4. Taking from the Cookie Jar…a Lot

We've all heard the old saying, “You are what you eat.”

For the young, First Lady Michelle Obama is making eating right “cool” and instilling lifelong good habits.

Anyone older than grade school age, some who have bad diet habits ingrained, may need to work harder to eat better.

TIP: Keep a journal.

A food journal is a good tool to help you learn about your eating habits. Try doing it for one week.

·      Write down what you eat, how much and what times of day you eat.

·      Keep track of how you were feeling when you ate. Were you just hungry or were you stressed, tired or bored?

·      Keep track of where you were when you ate. Bored at work, so you hit the vending machine?

At the end of the week, review your journal, and your eating patterns will reveal themselves. Your entries can help self-direct you on what you can change to make steps toward a healthier diet.

TIP: Don't think about foods you can't eat -- think of new things you can eat.