Can water actually help you stay full? Well, I know after I drink several glasses of water I get filled up and eat less. In fact, some studies support this notion. Water can help you lose weight by keeping you feeling full and helping to reduce your consumption of other high-calorie drinks (and foods). Water also helps to keep your digestive system working well. In fact, a recent study found that over the course of 12 weeks, dieters who drank water before meals three times per day lost about 5 pounds more than other dieters. Try drinking about two 8-ounce glasses before each meal.

According to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, women should consume 91 ounces of water a day, and men need 125 ounces — a good deal more than the 64 ounces (8 cups) generally recommended. Here's the catch: We get water from vegetables and fruits. We also get a lot from meat, as well as from liquids such as soup, juice, soda, milk and even coffee. So, while our water intake does need to be fairly high, it's a safe bet that as long as we're eating and drinking, it will be as high as it needs to be. Again, for weight loss, stick to the two glasses before each meal.

There are many different types of nuts with a plethora of health benefits. In addition to their other benefits, nuts (almonds, pistachios, walnuts, Brazil nuts, etc.) can help fend off hunger and control appetite. They're high in fiber and protein ­ both hunger fighters. Just make sure to limit your portions to about 1 ounce, because nuts are high in calories, too.

Foods that are naturally high in fiber (e.g., 100 percent whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes) are also high in water content and fill you up because they take up room in your stomach. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reported that consuming foods with a high water content effectively reduces subsequent calorie intake. Water, as we’ve already noted, can fill you without making you fat.

Why only “naturally occurring” fiber? According to the scientific journal Nutrition Review, inulin (often added to foods as fiber) may help you go to the bathroom the same way natural fiber does, but it doesn’t have the same effect on slowing down stomach-emptying (making you feel full longer) or helping to lower cholesterol.

Isolated, commercially produced fibers “are nothing like the grainy, bran- and germ-covered whole grains that we envision with products like brown rice, whole wheat, oats, etc. Instead, inulin is a fine white powder, about the same consistency as Sweet'N Low — certainly not providing that belly-filling fiber that we expect from a bowl of bran flakes or oatmeal," says Molly Kimball, R.D., C.S.S.D., of Ochsner's Elmwood Fitness Center in New Orleans.

Getting enough sleep is an important component of a healthy life. Sleep reduces stress and inflammation, increases memory, keeps you alert — and the list goes on. Lack of sleep, on the other hand, can increase hunger and appetite. In addition, when you're tired you're less likely to make the healthiest food choices. And many people believe they "deserve" to eat something sugary and fatty as a reward for lack of sleep. Finally, a few studies have demonstrated that lack of sleep leads to an increase in the hormone ghrelin (which tells the body to eat) and a decrease in the hormone leptin (which tells your body to stop eating).

Studies show that you need roughly 7.5 to 8.5 hours of sleep to get the benefits for diet and exercise. Do you have problems sleeping?

Here are a few tips:

Have a regular bedtime—that means the same time seven days a week. Check your mattress and box spring. When was the last time you replaced them? Make sure your room temperature is comfortable. Don't stay in bed too long after you wake up. Get rid of the TV in the bedroom. And make your sleep environment quiet — aesthetically and in terms of noise.

According to a research article in the journal Appetite, watching a comedy can reduce your appetite. In the study, one group watched a 7.5-minute clip of a popular animated comedy with a plate of cookies in front of them, while the control group did not watch the film. The comedy group ate approximately one medium chocolate chip cookie less than the control group.

Remember when your mom told you to eat your vegetables? Well, Mom was right, and she didn't even know all the yet-to-be-performed research that supports the value of eating plenty of vegetables. Veggies help you lose weight because they're high in fiber and water (see above), plus you get a lot of food for few calories. For instance, for the same 227 calories in one 2 3/4 inch square of brownie you could eat 7.5 cups of broccoli. I’m not suggesting that you need to eat more than 7 cups of broccoli; I’m only showing you that you can fill up on broccoli for a lot fewer calories than you’d need to fill up on brownies.

