Some quick back-story: I currently weigh 365 lbs. I need to weigh a whole lot less (probably 60% of that). I made the decision a few weeks ago to change. I’ve been hitting the gym 5 days a week with a commitment to at least 4 of those days. My intake is a 180° from what it was: no overeating, and zero junk food with some very minor exceptions.

I had the unique opportunity to do the food shopping last night. Usually my wife does the shopping, but she’s been under the weather. We have plenty of dinner items but I was completely out of breakfast/lunch for work. Being the methodical person I am, I made a shopping list. The shopping objective was simple: acquire everything on my list while avoiding the junk food.

Shopping with the purpose of getting nourishing food instead of crap that will sate my appetite until the next feeding was a whole new experience. I felt like Neo in the last 5 minutes of The Matrix, seeing the store for what it was: bare code stripped of advertisements, bright colors, and an unhealthy dependence on refined sugars. I bought a ton of food and even splurged on a few items: Tillamook pepper jack slices, pepper rings, and fancy (albeit light) cream cheese for bagels. I expected the bill to be hefty but was pleasantly surprised by a price tag of $73 for whole lot.

My lunch box is sporting the following today: a banana, a granola bar, a PB & J, applesauce, and raw baby carrots.