Greetings Blog Readers:

I hope the first days of September have been kind to you! I don’t know about you, but for me the days after Labor Day are still all about a fresh start and getting back into routines. I always feel like September is more of a new year than January 1st! How funny.

The last few days I have been concentrating on getting back into my healthy routines. Packing healthy foods for breakfast, lunch and snacks, packing a gym bag so that I get a workout after work on all days that I do not have after work plans. it takes a lot of work and time to be this organized and by Friday I could really feel the effects of all of this work – not to mention that I have to wake up a full hour earlier than I have been this summer to get to work at a decent time!

A few days ago I switched my breakfasts from light English muffins (high fiber, protein and low sodium) and nut butter to a Greek yogurt and apple slices. Sometimes I add a 1/3 C of Kashi Go Lean Crunch.

It has gotten me through until lunch on some days and on other days I need to have a 100 calorie pack of almonds to get me through until my lunch break.

Lunches this week have mostly been salads, but I’ve added a few whole wheat crackers and a babybel cheese – some days I have more apple slices or carrot sticks. It’s been a good lunch – and by having such a fresh salad and using local produce, I feel like I’m hanging on to summer while I can!

In the salad mix: grated carrot, tomato, arugula, avocado, grilled chicken.

In the last week I got to the gym three times – which was my goal. Twice this week I had over 15,000 steps on my fitbit! Once this week I was able to take a quick walk before heading in to start my work day. I took a walk every day during lunch. This week was one of the hottest of the summer!!!

Over Labor Day weekend I spent a couple of days on Martha’s Vineyard. Sadly, my first trip to the island all summer. But I made the most of my few days. I walked around my favorite towns, did some shopping, took some photos:

I just loved these tiles and can’t wait to incorporate some into my house some day soon!

On Saturday night I had lobster for dinner and it was great (and just a little messy):

Besides lobster, my other dinners lately have been on the healthy side. After the gym sometimes I would pop over to Whole Foods and pick up dinner:

(this dinner was grilled salmon, garlic green beans [they are amazing!! crunchy and flavorful – one of my favorite things to pick up from WF.] and kale ‘pad thai’ – I also love this side because it is all vegetable and no actual noodles! My philosophy on Whole Foods dinners – if I take the time to go to the gym, and if it is going to be almost 8pm when I get home from my long work day, I’m 100% ok stopping by WF to pick up a healthy dinner for myself even though it might cost me a little more than if I made it myself.

On other nights I would go to the gym and come home to a wonderful dinner waiting for me:

Grilled chicken breast (thanks to mom) locally grown tomatoes (delicious!!!! My favorite thing about late August, early September!) and nutty brown rice (that I picked up on my way home from the gym) what a perfect dinner!

By the time Friday night rolled around I was totally out of gas. Sadly, I had no energy for the gym – I had meant to pick up an iced coffee on the way home in hopes it would power me to the gym but I never got around to it. We didn’t have much food in the house, but we had enough to make salads for dinner and they were delicious.

Yellow pepper, tomatoes, cucumbers, hard boiled egg and mixed greens. A half slice of sour dough bread on the side.

Now I am off to organize myself for the work week ahead. What am I going to pack for lunches this week!? How can I get a head start on healthy dinners for the week? How can I organize my gym bag for the next couple of days and be efficient. Stay tuned. Let’s see how this second week of September goes!