more interactive and limit mindless consumption.  For instance, try eating with chopsticks if you aren’t already handy with them. Few people can succeed by going “cold turkey,” switching from an unhealthy to a healthy diet overnight.  For most, an incremental transition is the best means to long-term weight-loss success.  Remember, you need time to re-train your mind, body, habits, and taste buds.  Be patient. Start with small changes.  For instance, start by getting the smaller version of your favorite fast-food meal, and get small soda instead.  Your ultimate goal will be to largely eliminate these items, but incremental reductions in portion size and calorie intake can help you onto that path. Water is good for everyone, but it can be the dieter’s best friend.  It is nourishing, refreshing, and can even be filling, without adding a single calorie to your intake.   Unless you have a specific need for the nutrients in sports drinks (if you are very physically active for a long period of time, for instance), sticking to water is the simplest and lowest calorie (as in zero calorie) way to hydrate effectively.  Always drink a glass of water before you eat something.  Often, when people think they are hungry, they are actually just thirsty.  Water, and perhaps just a small, healthy snack, can be enough to see you through to your next meal.  Water can also limit the amount you actually eat at that meal. Generally speaking, if you’re looking to lose weight before school starts, that means it’s summertime.  Thankfully, summer is the ideal season to seek out fresh fruits and vegetables, which need to be at the heart of your healthy diet.  Don’t think of summer as a time to indulge in junk, but rather as the time to take advantage of nature’s bounty. Depending on your climate, you can go from emphasizing fresh berries and peas, to peaches and tomatoes, to apples and corn, all the while helping your local farmers and the environment (by cutting out long-haul shipping). Whether you can source them locally or not, also add more whole grains, lean proteins (summer is a good time for fishing, for instance), and more fiber-rich foods. With their growing bodies, teens in particular can have the urge to eat almost constantly.  Choosing the right snacks to carry you through to the next meal can make a huge difference in the success of your weight-loss plan.  Make snacks like chips and candy a rare treat.  Focus instead on healthy, easy-to-prepare/carry/eat fruits, vegetables, and foods with whole grains, lean protein, and fiber. For instance, consider pre-packaging any of the following in small sandwich bags: apple slices with peanut butter and raisins; grapes and string cheese; trail mix; edamame; or hummus spread inside a whole-wheat pita.  The options are nearly endless, and by packaging them yourself, you'll reduce your inclination to head for the vending machine or candy drawer when hungry between meals. Diets that feel like punishment are doomed to fail.  The goal is to retrain yourself to see treat foods (double-fudge brownies or double cheeseburgers, for example) as just that — occasional treats and not signs of failure.   Don’t make any of your favorite foods completely “off-limits.”  You’ll only obsess about them more and feel even worse if you do slip up.  Focus on practicing portion and frequency control with unhealthy food options.  When you do choose to indulge, savor every bite of that pecan turtle sundae.  Eat slowly and deliberately, making every bite count.  Make it last so you won’t need to repeat the process again too soon.

Summary:
Eat with a purpose. Make step-by-step adjustments. Drink water. Eat seasonally and smartly. Snack wisely. Indulge occasionally.