WEEK 1

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Ok, here’s the grocery list that we’ve all been waiting for.  Notice that there are substitutes and guidelines about certain foods.  I’m not saying you need to buy everything I buy, but this is what I buy.  Remember this is customized to me and my lifestyle.  I’ll probably have more options of certain brands I use in the near future, but I’m seeking their permission first.  I’ll have something up soon with many more alternatives, recipes, etc. , but for now I can’t answer everyone’s specific questions.  Also, no, you don’t have to go to a whole foods type store to buy these things.  I don’t.  I buy these from a normal local grocery store.  But that’s totally up to you where you decide to buy these things.

Week 1 Grocery List (For Substitutions See bottom of Post)

Fruits:

  • 10 bananas
  • 8 apples
  • 1 container blueberries

Vegetables:

  • 5 zucchini
  • 5 squash
  • Handful of fresh green beans
  • 1 head of broccoli
  • 1 head of cauliflower
  • Bell peppers and/or Onions
  • 1 large container of spinach

Meats:

  • Frozen or Fresh Chicken Breasts (depending on family size the amount will differ, but I purchase enough for the whole week)
  • Ground Lean Turkey Meat (Packages of meat generally have a percentage showing the fat content. Example: 97/3 , 80/20 etc. Try and get the MOST lean possible. I buy 97/3 whenever possible)
  • Frozen Lean Fajita Meat- Pre-seasoned in bag (Frozen Meat Section is where I find this)
  • Salmon (Fresh or Frozen or ANY kind of fish)
  • Turkey Lunch Meat

Seasoning:

  • Mayo (w/ Olive Oil in it)
  • Sun Dried Tomato Seasoning Marinade for Meat (You can purchase whatever marinade you think you’ll like on your meats just look at the back to make sure the sugar is LOW)
  • Small Container of Sea Salt
  • No or Low Sodium Seasonings of any kind

Snacks:

  • Almonds (Many brands make different flavored almonds like sea salt, chile lime, etc. Any flavors are fine)
  • Protein Bars (LOW CARB/SUGAR, HIGH FIBER BARS. Be careful on this one to review the nutritional facts on the back of the box. Many protein bars have high sugar content. Right now my wife and I use Quest Protein Bar)
  • Beef Jerky

Dairy:

  • Eggs (or Egg White Substitute or both)
  • Unsweetened Almond Milk
  • Zero Calorie Butter Spray

Misc:

  • Peanut Butter (be careful on this one too. You’ll want to find a quality “natural” peanut butter brand. These will have better oils for your body then normal peanut butter brands)

Substitutes and/or Further Recommendations

  • Feel free to substitute the fruits for other fruits you enjoy more: ie. Peaches, pears, etc. However, you will need the bananas for the spinach shake I will show you how to make week 1.
  • Feel free to substitute the vegetables for different vegetables you (or your family) prefer. Also, if cost is a huge issue and you don’t feel like you can afford fresh vegetables then buy frozen. It’s better to have frozen vegetables then none at all, though it’s always preferred to steam vegetables when possible.
  • If it’s necessary for you to eat processed carbs stay away from ones with: High Sugar, Sodium, and saturated fats. SO STAY AWAY FROM THOSE THREE S’s!!!
  • Try to drink enough WATER so that you have at least one clear urination a day
  • Prepare your meals in ADVANCE! I cannot stress this enough. I will discuss this is greater detail starting day one on my journey back to Fit. This will help you save TIME and better prepare you to avoid bad eating habits.

Supplements I’m using this week:

Supplements Lynn is using this week:

** Please remember you do NOT have to use the supplements that my wife and I are using above. People asked we include this in the grocery list so that they see what supplements we’re using in advance of the day we’re using them. Supplements can be found under therecommended supplements tab on my website.

 

557 comments on “WEEK 1”

    • for what its worth, i buy the all natural peanut butter from wal mart. it has a lot of omega 3′s in it. its runny, but i use it in protein shakes so it works fine. i bet this is the same one Drew buys.

        • spinach is GREAT in shakes and in desserts too. It does not have much flavor so mixed with sweet fruits and liquids (like in a shake) you cannot taste it at all. I will turn your shake green though.

        • Just wondering( banannas ) go bad so quick, if bought to early they will be nasty if shakes are in later part of the week.. could buy green & be ripe in time..was wondering too are you gonna post the menus early so we can kinda get an idea of timing & recipes etc. so meals are prepared earlier..also anyone have an idea on keeping banannas fresh yet not rippen to early?

          • As bananas ripen, their starches turn into sugars, making them sweeter. If you’ve ever made banana bread, you’d know the blackened-ripe work best. Of course you don’t want to eat mushy bananas, but they should work out great for shakes – in fact toss any turning too spotted to eat… peel them, toss in a bag and into the freezer for use in the shakes (frozen fruit work well in shakes as they preserve much of the nutrient content).

          • Just a quick note on bananas- When they are ripe enough for you-pop them in a ziplock bag (with the skin on) and freeze them. They will keep for a couple of weeks. You can cut them in half before freezing and when you need a banana for your shake take one out peel it and throw in the blender. The frozen banana will mix great and you can reduce the ice cubes. BTY, I use mostly frozen fruit when making my shakes so I don’t need the ice cubes. I also, use filtered water as the liquid to reduce the calories, taste great.

        • Well, day 1 is here.. i am a bit behind.. i didnt see the grocery list or the recipe listed so i winged my fist spinach shake.. was ok, however I plan to follow as closely as possible..
          The avoiding no cal soda has to be adjusted.. I have a splitting head ache…

      • Good luck Drew check out @leanbodylifestyle on YouTube for some great low carb, high protein recipes/ lots of desserts for when you need a treat. 6 pack by summer , can’t wait :)

      • I use the peanut butter from Walmart too. With banana and protein powder….yum! I wonder how much of the weight loss is from the cleanse system that he sells.

      • I like to store my unopened natural peanut butter upside down. Then the oils are at the bottom when you open it. Also, once I open it and stir the oils, I store the peanut butter in the refridgerator so it stays somewhat hard. Costco has a good natural peanut butter.

    • I’m loving the grocery list..but spinach shake? Yikes. I’m a little scared. I have sort of a loathing for processed fruit. Hopefully I can just not blend it up and eat it that way. I’m super excited to start.

      • Rachel, you have got to try spinach shakes! They taste amazing! I throw spinach in all my shakes, you can’t taste it at all and it gives the shakes a great thickness and tons of extra nutrients. Give it a try, I promise you won’t regret it! :)

        • I went grocery shopping last night. I couldn’t wait for Drew’s shake recipe, so I searched the Net for the Spinach, banana, almond milk, blueberry recipe. I’m not a huge fan of these individual ingredients. But together,they just kind of went…SHAZAM!!! That shake is INCREDIBLE!!! You guys and gals are going to flip when you try it.

      • I felt exactly the same way. I started making a morning spinach shake about two months ago, changed my life. It gets me through almost the entire morning and it perks me up a little bit as well. Highly recommend it

    • beef jerky is great, and if you can find it ostrich jerky is even better for you. or turkey for that matter. you should be able to find it at your local vitamin supplement store. stay away from gnc, over priced. support local business and find a local store. tell them what you are doing and I bet they will answer any question you have. besides, this is going to be your new favorite store anyway, its time to get to know them.

      • Make the switch over time and look for sales…do only what you can afford…fresh veggies and fruits can be actually less expensive than processed foods but you need to be careful.

    • Okay so I have a question. I am 17 almost 18 and I am 198lb and about 5’8″. I like your list but how much does this cost you? My family doesn’t have money and most of the time I eat at work and that is pizza 5 out of 7 days and I bring it home so we can eat in the mornings. And I love soda alot and when I don’t have it I feel sick. How do I break these addictions? And with the working out I just feel like I dont have any time with school, a job, and chruch all of my time is taking up. I don’t want to be skinny I just want to be health. Can you help me? what should I do?

      • Shannon, I think the most important thing is to drop the soda! It will probably suck for like a week or two, but the drop in sugar and extra calories goes a /long/ way toward being healthy. You won’t need the caffeine after you’ve kicked the habit!

        Learn to drink only water; I think this is probably the biggest single step you can make for your health.

        You can do it!

        • Shannon, if you can’t tolerate dropping the soda cold turkey, iced tea is a great substitute. Make your own and put it in a reusable water bottle. Just be sure to rinse it out well. Tea still has the caffine, which is probably what you are addicted to, and you can decrease the amount of sugar you put in over time.

          I am living proof that you do not need to work out incessantly to lose weight. I lost 60 pounds on Weight Watchers and I did not increase my activity level that significantly. the biggest changes I made were in my diet. If you can’t afford or don’t have time for the gym, small changes will help – park further away from the store, use a hand carry cart at teh grocery store to pick up a few items, take the stairs whenever possible. The other thing I did was buy workout DVD’s. You can usually get them for less than $20.

      • Dude-I promise you God would rather you sorted your body out than you sat in Church praying to him. Train before school and skip church for a few weeks to train if you have to-God won’t mind. Its harder if you’re hard up but a lot of this food is cheap. Apples, bananas, spinach, turkey mince-you’ll be surprised how little it costs compared to fast food. If you gotta have pizza, you can make it work. Eat the pizza topping-ditch the base. Go to Subway-same price as pizza. Mickey Ds-get a burger, dump the buns and skip the fries. The meats isn’t the best but not the end of the world. And dump the soda-you’ll feel HORRIBLE for a week, then you won’t believe how good you feel. They’re poison.

      • Or – drink plain seltzer water (not tonic water…seltzer water). Zero calories or sugar, and with all the carbonation, you won’t really miss the sugar.

        They also have fruit flavored seltzer water.

      • Hey my is Logan. I Think any time when facing I am facing something hard. I Like to leave it with God. Ask him to break it. He will help you get through this thing. Also partners are good when your exersising. Just ask your mom or dad to incourge you. help you along. By exersising and breaking you things. I am in your prayers…

      • Shannon, never give up on prayer or going to Church, remember ask, seek, and knock. God will always make a way and create time for you to exercise. God sees your efforts and that you want to make yourself healthier. Continue to do the right things. It’s great that you chose to start the Fit2Fat2Fit eating plan, but as Drew says “it’s a life style change” not just a diet.

    • I am ready to begin again. I know for a fact it gets harder with age and genetic make up.
      Was wondering whats your genetic make up is. for example; mine is on my father side after the age of 35, weight comes on quickly,
      and metabolic syndrom sets in. On my mother side obsese from childhood. I seem to have followed my father side. Very thin till age 35, thenthe weight continues to go up.

    • Drew, is this your shopping list for just you (one person) – are you doubling it for you and your wife?

      If I want to feed my whole family your healthy fare, do I use this as a per person guideline?

    • Really excited ( and Hungry) ) to have the Grocery list. I think im going to be happy buying these food items rather than just buying ” Happy Food “. My family and friends know somethings up. My game face is on!

    • about the almond milk ( can a person use
      ( light soy milk? I always see where in other recipes the almond or rice milk & wondering why these & not light soy?

    • There is a peanut butter that is about 80 cals per serving and it comes in powder form. Its called PB2. I saw this on Dr. Oz. I just ordered it so I’m anxious to try it.

  • Good luck.
    If you’re not already planning to do so, could you also show your blood pressure readings? Assuming you’re successful (which I think is a slam dunk given your focus and strategy), I think clearly demonstrating blood pressure numbers will hit hoime for a lot of people.
    All the best in finding that “six-pack” again.

    • I agree, I hope he posts blood pressure as well as cholesterol levels and glucose. high cholesterol and diabetes affect so many people, I would love to see how all 3 numbers come down.

