If you're trying to lose weight, and if you're struggling to develop healthier eating habits, you are most definitely not alone. Pretty much everyone who has ever tried to lose weight has struggled, and most people are trying to lose weight - even if they don't talk about it.

The good news is that if you have the right tricks up your sleeve, it can get a whole lot easier to stick to your goals. One of the most destructive habits getting in the way of weight loss is overeating. Try incorporating these 10 easy tricks to avoid overeating and lose weight.

1. Brush your teeth! It may sound too simple, but brushing your teeth after a meal gives your brain - and your taste buds - the message that you're finished. It cuts off the thought of snacking on leftovers, puts a mental barrier between you and dessert, and takes the taste of dinner off your breath.

2. Drink lots of water. Not during a meal - water then will dilute your digestive juices, but drinking a glass 30 minutes or so before you eat will give you a temporary full feeling. That might make the temptation to scarf down 4 portions of spaghetti less intense. Making sure you drink water throughout the day, between meals, keeps your stomach full and your mouth fresh.

3. Drink herbal tea. Green tea can make a really nice treat and will make you feel surprisingly full. It has a slight appetite-depressant effect. If you add a touch of sweetener, it's great after dinner to curb your sweet tooth. Try different teas until you find one you love. There are lots of fruit-flavored teas, like orange spice or pomegranate, along with mint teas and chamomile. Just be careful with black tea - it has a lot of caffeine in it.

4. Have a small afternoon snack. Going from lunch to dinner without eating anything can leave you starving at dinner time. If you dive right into dinner at that point, you are most likely inhaling more than you need. Try eating some fruit, some veggies with bean dip or a small handful of nuts or seeds in the middle of your afternoon for an energy boost and to reduce the overeating at dinner.

5. Don't be afraid of fat. If you eat it, it doesn't mean you'll carry it unless you overdo it. Having some fat in your diet is actually essential to help you lose fat on your body. It also helps you feel full which hopefully prevents you from eating other things. Protein and carbohydrates create 4 calories of energy per gram, while fat creates 9 calories for every gram. You don't need much fat in your diet, but have you ever noticed that a smear of peanut butter on a celery stick can leave you more satisfied than a whole loaf of bread?

6. Chew! Let's admit it - the main enjoyment of food is the taste and the texture. So why not savor it? If you get to the middle of a meal, and realize that you haven't really thought about what you're eating - stop, take a breath, look at your plate, and then focus on chewing it properly and enjoying the marvelous creation you're eating!

7. Use smaller plates. I know, another simple one. Sometimes it's the best ideas that seem too simple! A smaller plate won't fit as much food, and a smaller portion looks more satisfying when it fills the plate. The visual sends a little message to your brain that all it needs to feel complete is that small serving.

8. Use only a few flavors. Before your brain will tell you it's had enough, it wants you to taste a certain amount of a flavor - regardless of what your stomach tells you. That means that if you have a lot of different components to your meal, your brain will push you on to have just another bite of each one. I'm sure you can think back to a Thanksgiving dinner where you just needed to have that last helping of garlic mashed potatoes, even though you were totally stuffed.

9. Control what you buy at the store. You often hear the suggestions to avoid grocery shopping when you're hungry, and to avoid buying food you don't want to eat. Both of these suggestions are good ones, but I also think that quantity matters. If I buy a pound of brazil nuts, my huband will eat them pretty quickly. But if I only buy a handful or two at a time, he rations himself without even really thinking about it.

10. Eat the best part of the meal first. I don't know about you, but I always save the best bite of my meal for last, and that really motivates me to finish everything on my plate. If I think instead about eating the yummiest part first, it doesn't matter so much if I don't eat everything.

For some ideas on what to make for a healthy dinner, check out my healthy vegan recipes and for more tips on nutrition visit Healthy Eating Starts Here