Out to Lunch

I just finished a quick lunch time grocery shopping trip to Publix to stock up on items for my breakfasts, lunches, and snacks I eat at work and was thinking about how drastically different my lunch time “run out to pick up something” routine is from a year-and-a-half ago.  Before I made my changes to living a healthier life, I didn’t think twice about running through a drive-through to grab a biscuit and hashbrown on the way to work, and then hitting the drive through yet again for a burger and fries, or tacos, or something equally as bad for me. These days, that has all changed.  Now, I stock up my work fridge and cabinet and eat in my office.

Here’s what I bought today:

3 cases of bottled water

2 jars of no-sugar-added pickles

2 bowls of deli-made peach-mango salsa

3-pound bowl of seedless watermelon

1 pound of strawberries

3 packs of turkey sausage patties

2 cartons of blueberries

1 pack fiber granola 90-calorie bars

1 dozen hardboiled eggs

2 pounds fresh cut pineapple

2 bananas

1 pound cut broccoli

1 loaf healthy life bread

1 pack flat out light wraps

Looking at this list makes me very happy.  Is it completely unprocessed?  Nope, but most of it is, and the things that aren’t still represent decent choices for their respective items.  These things, along with a few things I already had on hand at work left over from my last shopping trip (including some deli turkey, hummus, carrots, tuna, chicken, and other things), will carry me through my daytime meals for the next two work weeks or so.

When I compare a lunch meal from before with a typical lunch meal today, it looks something like this:

THEN  - 1,630 Calories and 72 grams of Fat              

Bacon Cheeseburger C-790; F-39                              

Large Fries C-500;  F-25                                           

Caramel Sundae C-340; F-8                                       

NOW – 377 Calories and 9 grams of Fat

Turkey Sandwich – C-130; F-1

1 Cup Broccoli – C-25; F-0

2 tbsp hummus – C-70; F-6

2 cups watermelon – C-92; F-5

1 oz. sugar-free pickles – C-0; F-0

Sugar-free pudding cup – C;60; F-1.5

The difference in the two is really amazing!  What more can I say about it?  It costs much less for me to eat healthy, it requires less time since I’m no longer waiting in drive-through lines twice a day, and the reduction in calories and fat grams (not to mention, sodium, carbs, sugars, etc.) is HUGE, and in the end, my overall health and weight are significantly improving as a result of the changes.  You just can’t argue with that!

(Just a reminder/disclosure…I am not a medical professional or certified trainer, so anything I write in this blog is not intended to be taken as advice, guidance, or recommendations.  It is simply a journal of my own personal experiences.  Thanks!)