Well, here goes. I spoke with my nutritionist today and got the download—much of which I’ve heard before. (Yes, not surprisingly, this is not my first get-healthy rodeo!) But even so, I loved how Elizabeth DeRobertis, RD, director of The Nutrition Center at The Scarsdale Medical Group in Scarsdale, NY, got me thinking about how to fit my health into my busy weeks.

Her suggestion? Think of your eating plan—really, everything you need to do to be healthy—like your GPS. Set a course, get on your way, and if you get lost? Well, just set your course again. Your GPS helps you when you make a wrong turn; so can your eating plan.

With that in mind, I took DeRobertis’ top three suggestions for me to the grocery store (and left the kids at home so that I could concentrate on what I needed to find!). Here are her tips:

• Be prepared to snack throughout the day. I love this one. DeRobertis has suggested that I grab a banana on my way out the door to school and work, then bring a Greek yogurt to nosh at my desk at work. After lunch, I should have two more snacks in the afternoon.

• Buy proper portion sizes. DeRobertis cautioned me to think about the maximum potential damage – as in, yes, while one serving of a snack may cost me 100 calories, who stops at just one when there’s a whole bag open? DeRobertis says to buy only in single-serving sizes, which I’ll now be on the look out for.

• Eat lowest calorie to highest calorie. DeRobertis suggests I split my dinner plate in half, with veggies on one side and then half again for lean protein and starches. That said, she went a step farther for me and told me to eat my veggies first. This a new idea for me, but one I’m starting to roll out.

There was plenty more for me to chew on (!), but these are the first three life changers I’m embracing this week. I’m going to start writing down what I eat (journaling has always worked for me and DeRobertis has offered to weigh in (!) on my entries).

I’ll admit, though, that I’m afraid to do an initial weigh in, even though I know I must. How will I celebrate a win if I don’t know how much I’ve lost?

Until next week…