8. Cleaning the plate
Many of us were taught from the time we were small to finish what’s on our plates before leaving the table. This becomes a deeply embedded habit that does not, unfortunately, help us in later life to lose or maintain weight. Not only do we finish our own, but we tend to also finish the leftovers on our children’s plates or that last lonely slice in the pie dish after dinner. I confess that I do this. But this habit causes us to eat more than we need to satisfy our hunger and is therefore dreadful for weight control. Get into the habit of letting your stomach and brain decide when you are full, not the quantity of food on your plate. Leftovers can always be stored in the fridge, rather than around your waist and hips.

9. Shopping on an empty stomach
Human nature can often be perverse, encouraging us to do the right thing but at the wrong time. When you are full and satisfied, food shopping is rarely top of mind. But when you are hungry, grocery shopping suddenly seems like a very good idea indeed. Unfortunately, it just isn’t: you’ll end up with a shopping cart that has been filled primarily by your stomach rather than your head.

10. Eating high-sugar, high-fat treats
As we are all well aware, food is a big part of holidays and celebrations – just think of Thanksgiving, a wedding, a bar mitzvah or Christmas and you’ll probably picture the special foods that go along with them. Where would the candy industry be without Valentine’s Day, Halloween or Easter? Food is inexorably linked with positive experiences, and that is one reason we often think of certain foods as “treats.” Unfortunately, these so-called treats tend to be high in calories, sugar and fat, and are certainly not your friends. They are a major contributor to the obesity crisis and to weight-related diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. We should really start to view these foods as penalties rather than rewards.

Instead choose treats that are lower in calories and fat. If candy is your thing, there is a plethora of low- and no-sugar brands available. Fresh fruit and low-fat, no-sugar-added yogurt and ice cream are even better treats. And there are many delicious dessert and snack recipes in all my G.I. Diet books. Treats are a wonderful part of our lives – just make sure they are the right sort of treats.

Read more:
• 5 ways to boost your metabolism naturally
• 5 sneaky things that will make you gain weight
• 8 ways to blast belly fat
• Eat bread, lose weight?

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Excerpted from The G.I. Diet Clinic by Rick Gallop. Copyright 2007 by Rick Gallop. Excerpted by permission of Random House Canada. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.