      • Don’t put too much into blood pressure readings.
        I just had my done this morning and it was 106 over 80 – completely within a normal range.
        But I’m also 5’10″ and 260lbs.

        • Seriously Jeff, for someone like Drew whose pressure shot up to level II hypertension in such a short time, his BP IS related to his weight gain. Just because yours is normal, doesn’t mean that others whose is high can’t bring it down with weight loss. And high BP is life threatening, so it’s a big deal!

        • Ive been on high blood pressure & medicine for high cholestrol, also my thyroid killed in early 20s/28..so medicine for that too, now since im hypothroid I am always told its gonna be hard to loss wieght( & that it has) so i hope this really helps me loose so i can maybe later kick some of the meds…

        • Jeff, Hypothyroidism can cause obesity with a sub normal BP. Do some research online. Figure out exactly what thyroid tests you need (HINT: NOT just the TSH). Then get your Doc to order the blood draw. I went thru this about 3 years ago and almost died!!

      • I’d like to see his liver enzyme and thryroid function tests, too. I really don’t think any point is to be made from all of this except that he can do this. Weight is not an objective matter. It’s subjective and it involves the environment. It’s not inborn nor is it the power of the will. It just is. There is little that most of us can do to change who and what we are.

  • I’m so excited to follow you from fat 2 fit! I’m sure I will learn a thing or two from you. Thank you so much for doing this, and good luck!

  • Drew~
    Thanks for the info! Question for you. I travel 50-75% of the time with my work and I find myself having a hard time making healthy food decisions. Any suggestions for us “Road Warriors”?
    Thanks,
    Mark

    • Mark,
      I’m in the same boat. The road is tough, too much restaurant food, too easy to hit a fast food drive-up on the way back to the hotel after a hard day. I’m more sucessful if I can get a room with a frig and microwave, and pick up some healthy stuff from a local grocery to keep in my room. Best when I get off to a good start as soon as I leave home, get a little momentum going. Good luck.

    • Hi Mark!
      I feel your pain, I’ve been there too. Where in the U.S. are you located and do you only travel locally, or all over the country?

      • Mark,

        I was on the road for almost 6 years. It is a decision you have to make and stay true to that decision. I bring protein bars with me for snacks, protein powder to make shakes, eat salads, and drink lots of water. Most restraunt has salad, and you just need to ask them to add protein to your salads. The important thing is to control your portion, always make better food choice whenever you can. It is hard, but can be done.

    • I am not obese but a few extra pounds that i want to get rid off. Yeah what about alcohol? And coffee? I have coffee every morning? And i dont drink a lot but i like to have wine with food and ocasionally ( weekends) spirits, and hard liquor?

      • Re: Alcohol

        I went from drinking almost all the time (in social settings, wine at night after dinner, etc) to quitting cold turkey for my own sake and lose weight etc. I noticed that once I started to incorporate drinking back into my lifestyle about 6 months later, I couldnt drink no where near what I used to and have to heavily dilute my wine now and wouldnt touch a beer if my life depended on it. Totally worth it. Coffee though, I will never give up. I dont care what anyone says. :>

    • One brand that I like to use is Pure Protein. I find that they are easy to chew (some are not that soft) and actually taste good. There are different flavors such as Cookies and Cream, Chocolate chocolate and Chocolate peanut butter which is my fave. Some of the nutrition value for the Chocolate Peanut Butter bar is as follows:

      Cal:200
      Total fat: 6g
      Sodium:200mg
      Total Carbs: 16g
      Dietary Fibers 1g
      Sugars: 2g
      Protein: 20 g

      I can find these bars at Winco, Safeway or Walmart. Good luck!!

      • Love the idea of Pure Protein but it has sugar alcohol as a sweetner. Many folks (including myself) are sensitive to sugar alcohol–I wish I wasn’t as they sound delicious!

    • I use Nutribar meal replacement bars.
      Milk chocolate peanut is my fav.
      Very similar in stats to what Loni uses.
      Want to change though as they have 4.1g of saturated fats.

  • I’m so excited for this. Thank you for doing all of this. I’ve only been following your blog for a few weeks, but in the short time I have come to recognize not only the sacrifices that you AND your family are making to do this, but the sacrifices that I had NO IDEA I was forcing my family to make for me. I’m very excited to share this next part of your journey with you.

  • I am allergic to spinach. What can I substitute? I also have to go gluten free. I have a serious wheat allergy. Are you avoiding breads?

  • Now my question is, and I know you just posted this, but are you going to give a detailed sort of menu? You’re showing us what you eat but not when and how much. Just wondering!

    • If you seriously want to get your wieght down I’m sure Drew would agree you need to stop ALL white carbs. You can’t go wrong by having a fist size (or smaller) of meat and loading up your plate with veg and more veg. No white carbs. Your body starts to crave them because they turn into sugar. Stop white carbs for about three months and the thougth of them will make you ill! The only bread I eat is seed bread – one slice a day. My husband is a doctor and recommends NO white carbs at all! My three teenage sons love salmon, brocolli, beans, spinach, sushi. etc. It’s just a matter of one new taste a week. Only ever wholewheat – no pasta until you’ve got that carb craving under control. And then only one bite unless you’re working out like Drew will be!

      • I agree with you on the whole craving thing. To think that I crave vegetables now just weirds me out. Also, while I was losing weight I completely cut out my pasta intake only because I was used to eating massive bowls, sometimes seconds and it wasnt until I made it into a side dish rather than a main meal was I able to bring it back.

  • Yummy…it all looks good and healthy…i was at 213…got down to 155 gained 20 due to shoulder surgery …you are a true motivation …I’m with you!!!

  • Great grocery list… nothing crazy and most of the stuff i already eat. Plus there aren’t a thousand diff things to buy and only use part of… oh how i hate to waste! Thank you for a very reasonable grocery list!

  • Wow! I can’t believe it but I already have almost everything in your list which tells me that I am just eating too much of it and not doing enough exercise???
    I have only been riding about 60 miles a week. My legs are in great shape so most of my excess weight is from the waist up.
    Can’t wait to see the exercise routine.
    Thanks Drew

  • have you considered the paleo way of eating? the butter spray, marinades they are all really high in chemicals. You should consider coconut oil, or grassfed butter and grassfed organic free range eggs. Best of luck on your journey!

  • I was wondering what your ratio’s will be..ie protein, carbs, and fats. I was thinking it looked like 50/30/20. If you could answer that on your next post that would be awesome! Thanks!

    • Just a thought. Drew is actually going to teach you something. Like how to shop, cook, and eat healthy. Do you get that with nutrisystem. Just a thought.

  • YAY ! will do my husband & me are sooo excited to start this phase with you !! Sending you good vibes, strenght and focus to you !

  • Hi,

    Thanks for sharing your list! It looks good. I was just wondering, how are you planning on dealing with your sugar cravings? By drinking lots of water? By eating fresh fruits? By the little amount of sugar in the protein bars? It seems that you probably should have developed a sweet tooth by now. Maybe you have a lot of self-discipline and can just say no. I would like to try to follow your meal plan (I am working on developing healthy eating habits), but sugar is an area that really trips me up. So I was wondering what your plan is.

    • I’m a sugar addict, too. Today was the first day I went all day without eating any of my kids’ Halloween candy. That was huge for me. Once, I read a book called Sugar Busters. They say after 3-5 days, the cravings start to go away.

    • I was wondering the same thing. Based on the grocery list, looks like he’s cold turkey! Yikes. Gonna be a challenge with halloween candy still in the house!

  • Okay banana’s and spinach??? Hmmmm! We are pumped and can not wait to start this journey with you!!! Thank you and God Bless you!!!!!

  • hello my name is jeff and found out about you on tv last week and am excited to get to fallow you through this process of going back to fit . i am 40 yrs old and have been over weight for 10 years and i weight 280 lbs. i was curious about the food list and my question was you didnt have cottage cheese in there for snack . is it bad for you ? and there is a website called http://www.stronglifts.com and in there mazes of articals they have a slightly different way of eating like red meat , cottage cheese , and noooo protien bars . and i was wondering if you could look at there site and tell me what you thought of it . like i said its just alittle diffent and was wondering your oppionon . sorry for the spelling im an artist not a speller lol . hopefully to hear back from you . excited to lose this weight finally and i already am starting to eat better . and lost 5 pounds in the last 5 days :D . thank you

  • Great list, very similar to my shopping list.
    I see that you by deli/processed meat, are you worried about the processed meats?

    What are your thoughts on the Peanut Butter Company brand of peanut butter?

    Do you ever go for Buffalo meat? I don’t eat much red meat but if I do I go for deer and buffalo!

    Thanks, I think it is a great thing you are doing for millions who struggle in changing their food intake and lifestyle.

    Best of luck!
    Jennifer

    • Bananas (and any kind of natural fruit) contain natural sugars, and fibre and lots of other nutrients. So fruit is good for you, unlike processed sugars. All in moderation though.

  • what about the suppletemts ? i order the shakes but the others im holding of on they doint really tell you what the do or anything like that can you give me more info on these ? thank you

  • Hey Drew,
    This is Suresh Kumar from New York. I’m 21 years old. I’ve been overweight my whole life and my current weight is 242 lbs. I’ve been following your twitter and your blogs since the beginning of October. My twitter is IamAFatBrownKid. In my religion, I’m not allowed to eat meat, seafood, etc. However I do eat eggs some time and some dairy products. I also consume whey protein shakes whenever I workout, but I hardly workout like once a week. So, I wanted to know what are your recommendations of the meals for the vegetarians? Shakes? Anything else? Living in an Indian family, I consume a lot of carbs, because we make dishes using lots of oil, rice, bread, etc. I wanted to know that if I follow your workout routine, am I going to get the same results as you or I have to do something extra?
    Thanks,
    Suresh.

    • Suresh, I’m in the boat with you. I am a strict vegetarian for religious reasons. However, I do eat non-fertile eggs from a local farm. Like yours, my diet has too many carbohydrates. I am going to do my best to follow Drew’s meal plans. Where he has meats, I will substitute some form of non-meat protein such as tofu, TVP, or eggs. I know the protein intake is critical because it suppresses the appetite.

  • I am very excited and nervous at the same time to start the program back 2 fit but it is time! Thanks Drew for helping us become healthier You are a true inspiration!

  • Hi
    I just read this on one of our lokal news websites in Denmark, and I must say that i’m seriously impressed with your commitment to gettin’ fat and start training again. must have been hard to make a 180 on the health department.
    i’ll follow your process and try to imitate your diet and training.
    keep up the good work

    all the way from Denmark,
    Filip

  • wow, this is simpler then i thought? i guess all i had to do really was cut out the cereal and soda and start working out a bit more ^_^ but one question, how do i tell what foods are processed carbs and what ones are not?

    • The easiest way is to shop on the outside edges of your grocery store. Most grocery stores have the produce, meat, and dairy sections on the outer edges. Also, ask yourself: Would my great-grandmother recognize this item as food? Good luck, and I hope that helped.

  • Hi!!
    Is this a list for one person? example- one person will eat 10 bananas for the week? Im just trying to multiply for myself and my husband plus the kiddos. THANKS DREW!! SO EXCITED!

  • You have inspired me tremendously to the point, I want to do this right along with you. I am 55 years old, 225lbs on a 5.8″ frame and like you now, hiding already acquired muscle under a layer of thick fat. 15 months ago I fell off a truck landing on the pavement on my funny bone and severely severing my tendons and leaving me unable to workout. I’ve started picking up the weights again but with the added body weight and not able to push what I used to, its been hard emotionally and physically. I recently came across fit2fat2fit site and noticed you’re about to start the road back to fitness. I became an instant fan of your site and have followed along every since. I like to thank you for helping people like myself. Providing a grocery list to teach folks what should be consumed when you’re trying to get fit is extremely generous and helpful. Thank you, Thank you. Go Drew!!

