So far in Spain, the food choices have been actually pretty Paleo-friendly with a few notable exceptions. While the ham and bacon we’ve been eating have been Paleo-friendly, there have been times I’ve allowed myself to eat non-Paleo foods. Exceptions thus far have been Churros with Hot Chocolate at San Gines (a must do!), a croissant on the plane for breakfast (I left the yogurt and granola), some bread at two meals so far, and a few pieces of chocolate. We’ve been doing an incredible amount of walking each day, and I’ve been very selective in what I allow myself to eat that is not Paleo. I don’t know if I’m gaining any weight, but my clothes still fit the same, the belt holes I use are still the same, and my wedding ring is still loose.

I continue to try to make good food decisions as much as I can without missing out on any unique experiences. I think that there is a balance, and I feel like I’ve been finding that balance well. Looking around at the local Spanish population, they are a trim group. There isn’t as much obesity here as there is in the US. For that matter, it’s difficult to find people who are overweight, and even when I do find them, I hear them speaking English or German. Go figure. The food here is inherently far healthier than our foods back home in the US. The portions are smaller, sides that consist of grains or lots of carbs are actually very small compared to the meat/main course, and even desserts are not nearly as sweet as they are in the US. It explains why people here aren’t so large.

We are really enjoying our trip, and the food has been a big part of that. It’s tough sometimes to not just eat without abandon, but in picking and choosing the foods I eat, I’m finding that I still get to taste unique foods and I’m also maintaining a healthier eating pattern. I’ve yet to run here, however, and that is causing me some mental anguish. We are on our way to Barcelona, and I plan on running within 24 hours of arriving there. Whether that will be tonight or tomorrow morning is uncertain, but it will happen. I did 60 push ups in our AirBNB flat last night, and I will do more again the next time I run. I can’t let my run times get too slow; I have physical fitness tests to pass and troops to lead.