Today I added wine back into my diet - specifically blueberry wine from Sorrenti (Cherry Valley Vineyard). I purchased a case of the wine prior to my Myrtle Beach vacation, so I'm very excited about being able to drink it. The wine is VERY good; however, it is sweet, so one glass is my limit.

Additionally, I have purchased another paleo cookbook - Nom Nom Paleo. I used the author's blog throughout my Whole30 journey, and the reviews for the cookbook are positive. I also looked at the inside of the book, and there are some simple recipes as well as more difficult ones. That will make it easier to sustain the cleaning eating throughout the school year.

I'm going to continue to follow the paleo plan, but I'm still not going to add sugar back into our diets. I did make pancakes with coconut flour. While the flavor was a bit different than conventional white flour pancakes, they were good. We had red raspberries (picked at Schmidt's Berry Farm) on top instead of syrup.

Remember, that all of these changes take a while to get used to. However, starting with the strict Whole30 helped carve the way in thinking about whole foods.

30 days of the Whole30 have come to an end. However, we have decided that we will continue with the clean eating--especially daily at home and at work.

Here are the totals in lost weight:
Karla 8 pounds
Donald 10 pounds
Karanda 18 pounds
Whopping 36 pounds between the three of us!
With results like that in only 30 days, it must be worth maintaining.

Now that my pantry is de-junked and I'm seeing some great results: sleeping, mood, stamina, digestion, etc., I know that we have found something that we need to continue to do.

I know that when we go out to restaurants that Don will probably not stick to the "plan" and that is okay. I may not either at times, but I also don't want to pay for food that is going to give me a stomach ache, or worse.

Oh yeah, I lost another 2 pounds!

Well, the vacation in Myrtle Beach might be over, but the clean eating continues.

I'm happy to say that while on vacation, I was able to sustain my clean eating habits by shopping at a local grocery store (or two), as well as by searching out menus from local restaurants in advance to see if there would be options for me. One area that was a bit distressing was the fact that I could not have any wine while on vacation. That is one thing I do plan to bring back into my "diet" after 30 days.

We made our breakfasts and lunches in the condo, but we ate out every evening. The big killer while on vacation (or anywhere for that matter)--going to the movies and not having movie popcorn with butter. This was always a sad adventure. However, I always sneak in my own water, so what's wrong with sneaking in some clean snacks?

For dinner, we ate at the following restaurants:
Red Robin (Did you know you have a burger wrapped in lettuce - no bun, please?)
Ruth's Chris (This is a pretentious and overpriced place. My husband and I were not impressed.)
Barons Steak and Spirits (The scallop dinner was divine!)
Captain George's Seafood Buffet (Don cheated here; however, I did not. I was happy with King Crab Legs--hold the butter. I may have had to work for my food, but I left satisfied. Don said while he felt he had to cheat at a buffet, he was NOT satisfied. He said the taste of the "bad" food was not a good as he thought it was going to be. Thus, he realized that he isn't missing that much.) Additionally, I'm excited about this place because there is one in Williamsburg, and we will be going there in August!
Red Lobster (Telling a waitress to not bring the cheesy biscuits was a bit rough.)
Bonefish Grill (The waitress realized we were eating healthy, so she made sure any sauces were on the side, and she was very helpful with the ingredients for everything.)

I will admit that during this Whole30 experiment, I'm missing my wine during the summer months.
Additionally, Don and I are getting ready for a week in Myrtle Beach, and eating out for every dinner will be a daunting task.
I had people say to me, "Why would you do it over a vacation?" Well, the answer is simple. If we waited until there were no special occasions or events, we would never transition into a healthier diet.
Which brings me to the word "diet". I'm getting to hate that word. Diet to me has always signified the cutting out of food in order to lose weight. Usually, the diet was so bland that it was soon cast aside. On the other side, diet means counting calories or points, or some such nonsense.
This Whole30 (and the paleo eating plan - which is what I will consider myself after 30 days), does not have a person counting calories or points. The only thing to focus on are the ingredients in the items purchased. To me that is a lot easier than adding up my daily numbers only to know that I've gone over...again.
At this point in the Whole30, I've lost 8 pounds, Don has lost 6 pounds, and Kara has lost 15 pounds. Not bad for considering that all we did was eliminate the junk.