  • Congratulations for your effort.It would be interesting if you could post your psychological transformation through this journey back to fit.A big thank you for inspiring us all!

  • I don’t normally comment but I just wanted to thank you from the bottom of my heart for saving my life and the lives of many many others.

  • hi i´m a mexican guy and i need lose weight, help all the latina people please, write a blog in Spanish or videos with your rutine, right now i’m watch you blog but i don’t speak a 100% english, i’m learning just, but i can understand a little bit, so i help me with the traductor for try understand all you say, thanks and answer me please

  • will you be posting recipe examples for preparing meals ahead of time? I have tried this before but always end up making the same thing and get bored with my food. I am sure lunch is a big problem for many people and I hope you do show us some ideas of how to make tasty healthy things to take to work. Good luck getting back to fit!

  • Thanks so much will be shopping tommorrow! Can’t wait to see the meal plan. I have 90# to lose, and have been sedentary for the last 2yrs. Again THANK YOU because doing it with you and all the others that are going to start on Nov 5th is such a huge motivation! Maybe you could have a place where we post our success for you so you can see all you hard work is doing.

  • I really like this week of food, Seems like it is simple yet lots there. I look forward to seeing how you will cook with these foods and feed yourself. Thanks for sharing

  • My husband and I have taken a newer approach to health. My husband has decided to become vegan, much to my disappointment, lol. What is a good meat supplement for me to cook with. I’m thinking of just cooking the same thing for everyone in the house. What should I do?

    • Morningstar Farms and Boca brands have lots of vegan options, ive tried the meatballs- not bad, and there’s even “ground meat” soy crumbles to replace the fajita meat.. also, hungrygirl.com has a bunch of menu items that are vegan- im going to make a vegan mcrib soon! :) hope this helps..

  • What about Greek Yogurt? That has helped me go from 145 pounds to 122 in the past year and is packed with protein.

    Other than that, my grocery list is pretty much the same as yours. Oh, but I also am addicted to, I mean really addicted to Brussels Sprouts! Love ‘em!! Even raw. But I usually cook in just a couple spritzes of spray olive oil.

    I bet you just can’t wait until you get to eat clean again!! Now you get to get the good stuff!! Welcome back to life.

  • Would like to join in with the weight loss and exercise process. Please forward how we are to keep up with you on meal plans and exercise.

  • The food list is great….there must be an exercise schedule you’ll be using. Where can we review it so were ready to start when you are.

  • I want to do this with you. I have been wanting to get in shape and it would be great to follow this plan to help me. Are you going to let us know what to do with this grocery list once we buy it…I am not a cook so I will need help. Thanks

  • Drew,
    I am so impressed with your dedication and sacrifice for the good of others. I’m so excited to start this journey with you. Thank you so much :) Nov 5th here we come!

  • Glad to see this list and eager to try it out! I’m a lad on the other side of the atlantic sea where Low Carb High Fat diets really are in the news now.. These “LCHF” diets do not encourage to eat sugar, processed carbs or even carbs at all but they do encourage to eat fat in contrary to what you say! What do you think about this?

    As about me – I’ve been following theese diets more or less for a few years now and I’m already in pretty good shape -not obese but I still have some pounds on my belly wich i would like to loose. What else the “Low Carb High Fat” diets says is that artificial additives in foods shall you be very sceptical to so no mean to criticize but -Butterspray!? What the heck is that? We dont have this in Sweden ;-) .. However, sounds like it would contain massive amounth’s on artificial stuff therefore isnt it better to eat real butter but use less? Latest scientific evidence evidens says that fat doesnt effect the weight and cholesterol in that way that they have thought before.. Not as much as sugar..

    • Carlos, Here in the USA food manufacturers get to label things zero calorie if their chosen serving size is less than I believe 1 calorie. Its totally stupid. Anyways, the spray butter is probably just butter.

  • WoW! 60% of the list I had to Google to see how they look like :(

    (English is not my first language; I was born in Europe and now live in Canada: you say “Sun Dried Tomato Seasoning Marinade for Meat” hahahah, that made me smile)

    I don’t think I ever eaten “zucchini” in my life!
    I don’t know how to cook and I don’t have anyone around that can help… “spinach shake”? how do you do that? I need some kind of mixer?

    Can I really eat that much in one week?

    Please forgive my whining. I will be really brave now!

  • Im so excited Drew!!! :)

    I came across your journey 2 days ago & my hubby & I decided we would follow you, only to find out your starting your ‘fit’ journey soon! YAY!!

    We have both gained a crazy amount of weight since being married/having our baby (all in the span of 3 years) and i can’t wait to get my body back.

    Thank you!

    Your such an inspiration & so realistic!

  • I’m puzzled at the amount of fruit you’ll be eating, other than that everything looks perfect but why so much fruit if you’re after fat loss? Seems counter productive to me.

    Also very much looks like a Paleo diet, (apart from the lack of fats included.)

  • Off to market. I took all my measurements and even took a “before” photo for six months from now. Here we go! Thank you and blessings from Quebec.

  • One more thing Drew, I love what you are doing. I think it is clever, selfless and genuine. I would like to see you do your final weigh-in wearing “semi tight shorts” I told my friends about this and they say you definately trashed your awesome physique, however they think you could be inflating your weight with weights in those long baggy pants at weigh in. I know you have nothing to prove to them, but could you please do your last weigh-in wearing semi tight shorts for these non believers. By the way, great job, I will be following your program personally and your progress. Wishing you success back your health and happiness.

    • I’ve seen most of his weigh in videos. I honestly feel that he’s totally legitamate. You need to ask yourself… Why would he lie? and… If he was padding with weights and got caught, he would totally undue all the hard work he has done for the last 6 months. Nobody would trust him. I can tell you this… I’m 70 pounds overweight. the roundness of his face, chest, stomach area, and hips seem correct for adding on 70+ pounds. Just go find some people who are 50-100 pounds overweight and compare them to Drew. You will see many similarities. Drew is the real deal. Go drew! I’m doing this with you man! Humbler

  • My sister toldme about this website and I saw the video and pictures. I am eager to see how you loose the weight. I am going to participate as well!!

  • Great list, Been looking forward to the start of your “Fat to Fit” & believe this will inspire millions around the world! Would be great to see your workout routines for the Gym, Thanks, All the best :)

  • My body doesn’t react well to processes foods of any kind, so I was wondering what I could replace for the lunch meat in the grocery list? Also is the frozen fajitas considered processes?

    Thanks for the list!!! Cannot wait until November 5th!

    Cheers,

    Echo from Saint John, NB

  • Hey Drew! Just wanna ask you when are you going to be fit again? Also, what are the possible substitutes of these:

    1 container blueberries
    Zucchini
    Ground Lean Turkey Meat
    Frozen Lean Fajita Meat- Pre-seasoned in bag
    Turkey Lunch Meat
    Mayo (w/ Olive Oil in it)
    Beef Jerky
    Unsweetened Almond Milk
    Zero Calorie Butter Spray

    im from the Philippines and we dont have those here. I hope you can help. Thanks Drew! You’re my idol.

    • Kumusta!
      Blueberries -> depends on how he uses it but you can substitute any fruit, I’m assuming he may blend it.
      Zucchini -> squash
      Ground lean turkey meat -> look for chopped up chicken meat or ground chicken meat
      Frozen lean fajita meat -> season some chopped up chicken meat or baboy
      Turkey lunch meat -> great in salads, you can substitute hard boiled eggs but there should be some sort of lunch meat there. I’ve been away for too long to remember.
      Mayo -> make your own, kalamansi juice, olive oil, and eggs, use in moderation
      Beef Jerky -> Beef Tapa
      Unsweetened almond milk -> soy milk / coconut milk
      Zero calorie butter spray -> can use any sort of oil, but use very small quantities and maybe put it on a towel and wipe your pans with it rather than adding it directly. You may be able to find PAM spray there though, like I said earlier it has been too long since I was in RP.

      Hope that helps,
      Kory

      • Hi,
        If I want to make a sandwich, what type of bread should you eat with the turkey lunch meat and is it a good idea to eat it as a sandwich with mustard and lettuce? Thanks!

  • I travel a lot too. any suggestions you have are appreciated. Also, and I’m sure you’ll address this eventually, but how and when do you use the supps? iI just started following you (i figured I know how to put the wright in already…) and I’m excited to see how this goes… thanks for your great example!

  • I prayed for you today, Drew! You can do it and as you succeed, you will lead the way for others to succeed, too. Thank you for the grocery list. What a great idea. Makes it easy. I am going to join you.

  • Have everything on the list except Bananas!! So excited, but a little scared because this is what I eat already…Portions must be to blame….and my chardonay, after one glass I think I’m a size 2 and just start shoving food in my mouth..lol..Hey do you have any t-shirts? want to get them for the gals at the Taekwondo Studio who are joining in.

  • wooohooo Drew I saw you on GMA and your stomch looks like mine lol if you are able to 2 get that 6pack back hum! then I think i can get me a 12 pack also hahahahah. Thank you for the grocery list. Listen does this mean we have to cook all these food for the week? Iam 5’3 weight 225 and have a pot belly like yours. also do we wait to loose some of these fat before going to the gym to work out? Gracias Drew

  • Drew,
    Im in the same boat as Mark; I travel a lot for work. Im in my car driving about 80% of the day and Im so busy that I find myself either skipping lunch entirely or just eating a handful of almonds or something I can eat while I drive. Then when I get home of course Im starving and I eat most of my caloric intake between 4:30 and 7 pm. I make decent food choices but I know this isnt healthy. Any suggestions for modifying your meal plan to fit my crazy schedule?

  • I’m on the journey with you. I have gained a few pounds this past year and need to loose it. I have a major problem with nutrition, so your giving us an idea on what to buy at the market is a really great idea. Major problems lie at lunch time at work and in the evening hours. Help!

  • Can’t wait for the spinach shake… I HATE Spinach… just have to say.. but I am going to try this .. I am not overweight.. but I am 52 and 5’6 and weigh in at 140. I am down from my high of 165.. doesn’t sound a lot I know.. but for me.. it was. I try to walk m dogs 2 miles every day, started my running back up a few years ago and try to get out and run and do 1/2 marathons every so often. a Friend and I are going to do this boot camp come January for 3 months… for fun and fitness. Eating is ok.. better than ever.. but could be always better.. that is what I can wait.. week one is pretty easy… Good luck and will be keeping up with you Drew. Thanks for the encouragement.

  • I found your website just in time to start with you!! Im kind of in the same boat as you. Except i was fat2somewhatfit2fat. So i wanna get back to somewhat fit!

  • im glad you’ve posted what everybody is waiting for! thank you very much. i know you are trying to reply to everyone. i’ll gladly inform t all my friends about your grocery lists and i will follow your advice. my weight is only 130lbs. but i will still take your orders. thanks

  • you didn’t mention any grains, like certain types of breads, or possibly pastas. If there are any healthy versions of that type of food anyway. would be nice to turn some of that stuff into a sandwich ya know?

  • This is great. I used to be fit and went to fat. Haven’t seen a grocery list like this in my house in 3 yrs. Feels so good to finally have some support and excitement. Can’t wait to get going! Wait… Spinach wha??

