Stop Licking the Peanut Butter Knife

We all have done it, and some of you may even double-dip. Oh yeah, I'm talking about when you're done spreading that ooey gooey goodness across your slice of whole wheat toast, you lick that knife before you toss it in the dishwasher. It may seem like a harmless act, I mean after all it's just the remnants that didn't quite make it onto the toast. However, all kidding aside, it is these mindless calories that often times add-up and ruin your nutrition plan.

Mindlessly consuming calories throughout the day can be extremely detrimental to your nutrition. How many of you have:

1. Licked the peanut butter knife
2. Finished a bite or two of food from a spouse's or child's plate at dinner
3. Snitch a piece or two of candy corn from the dish every time you walk by
4. Eat one or two jelly beans from the dish at the generous co-worker's cube

Believe it or not, most of the calories the average American consumes throughout the day are not from planned meals! They come from:

• Grazing throughout the day
• Eating unplanned snacks (someone brings donuts to work and you already had breakfast)
• Having seconds or thirds at dinner

So What can I do to prevent "licking the peanut butter knife"??

If you really want to get that shredded body or if you have quite a few pounds to lose, you need to stop licking the peanut butter knife and really buckle down. This means doing the following:

1. Track all food intake in a food diary
2. Don't keep food/snacks/candy lying around
3. Eat 5-6 times per day. Doing this will keep you eating all day long, but it will be planned out and healthy

Don't fall into the trap of mindless eating and grazing. It is easy to do, but can kill your nutrition goals!