Ahhh, a good hot bowl of soup! Brings back memories of childhood. But soup is great for more than nostalgia. It also fills you up. Because soups are water-based, they tend to make you feel less hungry without adding too many calories, so you eat less as a result. Barbara Rolls, Ph.D., a professor of nutrition at Penn State University, has led several studies that show eating soup can help you lose weight when consumed prior to a meal. One study found that eating soup prior to your meal could reduce your total consumption by as much as 100 calories. There are many great-tasting, low-calorie soups by Campbell’s, Healthy Choice and Amy’s Kitchen — just watch out for the sodium, and keep the calories under 100 per cup.

Alcoholic drinks are like liquid doughnuts, and most people overlook their calorie cost. Alcohol also impairs judgment, which means that you eat and drink more than you normally would. To top it off, most people enjoy eating high-calorie, high-sodium snacks when they drink — not a great idea if you're trying to lose weight. Alcohol can be especially harmful to dieters because it may cause blood sugar levels to drop, which can stimulate your appetite and disrupt your ability to determine when you've had enough to eat.

Here are a few tips for lowering the calorie costs of alcohol:

• Use more ice cubes.
• Use freshly squeezed juices as mixers.
• Use smaller glasses.
• Try some good, lower-calorie drink options: red or white wine, wine spritzers and drinks made with seltzer or club soda.
• Steer clear of drinks that are really desserts (e.g., cream or ice cream drinks).

When you're stressed, your body releases cortisol, a hormone designed to help you either fight or flee. But when the cause is not a lion about to attack but rather a stressful e-mail from your spouse or an argument with your neighbor, that response can cause you to eat. The cortisol may trick your body into thinking it has done something active in response to a perceived threat. And, what’s even more surprising, cortisol acts like a biological green light sending signals to your brain to refuel your body as soon as possible.

The other biological reason why stress can derail your diet is that carbs help you feel better. Judith Wurtman, Ph.D., co-author of The Serotonin Power Diet (Rodale, 2008), was the first to connect food with mood when she found that carbohydrates boosted a potent brain chemical called serotonin, which controls mood, sleep and appetite and, when elevated, helps you to feel more relaxed and calm.

The way this works is that the glucose in high-carbohydrate foods triggers the release of insulin, which, in turn, allows the amino acid tryptophan to reach the brain (by blocking other competing amino acids), stimulating the production of serotonin.

Yet another reason we tend to eat during stressful situations is psychological. Typical thinking when stressed is, "You only live once, so I might as well enjoy myself now." When tension and anxiety are high in one aspect of life, it's not unusual for other areas (such as weight control or eating healthy) to seem trivial or less important. Additionally, when stressed, we long for comfort foods such as brownies, doughnuts, candy, ice cream, pizza, mashed potatoes and fried chicken. One reason is that your parents probably gave you an ice cream when you had a bad day at school or when you lost the big game. And when you left the doctor's office you got a lollipop, so these are the foods you’re used to having in times of discomfort.

Here are a few tips to help reduce stress eating:

• Exercise can be a great way to relieve tension and reduce stress.
• Develop a Stress-Eating Alternate Action Plan. As an alternative to eating, try to find enjoyable, non-food-related activities that can distract you: exercising, shopping, going to the movies, using relaxation techniques, chatting with friends, reading a humorous book. Have your plan in place before the stressful situation takes control. Not only will you feel better about yourself, but also you’ll thoroughly enjoy what you’re involved in, so it won’t feel like a chore!

A study done at the University of Cincinnati and reported in Brain Research proposes that human beings can learn how much food they should eat to be at a healthy weight. However, the researchers found that diets high in fat impair the function of the hippocampus, which results in less ability to notice the “stop eating” cues. Bottom line: Lower your intake of saturated fats by eating lean meats and low-fat dairy.