  • I read your story on abc.com and shared it with my husband. We have a 5 mth old son. It has been hard to getting an excercise into our daily routine. We decided that its time get with it and follow your plan with you! We look forward to following you as we go through this change. Thank you for inspiring us!

  • I have the lapband. Lost 90 lbs but still have 50-60 to lose. Lapband is only a tool. It is easy to gain weight by eating/drinking high calorie foods. I hope to get the motivation I need to get back on track by following Drew to “fit”. The first week grocery list looks reasonably simple. I keep frozen bananas and blueberries on hand for smoothies. Does that work or does the fruit have to be fresh?

  • In the future, will there be suggested recipes as well? I know that it can be easy to buy healthy things, but then prepare the meal in a way that can rob the food of it’s nutritional value and turn the meal unhealthy (i.e., grilling/broiling vs. pan-frying, etc.).

  • Drew..what a great idea to set yourself apart from the avg trainer…I just tonight stumbled across your story. I did a half ironman (yes 70.3 miles) with your current body (I was at 240) in april..it was a long day..and you can imagine how I look in a tri suite! And had resolved to being a big guy and justified all the crappy food I eat and drink on the fact I excercise occasionally. So count me in on your journey….time to change up the diet!! (Gee..it seems like I heard that once or twice before!) Your shopping list is easy and straight forward….thanks.

  • I can’t wait to begin this journey with my family and Drew!
    This should be really fun!!!!!!
    I will be ready for a new “skimpy” bathing suit next year!!!!!!!

  • I’m so excited to watch your journey and root you on! You’ve motivated me so much already. Thank you so much for that. I’m so interested to hear how difficult or easy it is for you to quit certain foods and drinks (like the sugar). I think it will help me psychologically to hear it from someone like you – and to overcome it. =) I hope!

  • Hi Drew, thanks for the list!
    I’m confused with Mayo in the list a lot though. It’s like number 1 product to avoid in all healthy recipes of all magazines and articles…

  • Couple thoughts..funny or sad depending on how you look at it.
    Ive heard of squash..doont think Ive had it before, didn’t know what it looked like. It also took me forever to find spinach..apparently Im not too familiar with what that looks like either! Im allergic to bananas sooo Im improvising as much as I can with that. Blueberries are insanely expensive, so are almonds, but ok.(And I didnt think I was that unhealthy I guess I just realllly dont eat my fruits and veggies like I should!!!) Also I must be blind because I couldn’t find any seasonings that said low or no sodium lol..and I stood there a while. I was confused by Protein bars..did you mean Fiber bars or actual Protein Bars? I was in the cereal section buying Cheerios for my 4yr old and 18month old and there were a million Fiber bars..but they didn’t look like what I thought you meant. So I went to the health section and bought actual bars that say Protein on them..I didn’t see Unsweetened Almond milk..the only one I found was Vanilla Almond milk..which probably doesn’t sound unsweetened. Essentially I was like a fish out of water! And this shopping trip took forever! Also this might be a bit much since you have been busy, but is there a workout schedule yet? I thought you said you were just going to diet a bit and then start exercising? But I would like to start sooner..Anyways THANKS!!

    • For Almond milk you can sub. with 1% milk. You got the protein bars right & in the right location(look for the ones with the lowest sugars). You can use sunflower seeds instead of almonds. As for seasoning Mrs.Dash is no sodium or no salt. Hope that helps you a little.

      • Do what I do… annoy the employees to death… “Can I help you find something??”, “You’re gonna be sorry you asked, but yes… actually, you can help me find a lot of things!” hahaha…. don’t feel bad, it’s for your health!!

      • By the time we actually get our “whole grains” they’re usually no good for you anymore anyway. And to eat “live sprouted grains” would be awesome, but that bread costs about 6 bucks per small loaf. Drew is lactose intolerant, hence no yogurt, but a lot of people contest that dairy is inflammatory to your system (wheat is too), and it’s hard to digest.

  • So, I just found out about you and your project today. I saw the clip of you and your wife on GMA and then immediately high tailed it over here. You now have a special place on my favorites tool bar because well, I think what you are doing is pretty amazing. Since I seem to be a little late to the party I randomly selected a few blog entries just to see what this was all about and may I say, you are a talented writer. Your blog is funny and personal and frankly, pretty awesome. I know most personal trainers are in the business because they truly want to help, but only a handful really knows what us fat folks are actually going through. It’s pretty inspiring that you would do something like this to get a better understanding of your fellow man. In fact, you have inspired me to stop making excuses and make a change. I am about to go throw out all that left over Halloween candy that is sitting on my kitchen counter. It’s been calling my name all night and I am not sure I will be able to ignore it for much longer. Oh, and for those that are worried about the spinach smoothie thing, I actually make them regularly and it’s honestly really good. You can’t tell that there is spinach in it (or kale or cabbage or whatever else you throw in it) because it taste just like a fruit smoothie.

  • hi,

    I love your grocery list except for the one thing. I or for that matter so many more Indians don’t consume meat/fish/chicken and some even don’t eat eggs. Can you help us out with substitution of all the meat options with possible vegetarian options like soyabeans/tofu/lentils/beans/eggs/cottage cheese?

    Just one last thing. I drink whey protein isolate shakes as well. So, as far as protein intake is concerned I can add more of it.

    Suggestions from others are will be highly appreciated.

    Thanks a lot.

  • Is your food regimen for quick weight loss or can it be used for weight maintenance too? I’m 5’0ft tall and weigh 110 lbs. I would love to lose just 5 lbs more but I really just want to learn how to eat healthier. I love to exercise and that’s what helps me keep the weight off but I’m addicted to sugar and that’s all I eat! I’m going to try your diet plan and see if I can lay off sugary foods.

  • Drew, thank you for doing this. Can’t wait to get started.
    I noticed there are a lot of questions in regard to your grocery list. Most of these questions are answered in the FAQ tab on this site. Just wanted to remind everyone that it is there. I know it doesn’t answer all of them, but most of them.
    Again, thanks for creating and taking the challenge.

  • Been following you the past few weeks…
    Really interested to see your fat-to-fit journey.

    I’ve been concerned about what you plan to do
    about excess skin. Maybe your being this size
    for only a short time will help and you can
    “spring back”?
    I went from ~280 to ~170 in less than a year’s time
    about 3 years ago. I’ve kept it off, but I still
    have extra skin I fear will never go away.

    Now that you’ve posted your week #1 grocery list,
    I’m really scratching my head :)
    Just as a friendly reminder…
    1lb = 3500cal
    70 x 3500 = 245,000
    At a 1000cal/day below maintenance, that’s 245 days (~8mo.)

    • I am sorry to say that I don’t think the loose skin is going to go away for you, I lost over 100 lbs about 10 years ago and I still have tons of loose skin. It is just a reminder to me of what used to be there. It is not pretty, but I would rather have the loose skin than the body filled with fat. I doubt drew will have to deal with loose skin, I don’t see stretch marks and he is young.

    • Hi Brian,
      I just wanted to note that research is showing that calories-in/calories-out isn’t all there is to weight loss. It’s also about the source (type) of calories. Gary Taubes has written some excellent books about it, if you’d like to read into it further.

      • He also hasn’t gained 70 lbs of pure crisco. He’s gained 70 lbs, but its not all fat.

        And the key to “burning” fat is actually eating healthy often. If you don’t eat for an extended period of time, consume too few calories, or eat high calorie, low nutrient foods, your body stores everything as fat. It thinks, I’m not getting food, nor am I getting nutrients, so I need to pack this stuff away in long term storage (fat cells) until this dummy starts feeding me properly. It then makes this process a habit.

        I think what Drew’s doing is undoing that habit, and re-teaching his body the RIGHT habits of using what he feeds it, recognizing it’s going to be fed and receive nutrients, and not pack stuff away in fat stores.

        It’s amazing how intelligent your body is.

    • Based on your name, I’m guessing Russian? I couldn’t find a translation, but summer squash is the main ingredient in Kabachkovaya Ikra. Does that help?

  • Awesome that this list pretty much matches what I buy when I am being “good”. Curious to see how much and when. I like to put the fajita chicken into salads. It has a nice seasoning to it. Quick microwave and your done. I normally buy Tyson’s along with the reg. chicken strips. I’m awaiting my supplements and gym is all set up! 2 MORE DAYS!

  • Seriously this is amazing, you are a great person to be putting yourself through this, just to show the rest of us it is possible. I been looking online for the past several weeks for some form of guide to follow. I just signed up with a gym membership not even 4 months ago, but I have no idea what to do. So changing my eating habits and personal trainer who seemed to be a little interested in the females walking by than keeping me in track didn’t help much.

    I’m completely committed Drew, I’ll follow every step along the way. Thank you again.

  • I got sick of looking and feeling like garbage so in march of this year I changed my eating lifestyle and added weight training to my running regim. Have lost 40 lbs. and am still losing slowly as I am putting on lots of muscle. I cant even stand white bread and fatty foods, and eaat tons of protein and fruit and veggies. Love love love how I look and feel now! I get lots of compliments at work and that keeps me motivated! Maybe will get into some fitness competitions…so fun!!

  • Hi! This is one hell of a challenge. Sooo subscribed to follow you!!

    I would love to see pictures of your groceries, though. I’m writing from Norway, YES we <3 ya here too, and I'll have to try to find equivalent food here. Like "1 container blueberries", doesn't tell me if it's say fresh, frozen, canned or w/e + how big ?? :)

    Also you describe to use "Sun Dried Tomato Seasoning Marinade for Meat", but sugar needs to be LOW, but what is considered low? Under 4g here too as for protein bars?

    Small things, but would <3 pictures of the food + picture of the backside showing the ingredient lists :) anyways ty ty ty for doing this. Such fun! GL, <3 from Norway!

    • Andrew, I am not Drew, but I would say to get fresh or frozen blueberries, get a big container and you can use the rest later. As for the low sodium and low sugar, I would get the lowest content possible. I am sure Drew is shooting for the healthiest possible choices, so for those who can not find exactly what is on the list, just do your best. You will see progresss. Just don’t make it so hard on yourself, or you will give up.

      • I’ll piggyback a little… anything that is fresh is best. Frozen is great too in the case of fruit or meat. I’d worry a little about canned… sometimes canned fruit comes in some kind of syrupy substance… full of sugar. Avoid that.

        If you can find an item on the list with “no sugar added”, go with that. If you can’t, go with the lowest available.

        Good luck.

  • I am going to try this and see how it works and if you can please post list before Friday due to most people do their shopping on the weekend. Thanks

  • Looking forward to following you back to fit drew. As a truck driver, I have gained 100 pds in the 20 years I’ve been out here on the “road”, and since coming out of the military. Our profession has the highest rate of overweight and obese people. You have inspired me to ” get my lazy, overweight, behind” back into my military physical shape. Ill be reading your blogs religiously..thnx for giving me the “push” yo do this as I want to be around for along time for my 9 yr old daughter.

    • Ex military might like this… Google “Crossfit travel WODS”… You’ll find examples of 20 minute workouts you can do on the road. Lots of military type stuff…

      Good luck!!

  • Okay am ready to start this journey. Going to the grocery store. Also am going to start working out on my Total Gym today. I am going to take before and after pictures so I can see the changes in myself. I will share these with you. Heres to getting fit and healthy!

  • Hi Drew and everyone like me that want, needs and has the desire to become better fit. May I suggest that we all give a lot of attention to the water we drink? Since our body is more than 70% water it’s as important to drink a lot of water to keep hydrated as it is what we eat. We will be getting rid of a lot of toxins as we rid our body of the buildup of fat. I’m a trainer and coach but still looking forward to the help of this challenge. Way to go Drew

  • This may sound ridiculous but, how are we going to make spinach shakes without spinach on the shopping list? What kind of spinach do you use? Fresh? Frozen? Canned? No beers during football season will be the death of me.

