A couple of extra bites at dinner. A second cookie nibbled with your afternoon tea. In the grand scheme of overeating, these tidbits don't seem like much.

But consider this: "If you consume 100 calories more than you burn every day, you'll gain 10 pounds by the end of a year," says Gail Altschuler, M.D., medical director of the Altschuler Clinic, a center for weight loss and wellness in Novato, California.

Sounds demoralizing. But now take that fact and turn it around: 100 calories isn't a lot of food, after all -- and you can use that to your advantage. "You don't have to make enormous changes to see benefits and get results," says Altschuler.

With that point in mind, we combed the research to find surprisingly simple ways to eat a little less. "Stack a few of these tips together," Altschuler says, "and you could really see an impact."

Take a Seat
Whenever you eat, sit at a table and use cutlery and a plate, rather than eat on the run, standing up, or at your desk. That way, the next time you eat you'll chow about 30 percent less, according to a recent study.

The study's author, Patricia Pliner, Ph.D., psychology researcher and professor at the University of Toronto at Mississauga, thinks this occurs because of the way we've been trained to perceive and respond to mealtime. Treating food like a meal, even if it's a snack, tells your brain that you don't need to eat for a while.

Hana Feeney, R.D., nutritionist at Canyon Ranch in Tucson, Arizona, adds that "if you make a rule not to eat without sitting and using a plate, you'll eliminate a lot of the mindless calories consumed by picking."