Morning Kick Start-Good Habits

"Good Habit"-Get your metabolism working first thing in the morning by giving your body what it needs for the energy you will be burning. Here's a quick pick-me-up starter: 1 slice of whole wheat toast with peanut butter + 1 cup of your favorite fresh fruit. 1 Cup beverage of choice.
One of my favorite pick-me-ups is to combine sliced apple (with peel) and use the peanut butter as a dip-but watch the serving size!! This is great any time of the day!
I deliberately left off the amount of peanut butter to use because reading labels is very important in dieting. Labels tell you a variety of things-calories, servings, serving sizes, fat content, etc. Reading labels should become a "good habit", both in the grocery store and at home.

"Good Habit"-there are food journals available at your local book store that allows you to record everything you eat on a daily basis, exercises you have completed, fat grams you consume, etc. Personally, I think recording all of this is extreme at the beginning and sets you up for failure. It's overwhelming at this stage in the game.
First things first-keeping a record of food consumption. What do you eat, when do you eat and what are you doing while you eat? These are 3 very important things to know because they tell you alot about yourself. By keeping a record of my eating habits, I have come to realize that
1. I cannot skip breakfast any more-I need that energy
2. I need to eat at least a couple of small snacks each day to keep my energy up and my blood sugars level all day and
3. A 3:00 p.m. high protein snack is a must for me-this is when my body says I've had enough and starts shutting down. I get extremely tired, cranky and irritable. But, grabbing a handful of nuts or a wedge of cheese, will totally reverse my mood.
By recording my eating habits, this record has allowed me to design a good daily menu for myself. It has allowed me to do meal planning for the whole day(week)and while I don't watch the clock and eat at precisely the same times every day-I can go to my plan when I'm hungry and have options. (More on menus and meal planning later).