Something strange happened when I ate bread, drank hot chocolate, and ate churros: I didn’t explode. My body didn’t rebel in the way I thought it might. I actually handled it all quite well. Heck, my body didn’t even bloat or swell as much as I expected. Why is that?

There are a few reasons for this. First, it’s that I didn’t eat this kind of stuff all day every day, and even when I did, it was normal (or for Americans, known as small) servings. Second, the food that has added sugar here in Spain has a lot less sugar added than in the US. Third, I walked a lot. I mean at least 8-10 miles a day. That kind of extra exercise burns some calories and helps mitigate any increase in calorie intake.

This gives me huge hope for the future when I reach my final goal weight for being able to eat non-Paleo things here and there more often. In-n-Out Burgers is coming to Houston, and I want to be able to go and have a single with fries every now and then, or enjoy a pizza every once in a while. Right now, those things are off-limits to me in my self-imposed strict interpretation of Paleo.

I look forward to reaching my final phase of this Paleo journey: maintenance. I’m not quite there yet (heck, I’ve added some pounds I will now have to re-lose), but I’m close. Really close. And the nice part is that I know I will be able to have some treats here and there without totally screwing myself over.