Looking to lose weight? Develop some food-free zones such as no eating in the car, or in front of the television. Having food-free zones gets you to think about where you’re eating.

Here are a couple other ways to use your brain and not get into mindless eating.

Use Aromatherapy.We know odors affect appetite. Strong sweet smells, such as chocolate, trigger feelings of hunger. Whereas neutral sweet smells — such as bananas, green apples, vanilla, and peppermint help curb appetite. Scientists believe that scents may fool the brain into believing that you’ve eaten more than you have.

So keep a vanilla scented candle on your desk and take a deep whiff several times a day. Or if that seems a little weird, or you’re afraid of what your co-workers will think, because you’re always sniffing a vanilla candle, drink vanilla or green apple tea.

I’ve gotten in the habit of finishing my meals with a small peppermint candy. That little trick signals to my brain, “Eating is over Doris.”

Use Visualization.Visualize yourself sipping water from a water bottle throughout the day. See yourself jogging in the park or lifting some hand weights in your bedroom or running up a flight of stairs.

See yourself with a group of your friends at a restaurant and holding up your hand and telling the server “No thank you,” when he goes to put the bread basket on the table.

Athletes visualize a perfect golf swing or a perfect dive into the pool as a way to prime themselves before competition.

You can prime yourself in your mind’s eye so you don’t overeat or eat the wrong things.