This is the original nonstick pan. It's a bit tricky to "season" it -- in other words, to build up a natural nonstick surface by rubbing it with oil or grease and heating it. The upside: once it's seasoned, you need only a little bit of oil to cook meat, vegetables, etc. Plus, they're inexpensive -- starting from about $12. Your grandmother probably used one all the time!

Are you really doling out a half-cup of spaghetti, or are you just eyeballing it and hoping for the best? If you're really serious about portion control, you'll want to measure what you're eating with proper measuring cups, at least in the beginning until you can better judge what's on your plate.

Whip up healthy smoothies, blend a light vegetable soup -- if you have an attractive blender in your kitchen in plain view, you'll be more tempted to use it and skip junky pops and sugary fruit blend juices. 

Studies show that you'll eat less if you eat from a smaller plate. So use those oversize dishes as chargers underneath your place setting or as servingware, and switch to smaller side or salad plates for your meals. Kitchenstuffplus.com sells this small white salad plate for $2.

Sandwiches get boring fast. Use reuseable storage containers to bring your lunch to work -- every day. Bring salads in them, or fresh cut-up fruit so you won't be tempted by the vending machine. Freeze leftovers and pull them out of the freezer at a later date so you're not eating the same thing two days in a row. Say sayonara to greasy lunches and calorie-laden snacks and hello to a healthier, slimmer you!