When embarking on an exercise routine, it's important to have a fitness-friendly diet. That means that our meals need to provide ample energy to get through a dynamic workout, while also yielding enough nutrients to repair our muscles.  Improper eating habits can create significant problems. The wrong kinds of food -- or not enough food -- can lead to a drought in energy, poor sleeping patterns, weight gain and mood swings. When structuring your nutrition plan, pay attention to several things.

• Know your food allergies. If you have food allergies, it can be difficult to find meals that aid in your weight loss or weight-gain goals. I would suggest starting a food diary to keep track of your body's response to every meal. Find out what works with your body and build from there.

• Start reducing and balancing your food portions. If your goal is to lose weight, try eating home-cooked meals on a salad plate rather than the typical dinner plate. By reducing the plate size, you can save hundreds of excess calories. No matter the plate size, a quick visual reference I share with my clients is the hand, fist and thumb technique.

  A hand-sized portion of your plate should come from carbohydrates such as fruit, vegetables and whole grains.

  A fist-sized portion of your plate should come from lean proteins such as poultry, fish and lean beef.

  A thumb-sized portion should come from essential fat such as olive oil, Italian salad dressing and fish fats.

  Using this system can take much of the confusion out of structuring a balanced meal. When eating out, keep these same sizes in mind.

• Eat more often. The more we use our metabolism or energy-burning system, the more efficient it becomes. Metabolism works just like a muscle: The more it's trained, the more you can expect it to do. When you eat two or three times a day, your metabolism cannot be efficient.

  Get in the habit of eating small, frequent meals and avoid feeling too full. Aim to feel satisfied after each meal.

• Devote a little time each night to get meals ready for the next day. When it comes to weight loss or weight gain, proper nutrition plays a major role. I use the word "invest" when talking about preparing for better eating rather than "spend." When you invest into something you are preparing for your future, but spending may leave no lasting effect.

  Troy Fontana owns Fontana Fitness at the Sparks Marina.