We know that scarfing an entire bag of even the lowest-carb chip is a nutritional no-no, but when it comes to brown breads, ripe vegetables, and seasonal fruit, we tend to give ourselves permission to chow down buffet style.

This includes “fat-free” or “calorie-free” food. The illusion of a guilt-free treat might be enough to cause you to unintentionally pack on the pounds.

When in doubt, measure it out. Says Schantz: “People tend to give themselves the freedom to overeat ‘healthy’ foods. While the label might say low-fat or fat-free, foods that carry these health claims may be high in sugar and other empty calories. Regardless if it’s an apple or a cupcake, you’ve got to watch your portion size.”

Most Americans eat more food than what’s recommended—except for vegetables. If you’re on a healthy diet track, you’ve probably heard that you need to eat more fruits and vegetables. The problem is, most of us choose fruit instead of vegetables, and we choose to eat way too much. The recommended USDA intake is 2-4 servings of fruit per day. But a serving is much smaller than you think.

Eating giant portions of even the healthiest food can hinder your progress or even make you gain weight.