It can be done.  I was three weeks into the USD and had to go to Puerto Rico for an 11 day working vacation.  I knew we were staying in an apartment so I packed my "Magic Bullet", protein powder, flax seed and rice cereal.  I hit the grocery store that evening and got the rest of the ingredients I needed for my breakfast.  I also bought brown rice and an array of fresh vegetables.  I made protein shakes every morning but two.  One morning I made rice cereal and on the last day I took the group (five teenagers) to breakfast at a local bakery.  We all ordered scrambled eggs and bacon.

I was able to make my lunch on a few of the days and I prepared fresh vegetables and brown rice, but most of the days I had to eat lunch and dinner out and I just tried to make good choices every day.  One day however, we ate at the Mariott Hotel's buffet.  I chose fish, but I tasted the chicken and pork tenderloin too, as well as a salad and vegetables and a rice and pigeon pea soup that was to die for!  I did not hit the dessert bar, but managed to taste all the deserts left on plates by the teens who either had enough or didn't like the cheesecake, chocolate cake, cookies, pie, etc.  Well I devoured a small plate of dessert and I want to tell you what happened.  We pretty much went back to the apartment and went to bed.  I quickly felt pain in my knee and hip where I know I have arthritis, and I tossed and turned and was absolutely miserable from 10pm until I finally fell asleep (with the help of Tylenol and Benedryl) at 3:30am.  Do I think it was the sugar?  Well DUH!.  Sugar and maybe some preservative on the salad had some minor effect too, but none the less, I had not had any pain to speak of the entire vacation other than that night. 

The very good news was that I walked a lot during this vacation and I made good eating choices (except for my disaster dessert), and came home six pounds lighter than when I left!  Yep, that's six pounds in 11 days on vacation!  It can be done!

Thanks Dr. Hyman!  This ultra simple diet works.  It has changed the way I look at food and I know I will eat this way the rest of my life!  I have rid myself of restless sleep because of pain at night!  I feel so much better during the day.  I can't imagine going back to a routine of eating that would make me feel so bad.  I feel like I have my life back and am enjoying living again!!