Day 30...and I'm Done!!!

If you set a goal for yourself and are able to achieve it, you have won your race. Your goal can be to come in first, to improve your performance, or just to finish the race - it's up to you. - Dave Scott

Well, here it is, I finally made it! Definitely didn't think it was going to fly by as fast as it did, but I'm glad that I stuck to my guns and made it through. I was thinking about doing a line up today, but since I basically ate the same stuff that I always eat, I figured I'd spare you the boredom for the day and we can all celebrate!

This challenge has really changed my life for the better, and would tell that to anyone that'd listen. I no longer crave junk food, but instead, I crave fruits and veggies, or my trail mix from Whole Foods. I have learned that adding on tons of extra condiments and cheeses doesn't make food better, it just makes it way worse for you! I could list things for days that have changed in my life, but instead of talking about them, I figure it'd just be easier to keep living them, and you can all see for yourselves how I've changed when our paths cross again.

So, what now? Well my plan is to not be 100% strict about the Paleo for the next few weeks. Now that doesn't mean that I am falling off the wagon. As a matter of fact, I have my same breakfast and lunch planned for tomorrow, and then Megan and I are going to a new restaurant in the area that is known for having healthy foods, Seasons 52. I will guess that I'll try to remain at least 85-90% Paleo for my everyday food intake. The only thing that might veer are some Recipes of Megan's that aren't even bad for you, they just call for a splash of milk here, or dry oatmeal there. I go to Ireland for a week at the beginning of August, and it is going to be tough to uphold the Paleo diet there, but I will do my best. Thank god we have our own house, because I can at least get to the grocery store and cook my own meals that way. As soon as I get back from Ireland, my Crossfit gym is going to have a 30 Day Paleo Challenge, so I will definitely be partaking in that. Seems fitting to go on the journey with others now that I have done it by myself.

Anyways, a big thanks to everyone who followed the blog, commented, or told me personally that they were following. I really appreciate all the support, without it, I wouldn't have made it. Another HUGE shout out and thank you to my girlfriend, Miss Megan Fluck, without her, this DEFINITELY wouldn't have happened. I have a very limited cooking repertoire, so she was able to come over and spice some things up for me to keep me on track. She also was forced to eat Paleo dinners more times that not, so she sacrificed right along with me! Thanks Meg, could never have done it without you!

My buddy AJ has asked that I show before and after pics, well I did take some pics of myself when I first started my weight loss, but I am going to keep those hidden until I reach my ultimate goal. If someone wants to see some before and after pics prior to that, drop me a line privately and I'll send you some, but I will wait for the big reveal once I have reached a weight that I feel good about.

And for the final tally of the challenge. I started the challenge weighing roughly 306lbs, and as of the morning, I weight 283 pounds. So that is a weight loss of 23 pounds in 30 days! That's not too shabby!

Thanks again for all of the support! Take care everyone. I'll keep posting periodically, and then I'll start another blog full blown once I start the next challenge!