Like many of you, for me the week after Labor Day is like the first week of January. Time to get your shit together. Time to stop drinking during the week, eating ice cream sundaes just because and making better choices for your body all around.

It’s not a weight thing anymore for me. It’s more of a “get back to feeling healthy” like I am making smart decisions when it comes to my diet. I’ve never said yes to as much dessert or glasses of wine as I have since Tommy was born.

I said I was going to do this in March, then again in May and lastly I swore I’d be back to my pre-baby weight by July 4th. I didn’t weigh myself all summer because I felt good in my clothes and confident in my bathing suit. This change isn’t about my appearance but health. I know I haven’t been making the best decisions and now I’m ready to start.

Rule #1

My first rule is to cut the alcohol during week day evenings. This is supposed to be realistic, after all.

Rule #2

Next, I’ve never been into cheat days but this time around, I’m going to give myself one. Previously I was an advocate for 2 cheat meals a week, but on Sunday’s with football starting, I think a day is more appropriate since I often don’t eat meals. This will also help with all the weddings and showers I have.

Rule #3

My next step was is create a grocery list to set up my environment for success. The rule is to create a grocery list and meal plan to stick to each week. This list includes items for breakfast and lunch.

• Bananas
• Muesli – here’s my favorite
• Silk Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
• So Delicious Unsweetened Vanilla Coconut Yogurt
• Hummus
• Red and Yellow Bell Peppers
• Kale
• Quinoa
• Avocado
• Chickpeas
• Pepitas
• Beets
• Sweet Potatoes
• Sauce – Lemon, Ginger, Tahini, Garlic

Some of my must haves include bananas and Silk Unsweetened Almond Milk for smoothies. These are great for after workouts with Vega protein powder or without as a sweet snack or dessert.

Another snack that is a staple in my house is hummus with fresh veggies.

My breakfasts in the summer were mostly peanut butter English muffins. I didn’t measure the peanut butter and I don’t have the time or desire to do so. So, now I’m sticking to satisfying breakfasts that are portion controlled like overnight oats, and lots of veggies for lunch to keep me full on nutrient dense foods.

For lunch, I’m planning to make ahead some killer power bowls with quinoa, kale, avocado, chickpeas, pepitas, beets and sweet potatoes. The beets and sweet potatoes take a bit of prep chopping and roasting in the oven but once they are done, they provide enough for meals all week. My favorite sauce is this garlic lemon ginger sauce inspired by my favorite Life Alive meals.

This list covers my breakfasts, lunches, and snacks. It’s inspired by plants because I am trying to eat less meat for the environment and my health.

Rule #4

Always have something quick and healthy to make for dinner on hand!

Since I cook dinner for Nick and myself, our dinners sometimes get tricky trying to balance what he wants with what I want and our schedules. We often do meal delivery services like Terra’s Kitchen or Just Add Cooking. He often has work dinners and I grab Sweetgreen or have leftovers. However, I always have a few things in my freezer for healthy options that I can whip up quick when I’m on my own! My go to dinner is just a veggie burger with side salad or brown rice. My favorite is the Tex-Mex burger from Trader Joe’s which I always have in my freezer. I’ll add avocado or whatever veggies I have on hand with some salsa.

You of course can buy groceries for dinner which I do usually, but I find planning for more than 3 meals to be a bit challenging as food goes bad. Here is my meal prep dinner 101 post for help.

Rule #5

Exercise at least 30 minutes 5 days a week.

This is something I enjoy doing and go out of my way to do. I don’t have to worry about sticking with this but just in case you are looking for a well-rounded plan. I sign up for 2 classes a week at my local spin studio, Recycle Studio because they have babysitting. I also try to workout at my gym a couple of days a week and visit BTone in the North End who also has babysitting!

In conclusion, I’m motivated. This is the last time I’m going to say that I’m going to change my eating habits until at least January 1st! 🙂 It’s going down for real this time.

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This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Silk. The opinions and text are all mine.