Are You Guilty of These Diet Crimes?

The "Healthy" Eater

THE CRIME: Your dinner plate is loaded with fresh, organic food: vegetables (straight from the farmers' market), free-range chicken, whole wheat pasta, a slice of nine-grain bread with flaxseed. You eat all the right things, so why aren't you slimming down? "I know plenty of overweight vegetarians," Binks says. "You can overdo it on the healthy stuff if you don't watch portion sizes."

Your Rehab Plan
Slow down. "It takes about 20 minutes for your gut to send the 'full' signal to your brain. If you shovel in food, you don't stop until you're past that point," Blatner says. Scoop a little less onto your fork and chew your food thoroughly before you swallow. These tricks can save you more than 200 calories a day.

Avoid fat traps. Dish out dinner in the kitchen instead of placing platters of food on the table; the extra effort required to get up for seconds may make you think twice. At restaurants, ask the waiter to doggie-bag half your entree before it hits the table.

Measure up. "Research shows that even dietitians can be off by as much as 30 percent when they're asked to guesstimate serving sizes," Binks says. Spend a day or two measuring out your food. "You'll probably be surprised by what proper servings look like," he notes. "There's no need to become obsessive, but occasionally checking your portions helps you stay on track."