  • Hello All,

    I’m 5’11, African American, 221lb(I have never shared that number EVER) wife & mother of three active children. I work-sitting job-from 7:30-4:30. I rush home-1 hr 15 min commute-for football/basketball/mediation practice/debate 4 work days & Saturday.
    I NEED SOME GOSH DARN HELP!!!
    My goal weight of perfection is 170-175(I’m 6ft and black I don’t wanna totally lose my booty cause my breast are small plus I kinda love my booty)with out this gut!!!
    I’m hopeful that Drew can help me because I’ve tried alot of different things and nothing works!!!
    Please somebody help me!!!

  • I am SUPER excited about Saturday! I can’t wait to follow along with you and everyone else on this journey! I am so appreciative to you for what you are doing and how committed you are to helping all of us become FIT and healthier. Thank you sincerely!

  • We are so excited to start this! and this grocery list is great, there is actually “normal” food on it. Usually most of these diets have weirdo stuff you have to eat that tastes like crap! yay! Thanks so much!

  • Drew….the grocery list is awesome but will you publish your actual breadkfast, lunch, dinner and snacks menu and in what proportions? I want to follow this exactly as you meal by meal. Thank you!

  • Since you are obviously not going to be able to answer everyone’s questions, I wish you would set up some type of forum, so that all of those following can chat amongst themselves and help one another out. I am very good at nutrition and eat very similar to your diet plan. I would love to offer some help on the board, if you are able to set one up. I already see lots of questions for substitutions….

  • Thanks Drew! I am excited about this as well. I am a picky eater(not big fan of veggies) but gonna give it a shot. You had me hooked in you week one food challenge when you spit out the pickles on the in and out burger and said you dislike pickles! I HATE pickles. lol

  • I recently started the 24 day challenge with Advocare. Your situation is a lot like my own so I’m very interested to see how you are going to accomplish this. Good luck and thank you for taking the time to share your journey!

  • I am on an extremely limited budget and when I saw the list I went to the supermarket to get an idea of some of the costs for things I had not bought before. I cannot afford $3.50 for Almond milk a week. I normally drink Skim milk, is there something about the Almond milk that is a MUST use? Thanks!

    • I am hoping I can use Skim Milk since that’s what I drink now anyways.

      I found that you can actually make your own almond milk with groud almonds and water. I thought it was interesting in case you wanted to know. :)

  • Hi, My husband and I can’t wait to start. I need to ask you this important question, not only for me, for others as well. Male and Female, will you have the portion size for male and female? I’m sure female eating smaller portion since we don’t burn up calories as quickly as male. Thank you very much for any information. Have a Bless Day!

  • I love drinking spinach smoothies in the mornings as my pre-workout meal with my protein powder, banana, strawberries and ground flaxseed. You cant even taste the spinach its that good!

  • I’m going to do this!! Just saw it on Yahoo and I’m really impressed with Drew’s passion for helping people achieve a healthier life style! I’m 50 yo and have been 150 pounds overweight for the past 20 years. It has been hard for me to go from being at a healthy weight all my life, and then to gain this much in the last 20 years, so I am looking forward to following this blog and implementing Drew’s suggestions.

  • It’s finally here! Can’t wait to see you progress in the second part of your journey. Good luck Drew!
    The list looks great! I love protein shakes and I’d like to see the spinach/banana recipe.
    Cheers!

  • I notice there is not a bit of bread or a cracker listed. I am so addicted to bread, of all kinds. IS THIS WHY I AM FAT???? I think I have an otherwise healthy diet…but I have sunflower toast, butter for breakfast, routinely, and I love all bread products.

  • When will your menu be up? I would love to do this, but have many allergies (apples, peanut,almonds and other tree nuts, etc) and need to make substitutions. Unfortunately can’t do that without a menu. Thanks!

  • Good luck to those of you that can afford this food. Consider me jealous. I was so excited to do this, but it’s just financially impossible. I guess I’ll do what I can.

  • Is the grocery list pretty much going to be the same every week? Just curious as it would help with buying more of what will keep longer and planning budget wise.

  • I am so pleased with this list! This is what we normally purchase on a regular basis; except we do not get the fajita meat or protein bars and we usually get whole grain breads for sandwiches. Are breads a bad thing? I am looking forward to hearing more about the eating do’s and don’ts. Thanks for doing this amazing journey.

  • awesome – now all we need is a heads up on the starting workout routine – to make sure we have everything we need to start and follow along

  • I see you’re on the “saturated fats are bad for you” bandwagon. I have mixed feelings about this attitude, but I understand it. My mentality is that unprocessed, whole foods are better than processed, zero calorie, reduced fat, foods. It just makes sense to skip the foods that have been processed more than once.

  • I wouldn’t go so low fat. After all that carb binging, you’re going to be getting wicked food cravings, especially for more carbs. Eating lots of fat will help release satiety hormones to relieve those cravings. Studies show that eating higher protein and fat for breakfast results in lower calorie consumption throughout the day, due to this increased feeling of satiety.

    Another issue I’d address if I were you is your ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids. Assuming you’re interested in health as well as weight loss. Your high-carb, processed food diet created a lot of inflammation in your body. Now, the excess body fat is promoting high inflammation. Omega-6 fats are a pro-inflamatory agent when not balanced by approximately equal amounts of omega-3 fats.

    The peanut butter is probably the worst offender in your list for high omega-6 (and pro-inflamatory, leaky-gut causing peanut lectins) , but closely followed by almonds and the industrial meat products, including farmed fish if that was your choice. I’d ditch the nuts and get wild caught fish, and grass-fed or game meat, and supplement with gobs of fish oil.

    Good luck! I’ll be watching with interest. :)

  • Ok, I want to do this. But I’ve just gone to purchase the Wholebody Green shakes and they won’t ship to Canada! Hello? It’s the same continent! So what should I use instead? Maybe I should take a drive to Colorado. But that’s a long way to go just for breakfast. Please help. Is anyone else having this problem?

  • Does anyone have suggestions for substitutions for protein bars? I am allergic to corn, soy and whey (milk) and can’t have sugar substitutes (such as xylitol, sorbitol or nutra-sweet).

    Getting enough protein is always a challenge for me!

    • have you ever tried raw protein bars? No gluten, soy, dairy, artificial sweeteners, preservatives and they are delicious and much more filling. just google it!
      regards

      • Thanks for the suggestion! I even found some recipes. Probably more sugar in these than optimal, but that’s a trade-off I’m willing to make.

  • wow, I got recommended this page from a Swedish blog and I think it’s great what you do! Hopefully people can see that its NOT impossible to lose that weight and change their food habits :D Anyway, good job!

  • Hi Drew,

    As a personal trainer, what would your advice be on the following: I’m starving the next day after I work out. I’ve been an avid exerciser for 12 years now. I lift weights, step, kickboxing, elliptical, HIIT, etc. I love working out. However, I’m about 15 lbs overweight, female, 5′ 3″. I feel like I’m hungry a lot but after working out for 2 or 3 days straight of intense exercise, I’m so hungry. I’ve tried everything; complex carb w/ protein, add more protein, and veggies just aren’t doing it when my stomach is growling. Any new ideas? I can’t get this weight off if I’m hungry. Although, some emotional eating is at play too. But never unhealthy foods. Gave that up 12 years ago and haven’t looked back. Lost 105 lbs. The 15 I need to lose is mainly weight I’ve gained back. I hope to hear from you. I need help.

    • Maybe you’re feeding yourself but not nurturing yourself. It could be because of the food you’re eating or maybe due to a bad absortion (digestive problems?). Also, eat more raw food (spec. leafy greens and fruit but raw, *not* steamed, *not* boiled but raw)
      regards

      • Make sure you’re eating often enough. Your body probably needs about 1600 calories a day just to function when you’re NOT working out… that’s just to “keep the lights on” in your body. It sounds like you’re working out way too much and not feeding your body enough. I know this sounds like the opposite of the conventional “if I burn more calories than I eat, I lose weight” wisdom, but the fact is this:

        There are studies that show that if you don’t feed your body enough calories/nutrients to recover from workouts, you’ll actually destroy your body composition. Don’t look at the scale, look at your body fat. That’s all that matters. The study actually says you need to eat slightly more calories than your body needs plus the calories you’ve burned working out over the course of the day in order to lose body fat. What does your body need to fill up fat cells for if you’re eating and nourishing it properly?? It doesn’t… and your body can rid itself of those few extra calories pretty easily.

        I agree with Ana… work more on recovery and less on intense workouts (which I know can be addictive). If you feel stir crazy about not working out, find a different physical activity to do… go for a bike ride, rollerblade, play a sport, hike, swim, or do an easy spin on a bike.

        My guess is you’re burning 1000+ calories per day working out and not replenishing your body nearly enough.

        Sometimes less is more.

        • Also… how are you determining whether you’re overweight or not?? I’m 5’11 180 and fit, but the BMI says I’m morbidly obese… it’s different for athletes.

  • Several people have mentioned produce being too expensive for them to do this. If you shop around, produce is not that expensive. I quit buying this from WalMart or the grocery store and now use produce stands and discount produce stores. The price is better and honestly the quality is much better. And the benefits produce gives your body are worth a few extra dollars.

  • I am so excited to see that your grocery list is VERY similar to mine!!!! That means that I have already been on the right track. I think its great that your sharing what you eat week to week. It helps the rest of us who are doing our weight loss journey on our own feel like were doing something right! As far as the spinach smoothie I have made them in the past with the V8 splash juice. They are delicious. I was apprehensive the first time I heard about make these, but they are filling & delicious. Thanks again for sharing your tools for success!!

  • Alcohol? What about that, can i have a beer or two? I like wine with meals. Ocasionally have a few drinks ( weekends). What is your view on this. You live in Utah so maybe you are mormon, and dont drink at all, i dont know. What is your view on this?what do you reccommend?

    • I’m sorry, but I just have to say that you are completely missing the point! Alcoholic beverages are not included in the list because they are FULL of empty calories! This is about weight loss, and drinking alcohol on a regular basis (with meals, and socially on the weekends) will make it harder for ANYONE to lose weight; not to mention it’s pretty bad for your liver.

      • Actually, beer is full of empty calories. Wine really isn’t and neither are most liquors.

        The thing about alcohol…

        1. It reduces your inhibitions… you lack self control and discipline, so you’re more prone to binge eat. (plus if you’re dealing with beer and calories without nutrients, your body is going to get hungry pretty quickly)

        2. Alcohol is a poison. Your body has to metabolize it and rid your system of it. That takes energy and resources your body could be using elsewhere. Like recovering from a workout, for instance… or allocating nutrients to they’re proper places. Instead… (see #3)

        3. Since your body is so busy dealing with the booze (which can take up to 36 hours to metabolize and leave your system), it can’t do anything else properly. Now, when you eat that crappy food you crave (or even borderline food), your body does the EASY thing instead of the right thing… it just packs it all away as fat.

        I’m really over simplifying, but there’s a reason booze isn’t on the list.

  • Drew I am so glad your doing this I hope now I can watch and read what you post so that my fat A** can now lose my weight and make me halthier and feel better, all because of you Thanks I hope to make it

  • IF YOU NEED AND WANT RESULTS YOU NEED TO QUIT WHINIG AND GET TO WORK YOU NEED TIME AND PACIENCE FOR EVREYTHING SO PLEASE DO YOU BEST FORGET THE REST I WILL RECOMEND TO BE CAREFUL AND ASK YOU DOCTOR BEFORE YOU STAR DOING ANYTHING FOR ME I DO 4 DAYS OF CARDIO AND 2 OF WEIGHTS AND WORKS FOR ME I JUST QUIT SODAS AND WHITE BREAD AND TORTILLAS AND THATS HARD FOR ME CAUSE IM MEXICAN SO LETS DO THIS AND GOOD LUCK TO ALL !!

