NUTRITION TIPS | WORKOUT TIPS | ABOUT MIKE MONROE

Every Starter Wife knows that in order to get the most out of her workout routine, she also has to watch what, when and how she eats.

But I'm not going to introduce you to yet another fad diet.

My belief is that if you actually manage to find a plan that works for you, you could end up being a slave to it for life. But worse than that, many of those plans lack in certain essential nutrients and can be unhealthy in the long run.

To help you on your way to becoming Starter Wife ready, instead I'm going to provide you with some basic nutrition tips and insights that will, when used in conjunction with The Starter Wife Workouts, help you unlock your best -- and healthiest -- body ever.

• I've got two words for you: portion control. I believe portion control is the best means of "dieting." Eat smaller meals and eat a bit more frequently. This will keep your body's stove burning at a steady pace, eliminating the dreaded energy lows throughout the day.
  
  
• Losing weight is actually a very simple thing to do, in principle: If you burn more calories than you take in during the day, then you'll lose weight. The issue is to have the resolve to put it into practice and to stick with it.
  
  
• Even when you were a kid, you were probably told about the Food Pyramid. Some people find it confusing and a little hard to follow, but all you have to do is try to eat well-balanced meals throughout the day. Many of us forget to include fruits and veggies in our daily diets, so try to have at least two servings of each per day.
  
  
• Serving sizes should be the size of your fist.
  
  
• Eat a healthy breakfast. Example: Cereal, skim milk, fruit serving. Skipping breakfast will make you sluggish and even more susceptible to overdoing it with junk food later in the day.
  
  
• Eat a small, healthy snack around mid-morning. Example: Non-fat yogurt or piece of fruit. This will keep your energy up and stave off hunger.
  
  
• Eat a healthy lunch. Example: Small salad with grilled chicken and very light dressing. One of my favorite low cal/healthy dressings is olive oil and lemon juice with a dash of Tabasco sauce. Try it!
  
  
• Eat a healthy afternoon snack. Example: Handful of baby carrots or raw almonds. This is the perfect way to give the body a little boost and ensure that our stomachs are not totally empty when dinner comes around.
  
  
• Eat a healthy dinner. Example: Grilled fish, brown rice and a serving of green veggies. Try to eat dinner before 8pm. Otherwise, you may not properly digest before you go to sleep.
  
  
• Drink at least 2 liters of water a day. Our bodies are made up of so much water and we need to replenish it constantly. Get a refillable water bottle and keep it with you throughout your day -- in your car, at meetings, while you're answering your email.
  
  
• If you find you're really struggling to keep a good diet, try keeping a "Food Journal." Simply write down everything you eat and drink during the day and then at the end of the week, weigh yourself and add that to your list. You'll be amazed at what you learn when you review what you ate at the end of the week and how it affected your weight. After a few weeks, you'll truly start noticing a direct cause and effect between what you ate and what you weigh. Start making notes on what seemed to work to help you lose weight and what didn't. Once you establish some good habits that result in weight loss, make those a part of your daily routine.