"You talkin' to me? You talkin' to me?" In the film “Taxi Driver,” Robert De Niro's character Travis Bickle asks himself that question while standing alone in an empty room.

That may have been a sure sign that Travis was unraveling. But we now know that if you talk to yourself — and pay attention — it can have positive effects.

Researchers from the University of Michigan recently found that talking to yourself in the third person about your food choices is an effective way to upgrade your nutrition, watch your weight, and feel younger.

The study, which appeared in the journal Clinical Psychological Science, found that you can resist temptation and opt for healthier food if you act as if you're observing the eating habits of someone else.

For example, you might say: "He really shouldn't eat fried foods," or "I think ___ (fill in the blank with your name) should have a salad for lunch."

Although 93% of people say they want to eat healthy foods at least some of the time, around 75% of people in the U.S. don't get the minimum amounts of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains they need to stay healthy.

Clearly, it's difficult to make good food choices. So talking to yourself is worth a try.

Here are three more smart things you can do to make it easier to stick to your diet goals:

1. Eat lunch at your desk? Don't do it anymore.

2. Eat standing up? Ban that.

3. Eat watching TV? Turn it off.