  • When can we expect to get the exsercise plans? I am currently on rotations and living out of hotel rooms so it will be interesting to see how I can accomplish this withoutthe conventional stove, oven, and gym! But I refuse to not look fabulous for graduation day

  • Drew you are amazing to take this journey. I was once over 260lbs and lost 125lbs. I now will be joining you in your journey back to fit with the goal of loving 25lbs and learn how to truly eat correctly. You have chosen a not so easy path, to take and keep the weight off, but I am sure you will now truly understand your clients a bit better after this. Welcome to the forever battle of weight loss. Very excited to get started.

  • Hi Drew, just so you know, following you from Bulgaria:) Whole foods are the way to go and they are available around the world. The beauty of your plan–it is truly universal and international. I think you have started a revolution of a different kind!… THANK YOU for that.

  • hey Drew, about 6 years ago i weighed 320 lbs and i dropped down to 170lbs just changing my lifestyle, eating healthy and exercising. Unfortunately, I have put on 70lbs in the last 2 years and am back to 240lbs. i am having trouble getting refocused to shed the 70lbs i have put back on. any suggestions?

  • How much chicken/meat are we talkin’ for the list? How many meals of turkey and how many of chicken breast at how many ounces per meal??? I have a small freezer so that’s why I’m asking.

  • I just seen you for the first time on the 700 Club today. I’m very interested in what your doing. I’m 44 yrs old and over weight and am looking for solutions.

  • Been following your blog for a while now….what an inspiration you have been along with all of your followers on here. My eating habits are out of control and I have been out of the gym for too long. Went shopping today and picked up 98% of everything on your grocery list. Thanks for the motivation…..and Good luck on shedding the LBs….

  • Found everything except for ONE item: Frozen Lean Fajita Meat- Pre-seasoned in bag (Frozen Meat Section is where I find this)
    I am assuming I can substitute seasoned, boneless, breast of chicken for this?

    After you obtain permissions…I’d love to know which protein bar you buy.
    Thanks.

  • Good luck on the journey from fat to fit! I’m hoping to try it with you.

    Question- is it okay to drink pop at all? If so, would something like Coke Zero be better than normal Coke? Or are both just bad overall? Thanks!

    • I think conventional wisdom in the fitness arena says that pop (soda) is the devil. You take in so much bad sugar in a can of pop, it’s almost impossible for you to work out enough for your body to get rid of it.

      Diet sodas and 0 calorie sodas are another thing entirely. Not only do they contain chemicals you REALLY don’t want in your body, but they trick your body into thinking it’s getting sugar… but there ISN’T sugar in the diet soda, so your body freaks and starts to crave sugar in the form of sweets and high calorie/low nutrient foods. Bad news.

      My sister is pregnant with her first child… her doctor said, “You’re going to have a lot of cravings… there is nothing… NOTHING worse than diet soda.”

      That scared me enough to quit drinkin’ it!

  • Hi have just been shown your web site by a friend, I started my weight loss about 6 weeks ago and have lost 10kg so far and starting to feel good I was of similar sizer to yourself (now) 6’2 and 122kg, currently 111kg -I will be interest to watch your progress, good luck

  • How many omega 3′s are you adding into your 2fit (healthy) part of your diet? Omega 3′s are antiimflammatory and very good for you I hear.

  • I am so ready and there is a big THANK YOU!!!!! there is no one out there willing to do this or anything like it at no cost to the people you and your family are great people for doing this, God Bless on our come back.

  • I’m glad you’re doing this for everyone. I’m disabled due to a work injury, and it’s been very difficult with the weight gain. Thank You!!!

  • I noticed that there are very few carbs, especially in the way of processed sugars (white breads, etc.) on your list. Also, do you boil the chicken breasts? I am very interested on a few simple preparations that I could have at home that would be easy to reheat. (I live in Asia and have no microwave or oven.) I think your experiment is very interesting, and I look forward to seeing you succeed.

    • You won’t bulk up eating this way. You’re eating foods that are easy for the body to process in very reasonable portions.

      One good rule of thumb is that your proteins should be about the size of your fist, so if (for a woman) that means cutting your chicken breasts in half, that’s the rule.

  • WOW! Going to be a shock! Not even going to try to slowly deplete carbs? I get cranky without carbs. I need 1 cup of oatmeal a day. LOADED with cinnamon!

  • This is going to be a long journey ahead for you, Mr. Manning. One day at a time is going to be my moto. A journey to a healthy new us!

  • Ohoy there, So I read the shopping list. and I do like it, but the issue for me is: I am a sugar addict. Do you have any tips on how to “quit sugar addiction” I really hope this is something you can write about in less you already have? I found this blogg last night, not been able to read it all.

    • I was also a big time sugar addict! I would eat bread, potatos, and/rice with every meal. I also loved to eat ice-cream and sweets. Breaking the sugar addiction was very hard in fact your body will most likely go through withdraw. You will probably have headache, feel tired and cranky as well. The good news is this crappy feeling should only last for a few days. And if you are replacing the sugar with whole fresh greens and other foods, you will start to notice that your body will start to crave the good foods. So be strong, be ready for a fight with the sugar monster and give it a go!

      Good luck to you and everyone else following Drew!

  • I’m really interested in the eating right and getting in shape. I’m 42 y/o and finally think it’s time to do this. I see the grocery list posted but not the work out plan. Please post that plan and just one small thing, how to prepare the grocery list.

    Thanks
    Ron Bates

  • Drew – When I was 41, I was 6′, 195 lb., and looked like your “before” pic. I was Tarzan and have a picture to prove it. Now I’m 54 and at 260+ lbs my physique looks just like your current fat pic. I saw you on GMA this week and checked out your F2F2F website. Reading your blog entries is a big wake up call about how much my relationship with food has so completely jumped the tracks. I’m miserable in my my current physical condition. I want to find out how much “Tarzan” is still left in me. I want to take this journey back to fit with you.

  • Can you introduce us to the kind of trainning youre going to use? This way we can get things ready to start it at the same time than you. Id like to know if youre going to lift weights at day 1 or if you spend the first 1 or 2 months jogging, etc. This way I can to know if I shall to sign back in a gym now or only later, If I have to buy new tennis for the running (suggestions are welcome), etc etc.

    I want to get those things prepared, imo its as important to get the activity list with antecipation than it is to get the grocery list!

    Thanks

  • Thanks dude. Great list. I’m just hoping and wishing that you’re also going to show us how cook the meals and when to eat what. Again, thanks for doing this great favor showing to all of us that change is POSSIBLE. I really appreciate your cause.

  • Get ready for 72 hours of carbohydrate withdrawals! I thank you for demonstrating just how nicely those sugary breakfast cereals fit into an UN-balanced diet. I am anxiously awaiting the recipes and meal plans…especially that banana spinach shake!

  • Looking forward to following your program. I too have gone from relatively fit to fat in the last 6 months.

    Hope you’ll be discussing portions as I have major problems with portion control. I love to eat!

  • Bless you for gaining all of that weight and showing everyone how to get it off! You are an inspiration.

    I love it that this isn’t something that people have to invest hundreds or thousands of dollars in to do.

    I’m going to give it a try for one week and go from there. I have never gone on a low carb diet before and it scares me a little. I am so tired of being emotionally drained because of how I feel about myself. I have so much to give, but I’m too self-conscious to give it.

    • Just do what he says… keep it simple. Nothing to be scared of… all you have to do is buy the food and eat it. When you crave something off the list, just say, “I don’t eat like that anymore.”

      I DON’T EAT LIKE THAT ANYMORE!!! Kind of empowering!?

  • Drew- Saw you on Good Morning America and decided I had to follow your blog. I recently completed a 3-week cleanse diet and lost 17 lbs. More importantly, I learned to avoid junk food and soda, eat more fruits and vegetables and skip ALL snacking between dinner and breakfast. I’m 5’8″, 59 years old. Even though I didn’t have a drastic weight problem, I primarily wanted to get rid of my gut and get more energy. My primary focus will now be to follow your exercise program to get into shape. Best of luck to you as you get back from FAT to FIT!

  • Hi all. I am one of those picky eaters that despises ANY fish. I noticed that the grocery list includes salmon. What would you guys recommend as a substitute? Thanks! I’m excited to get started!

    • You can sub any protein for fish… chicken, turkey, pork, beef, bison…

      Learn to like fish… you should make that your secondary mission… find some good recipes! Fish is delish!

  • Are you going to post what you eat and when you eat it ? When you work out? What workouts you do. Pre workouts and post workout food ? What days you run and how far and what your Heart rate is while you run? Cant wait to start with you. I am 5′ 7″ i wiegh 257 down from 287 in july. But i just got off one of my workout cycles i get on then quit. Every time I get on a workout it last for about 2 mybe 3 months then I get bord. working out alone sometime sucks. when your running 3 miles and you think i need someone to push me. I listen to the hardest of metal to keep me going ( I cant stand it any other time ). Cant Wait maybe this will give someone to workout with in some kinda sorta way .

  • Whats mayo? Mayonnaise? Never expected to see it in a fatloss diet.

    any hint to help us dumping the sodas? Ive been trying for almost 15 years with total failure.

      • Have you tried the flavored carbonated water? Those are actually pretty good, and you get your sweet, carbonated drink fix. They have them everywhere, but I think Walmart carries “President’s Choice”… super cheap… tastes like pop. Those might be easier to ween off of.

  • I can’t believe the timing on this! Just found out about this site 2 hrs ago. It’s now 2am, a new day, and this weight loss challenge starts tomorrow!! I’m anticipating the next 6 months and feeling great about this support blog! I will definitely be going grocery shopping tomorrow after work!!…..lol

  • I am someone whonot only needs portion controls but likes things made simple. Love the grocery list and would love to know the brands you specifically use when permission is obtained.

    • Beef, bison, fish, pork! Bison is loaded with protein and super lean. You can find it at most specialty stores – Whole Foods, trader joes.

  • I thing t make our friend’s work easy, we better just stick to what he will be doing period! The reason we have are obese is trying to satisfy our cravings, so instead of asking to if we can keep certain things we eat or drink, we should just try to copy exactly what he does no matter what, if not I guess we will stay in our condition……just a thought since he is doing this to show us the way

  • I am going to get my grocery today!! I am suddenly out of excuses to not get fit. Having Drew do this with me-with all of us- is going to be support that I’ve never had. I do wish I physically had some built in accountability. But it’s not absolutely necessary. Meal plans and weekly exercises from someone who knows how to get fit… from someone who needs to get fit again?

    I think what Drew is doing is so great!!! Thank you Drew. I can’t wait to see you, me, and your other followers in six months! This is going to be the longest time period in my life, where I’m eating well AND exercising a the same time. SO EXCITED. Thank you, thank you, thank you Drew!!! You should get a book deal or something out of this!

    I think it would be awesome to get some of us to submit fat pictures and monthly updates on our journey to becoming fit. I am going to put my monthly pictures up on my facebook and in my house.

    Thanks again…. to both you and your wife. I know her supporting you in this helped. I’m not sure if I would be able to support my husband on such a radical, dangerous thing. I appreciate both of your sacrifices. God bless you both!

    • Take a daily pic! I saw some awesome “video flip books” on youtube of guys who started a workout plan and took a pic a day and made them into a quick frame video… you literally watch the fat melt off your body while you become fit! Really cool!

  • When are the specific meal plans going to be posted? Got the grocery list taken care of now need to specifically know what to eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner, etc. and the portions. Will this be posted soon since this starts tomorrow? Thanks

  • Can skim milk be substituted for the Almond Milk? Also, are there other alternatives to beef jerky and protein bars? My body doesn’t handle processed foods very well.

    • Skim milk is probably included to help you avoid dairy. Dairy (even if you tolerate it well) is inflammatory to your system and difficult to digest. The almond milk might taste a little different at first, but it’s pretty easy to get used to. Coconut milk or Soy could probably be substituted, but almond is best.

      As far as the jerky and the bars go… Jerky isn’t really “processed” per se… it’s dried. If you’re buying low quality, gas station beef jerky, there might be some chemicals, but it shouldn’t really mess with you too much. Protein bars are “processed” in the sense that they’re made in a factory, but not like Twinkies! Odwalla, Clif, KIND and a few other brands make “all natural” bars with extra protein… those should agree with you a little better.

      Just remember, this is going to be very different than what you’re used to, but the point of the foods he’s recommending is that they’re easy for your body to handle. A good rule of thumb is to check the ingredients on things… the less stuff you can pronounce, the worse it is for you.

  • WOW this is basically what I have right now my family eats nothing but turkey, chicken, Veggies, and Fruits. Copied, Printed and ready to go

  • Drew,
    Thank you for your journey and inspiration. I’m 63 and out of shape, and this is exactly what I need to do. Will be looking forward to your posts.

  • So low carbs, sounds similar to the Paleo Diet that I’ve heard about. I have a wheat and soy allergy, intolerance to dairy so I drink almond and coconut milk. I am on board with this! I’ve started drinking protein shakes almost 2 months ago and feel better, and lost 15 lbs. Do need the motivation to work out more! Thanks, looking forward to this journey!

    • Whey protein isn’t good if you’re intolerant of the things you mentioned… If you’ve had issues, or maybe didn’t realize it conflicts with those things, check out a hemp protein. Just a thought.

      Paleo isn’t supposed to be a low carb diet, and I think paleo people would wince at the suggestion. The motive behind the Paleo (or caveman) diet is that you’re eating foods that man has been eating since the dawn of time. A person’s body has grown and evolved eating meat, nuts, berries and above ground veggies. This is the easiest thing for your body, and therefore the healthiest – at least per that theory.

      You take in carbs… tons of sugars in the fruit, carbs in the veggies. It’s just not the high carb, low nutrient things people eat now a days – pasta, bread, etc.

  • I’m excited to start! Listen to Drew when he says drink a lot of water. I started drinking half my weight in water (if you weigh 200lbs then drink 100oz) and it CHANGED MY LIFE! I dropped 8LBs in no time, I’m more awake during the afternoon when most people get sleepy, I’m eating less junk because it fills me up, people are complimenting my skin because it looks healthier, and I just feel so much better! It was hard to make myself at first, but it’s only been about a month and now my body craves water.

    • Good call. A good measure for this is a gallon jug. it’s 120 ozs.

      Just fill up a gallon jug in the morning and try to finish it before you go to bed… spread it out as much as possible throughout the day though. Don’t just drink a ton at once.

  • Maybe I missed it but one important thing is . . . what is the average cost to buy the products you state each week for one person? Please tell us!

  • If anyone is going to take any kind of supplements including protein you NEED to drink lots of water to flush your kiddneys. Also take a supplement called MILK THISTLE it supports healthy liver functions. Also take a good multi vitamin. GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!!! I think this going to really cool to have others to track and to keep up with. YOU CAN DO IT !!!

  • Drew,
    Your “2 Fit” stage couldn’t have been timed better! Over the last 85 days I have turned my eating habits around from “eat whatever I want” to eating healthy with correct portions and a little “snack” here and there to maintain sanity. In that time I have lost 31 lbs from 273 lbs. I can’t tell you how much my mood, self image and daily motivation have improved in that time. I never though that I could lose this much weight on my own and especially with only diet change. It’s truly amazing how dramatically eating healthy can affect your body and mind. I knew that at some point I would have to add exercise to my weight loss plan but felt it would be more achievable for me to make such dramatic changes in my lifestyle one step at a time. I feel like I have my eating habits under good control and actually crave eating healthy foods now rather than wanting to stop at a fast food place on my way home from work for dinner. My weight loss was relatively consistent for the first 60 days but has plateaued somewhat for the last 20. I have been thinking this is the perfect time to begin the exercise stage of my journey. I don’t normally watch network television but ironically design and build broadcast facilities. I caught you on GMA the other morning while working in a TV station and found your website soon thereafter. I’m looking forward to following along with you getting back to fit and am excited to see your workout plans as this is an area where I have little to no experience. Just as going from a uncontrolled diet to one that is healthy and planned, going from never working out to 5 days a week in the gym is a daunting task and can be very intimidating figuring out where to begin. One additional hurdle for me personally is that I travel for a living and am rarely in the same city from week to week. I thought I would suggest that for those of us who don’t have access to the same place to work out day in and day out that you might offer some “portable” workouts that would fit into the schedule of the “road warrior”. Lastly I would like to offer my thanks to you AND your family for sacrificing your physical, mental, and emotional well being to selflessly show the rest of us the way to being healthy and fit. Rarely in this world are we lucky enough to have people like you who want nothing more that to help others without asking anything in return. You are an inspiration to all. Keep up that great work, good luck in your journey back to “Fit” and I look forward to following you on your way there!

    • He’s got a great exercise plan… the first month is almost nothing but stretching and core strengthening (mid section). This sets you up for an injury free exercise routine.

      I travel a lot too… make a mental note to check out Crossfit Travel WODs (just google it). WOD means Workout of the Day. They are short, intense workouts you can do in your hotel room. I wouldn’t recommend these right away, but once you get into the swing of things, they’ll be great. They’re specifically designed to be done while traveling.

      They’re probably listed on a ton of websites, and they tend to use acronyms or words you may not be familiar with, but you can google those too. Some of the workouts are only 8 minutes long, but I’m pretty fit and I want to vomit when I’m doing them.

      Good luck!

  • Re: Peanut Butter; What about “reduced fat” peanut butter? Do you recommend this, or is natural full fat a better option? Also, do recommend using flax seed?

    Thanks! (:

  • Thanks again for putting yourself through this to learn and inspire others. I’m 35 and 5′-11″ and in a little over a year I have gone from 192 to 258 lbs. I think this is exactly the motivation I needed to turn things around. Much appreciated, looking forward to learning from you.

  • I notice there is no dairy on your list. I love almond milk and use it in my oatmeal etc. But, what do you think about lowfat cottage cheese or Greek yogurt? Curious as to why you don’t eat these high protein yet low in saturated fat foods. Thanks! Can’t wait to follow you on your journey!

  • For all of you out there afraid of the spinich shake, try it you’ll love it. I hate spinich and was scared I wouldn’t be able to drink it so I went online and found a recipe for a spinich shake. I’m not sure it will be the same one Drew uses but it is really good. I have a 15 year old grandson who is overweight and I got him drinking them too. So don’t be afraid. I know, it’s the word spinich that scared me.

  • This is exciting but scary! Been overweight my whole 53 years! Always complaining that skinny people “don’t understand”. Thanks Drew for putting yourself in our shoes – literally! This is the beginning of a great journey!

  • I saw the clip on Good Morning, America and this is the first time I’ve been on the website. Is there any specific meal plan for the items listed on the grocery list for 11/02/11 Week 1?

  • I would really like to know how much you end up spending per calorie. This is by far the #1 reason why people don’t eat better. Example – sausage burrito at McD’s = 300 calories for $1. 1 serving of Wholebodygree 102 calories for $3.33. So if you need 1500 calories a day, can the average person afford $5 a day or $49 a day. Yes I understand nobody is going to eat only burritos or drink mix only. But my point is still valid. It’s extremely cheaper to eat 1500 calories unhealthy vs healthy. I know you are doing this so your can better understand your clients and maybe your clients can afford $500 a month in supplements and $100 a month in protein powder but I think the average person won’t spend $600 a month in food no themselves let along extras. However, I think your concept is amazing and I can’t wait to follow along. Just don’t believe you are really going to struggle like “we” do unless you really put yourself in “our” shoes. Having the same struggles as us is just that, having the same struggles.

    • If all you care about is getting the most calories for your money you could just buy blocks of butter and eat that. Only $1 for 1.33 sticks and you’d get in about 1,000 calories.

      Just eat 2 blocks a day and you’ve met your daily calorie requirement for less than $2!

      SUCCESS!!!

      I’m so sick of people using the “excuse” that healthy food is more expensive than the unhealthy stuff.

      First of all, I could make that sausage burrito at home for 75 cents and it’d be 400 calories, not 300. More value for my money by making it myself. So do people go to McDonald’s to save money? NO. They go because they are LAZY.

      Second of all, I spend way less on groceries by buying vegetables, fruits, meat, and dairy than the people in front of me in line at the grocery store living off doritos, frozen pizzas, and pepsi. Every time.

      AND I’m not huffing and puffing just walking back to the car.

      Foods aren’t more expensive because they are lower calorie or “healthy”. Food gets more expensive the more processed it is and the more work that goes into making/obtaining it.

      So fake crap like protein powders and protein bars? Yeah. Expensive. Don’t buy that crap.

      But some chicken breast or greek yogurt? Not nearly so bad.

      • I am not saying I am one of those people. Just bringing up a valid point. And processed food isn’t cheaper, it’s more expensive. They process it so it has a longer shelf life. Head to your grocery store, what is cheaper, pound of fresh pineapple or pound of canned? How about veggies? I could buy all the stuff he is having without issue. But still interested in knowing what the daily amount is he is spending. the wholebodygreen is about $100 a month alone Add the spinach and other stuff he is taking. He could be spending over $10 a day on breakfast alone. Can the average person afford that I would guess not. Can I, sure. I eat smoked slamon every other day and that isn’t cheap. And since he is doing this whole thing. Why not give the amount spent? If this is to educate the masses… Than lets do that. Educate them on how many caloires to eat, how much exercise to do. How much water to drink. Is it too much to ask how much is being spent? I don’t believe so.

  • I kind of thought this was all fake when I first discovered it. I figured all the pictures had your head photoshopped and you never really got fat. Now after looking through some of the videos and reading the blogs (which are really funny by the way) I am a believer. I’ve printed out the grocery list and I am going to make a valiant effort to join you minus the gym and supplements. I am very curious to see how you are going to fight cravings and hunger. You are not going to be taking an appetite suppresant are you?

  • Hey Drew. I want to thank you for holding my hand. I’m great out of the gate every time I try to lose weight but have a super busy schedule (and obviously plenty of excuses). I’m in my mid 30′s, have 3 kids under 7 yrs old, and work all the time, in more than one career. But I bought your grocery list and know that if I fail this time, I should be more ashamed of myself than usual because we have all been lucky enough to run into you, the most altruistic person I’ve heard of in a long, long time. I want you to know two things.. first, is I dont want you to feel the pressure that you undoubtedly must be feeling, because I’ll feel just as compelled to help you if somehow the roles reverse for even a minute over the next six months, and you need a hand from us from the possibility of faling off the wagon. Hey, it happens to the best Drew, you’re only human. And secondly, this reminds me of that footprints in the sand poem, and you’re the one that carried us when we needed help in our lives. Every other option for us dieters, until now, have been people telling us how to lose weight.. And like I said in the beginning, you are actually coming to hold our hands and help us through the journey. Youre a good man bro. Again, thank you in advance!

    Mack

  • Good Luck to everyone as they and I follow along with Drew.
    Thanks Drew for the motivation to finally kick myself in the butt and finally get to the energy and weight I need to be at to look and feel better.
    It is all about your OWN choices.
    I believe we all have the strength to choose to eat healthly and make the choice to get up and excercise.
    GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!! :)

  • My Montel Williams Health Master is ready for the spinach shake. I have been using spinich already with fruits and you dont really even taste the spinach and bannanas reduce any tart flavor.

  • On the FAQ page it refers to a “Meal Plans & Workout” tab, that has the info for each day. I can’t find this anywhere. Any help would be greatly appreciated

  • Hi Drew :) Saw you on Jay Leno the other day :) Interesting approach even thought it´s probably not really healthy for you :/ Maybe your journey is what I have been waiting for :) At least I am giving it a try and I am so exited about tomorrow … well exited and terrified as well :/ Finishing (eating) up all the bad stuff from the cubits, had Burger King for lunch and ate like a pig all week :( Expecting some serious sugar withdrawal symptoms tomorrow :( But anyway … Gone for shopping now and can´t wait to see all the info you plan to post here tonight :) Thanks a bunch for the motivation and go go go all of us who are joining you on your journey ;)

  • I have a question about the Frozen Lean Fajita Meat- Pre-seasoned in bag. I couldn’t find this in the supermarket. Is it beef or chicken? Does it go by a different name?

  • Finally I found your list. I hit a button on the right side under fb and twitter just to see what would happen and Voila! Here it is! Thanks Drew!
    Maddie

  • Hello Drew and everybody. My journey is VERY VERY similar to yours. I used to be fitness coach in my early twenties. I was excercising at least 6 times a week, at least 2 hours in fitness, and coupled with other sports too. Some said it’s too much – but when u have energy nothing feels too much, i was so in love with “fitness” i can’t tell you. I never felt like it was too much. And it gave me so much more than just better physical appearance – mentally and emotionally i felt very fit. THEN, for some reason, UNKNOWN to me (from then on i wondered WHY???) EVERYTHING started to feel TOO MUCH. I didn’t feel like it anymore – maybe i got overtrained or something, because i definetly started to feel like not wanting to be so active anymore. Prior to that i was a health junkie – more like a feel good junkie, like yourself. In that period of not feeling like it, i lost not just the will, but also the POWER – physical, mental, emotional. And since then it has dragged into EVERYTHING, EVERY part of my life. And i really miss how i was, how i felt. I really completely lost the desire – to exercise and for EVERYTHING else to be honest.

    With years i became very inert and sedentary, lazy…complete opposite of what i used to be. Fitness really saved my life back then – gave me energy, life, social life, a good foundation for everything “school” .

    I’ve been trying to get back since then – tried 100 “methods” (i’d rather not tell everything because it’s a bit embarrasing and INEFECTIVE – EVERYTHING).

    So, 10 years later – i’m starting to feel a bit of desire coming back, a bit of returning power (not just phyisical power). My emotions in this long period were (are still but a bit less) really bad, like having “PMS” everyday. So in this way i also understand your journey very very very very well. Damn, i used to coach others, now i feel i’m the one who need coaching – and very not-selfconfident to be doing it, and lacking confidence in every other region.

    Difference between us is that my journey from FIT to FAT lasted about 10 years. And before that from FAT to FIT about years. Now – my journey back to FIT has begun and in this time i also found your blog, so i read with great interest because EVERYTHING is so FAMILIAR to me. So i’m joining you and everybody else here in the same journey. It will NOT be easy, but it HAS to be DONE.

  • Drew, I am 50 and will be 51on the 27th, I am at 284 form 335.. I was at 267 last March.. I am unemployed but will be on track with you and the group.. Good luck to everyone.. going to take a before picture. I would love to lost 80lbs . I am going hard and will look to add things in the gym. Be blessed.

  • I think the key here is staying positive. I mean, you can split hairs all day long… Natural peanut butter isn’t as good for you as almond butter, veggies aren’t as good for you as organic veggies (no preservatives, chemicals), sprouted grain bread is better than wheat bread… The point is, it’s all better than pizza, frozen dinners, McDonalds, etc.

    Turkey sandwiches, salads, chicken breasts, wild rice, veggies, fruit, fish, eggs… Stick to the outside of the grocery store… the aisles are what kill you. Easiest rule ever.

    Drink water. Nothing but. Even DIET soda (we call it pop in Chicago) has to go! Did you know… diet soda/artificial sweeteners trick your body into thinking it’s getting sugar? Then when your body receives no sugar, it starts to crave it… in the form of sweets, or high calorie/low nutrient garbage foods.

    The only way to break these cravings is to PLAN AHEAD, make your meals ahead of time, bring your food to work, eat regularly… don’t let yourself get super hungry! Your blood sugar drops and you start to crave crappy food! Feed yourself healthy food for three weeks and after a month, you won’t even be able to think about rich, heavy, high calorie/low nutrient foods.

    I love what’s going on here! Best of luck to everyone!!

  • Greatings from sweden!
    It will be ery intresting to following you! First time I visit your website, have you started to train and get fit agian?
    if so, why so much fruit? Contains alot of sugar i fruits.

  • I can’t eat almonds or any nuts. Can someone please suggest a good alternative? I know they are considered a great snack and a superfood, and I want to swap it with something comparable. Thanks!

  • oh oh….. I found the grocery list and protein shake video, but I can’t find any meal plans. Anyone see them? What did you all eat for lunch, dinner, and snacks today??

    • Got my list. Will be out the door soon to get it started. Got a spend some time to get:
      - blender;
      - printer (to cut down time writing grocery list);
      - Fajita Meat. I agree with Yan… I have no idea what it is. Anyone got it?
      If so… may be send some descriptions, package pictures to dimasydorov at yahoo dot com
      Much appreciated!!!

      GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE
      Special THANKS to Dew and his beautiful wife!

      dmitri.

  • Well I got all my groceries on the list! Those almonds taste awesome!! I never knew they made them soooo good. I used to eat boring raw almonds only because I heard they were better for you than cashews (my ultimate favorite). I brought half the amount of bananas (5 instead of 10) because I cant stand when they get over ripe. I figured I would get more when these are finished, half way in the week. The beef jerky (peppered), truly satifies my late night protein cravings! My grocery bill ($87)was over my intended budget ($50), but I’m glad that some of the condiments, peanut butter, meat, etc will last me a while so I won’t have to spend for them again any time soon. Also, I’ll have to look for coupons for some of the packaged items, such as nuts, jerky and fajita meat. Did my weigh in today. I’m exactly 168 lbs. So between my efforts with my weight loss challenge which I started 7 weeks ago and this site/blog, I really hope to shed 45 lbs within the next 6 months. I’M SO EXCITED!

  • I think its funny how we balk at some of the prices for healthy food (salmon, almond milk etc) yet we don’t think twice about dropping down $15 for a pizza or something at a drive through.

    The way I think of it, I can either spend more on healthy food or buy cheaper “unhealthy” food and then pay more in health costs later. I hear open heart surgery is pretty expensive not to mention painful.

  • 500 comments. Wow! I hope you see this one. I have braces and can not eat almonds or beef jerkey because they are too hard and tough, what are some good substitutions to snack on? Someone said cottage cheese but..gross! haha.

  • I see you mentioned purchasing turkey lunch meat and mayo (w/ olive oil)…sounds like a turkey sandwich to me?? But you didn’t mention buying any bread or wraps… What do you use for those??

  • So basically a low fat, low sugar diet. The only carbs come from veggies or fruit.
    Seriously wonder how you will do with cravings at 280 lbs.
    I am with you, now 218 lbs at 5’9″ and an athletic build, age 47, need to be 175.

  • I’m so excited about following your blog. I’m so inspired. Thank you for posting grocery lists. I’m really interested in what your wife eats and her workouts. You’re awesome!

  • Did Drew say there was a subsitute for haters of peanut butter? I.E. Almond or Cashew butter? I scanned through the questions but couldn’t find anything.

    • Buy the family pack of skinless boneless breast and cook it all …freeze or refrigerate in portion sizes so all you have to do is pull and go.

      • portion sizes are about 4 oz…cup up in small pieces and take your time eating..no wolfing…or gobbling…you will be overful…

    • If you are someone over the weight of 215, you should be eating portion sizes of 6 oz. If you are under 215, you should reduce the portion sizes to 4 oz.

  • I have a question on the protein bars. I purchased a box Detour Protein bars. Each one has 15 g of protein…states lower sugar on box but in the ingredients it states: Sugars 1 gram and then underneath that it states: Sugar Alcohol: 14 g. So is this a low sugar bar or not. Very confuesed!

    • Help. I need help also with what type of potein bar to choose. I currentky eat Balalnce Bars but they have a whooping 17 grams of sugar!!! and the Pure Protein bars I used to eat have 2 grams of sugar but 12 grams of sugar alchohol. Someone out there must know some great info about whats the best protein to eat while trying to shed the punds. Thanks.

  • Drew, will you be able to post the next grocery list by Wednesday, like you did last week? and I have a suggestion.. you should make an encounter soon after you finish next year with us the people who are following you, and some of them who can’t assist post their success stories online, you are the inspiration that many were looking for; the bus ride I was waiting to get on!!

  • Drew,
    I have been following you for a few weeks now. I am amazed and impressed with what you are doing. I am 5’9″ 180 lbs. about a year and a half ago i was 227. I decided to turn my life around at that time and ate a strict diet and did cardio like a freak. now i am trying to bulk up but not put on any weight from fat. I see you diet and thats great my only question to you would be isnt that a lot of sugar intake. even sugar from fruit makes your body produce extra insulin in your blood. It is a simple carb no? Again im really impressed and good luck you definately have my support!

  • Hi Drew. I’m following your blog to see how I can start too. But i have a more general question about the foods to eat. Is there a book I can read to understand why you are choosing the types of foods you are going to buy and eat?

    Why almonds, turkey ground meat, etc?

    If you can suggest a book to read (or cd’s to listen to) so I can understand why you are choosing the types of foods you are going to buy, I think it would help.

    - Brian

  • i know that your crazy busy and i appreciate all the help that you are providing to us. i was wondering if you could let me know when you are going to post the next grocery list

  • Drew,

    I weigh 187. I’ve weighed between 180 and 187 since I had my last back surgery in 2000. They pumped me full of so many steriods to help with the healing process it caused enormous and rapid weight gain that left me looking hideous. I had had 5 previous back surgeries over a 10yr period. Each time with the same medically induced rapid weight gain. But, after busting my tail getting all the weight off from those previous surgeries. In 1996 I was down to an amazingly proud size 7. I hadn’t been a size 7 since I was in the 8th grade. It was great.
    Then 4 short years later I was faced with having to have yet another extensive procedure. Like before I walked into the hospital weighing a wonderful 132-lbs. Only to be pumped full of those stinking steriods, and 13-days later I left the hospital a miserable 183-lbs.
    I’ve tried everything since then and can’t get this horrible weight to come off. I don’t have the physical ability I once did. I have nerve damage in my lower legs that was caused in that last surgery and I now have an internal pain stemulator to help control the pain level. But even with that I’m motivated by this thing you’re doing.
    I was hoping maybe following you and what you are doing would help me lose the weight.
    I have no modivation or energy. Any help you can provide I’d certainly welcome…
    I keep thinking if I had someone that would come by my house and drag me out and say ok this is what your life will be now cause I’m going to do it with you. I’d succeed…