A note to Fish readers: On Jan. 2, I began a nutrition plan complete with a certified nutritionist coach. After learning that I’m a journalist and blogger, she invited me to blog about my experiences. The following is the 10th of my weekly blogs.

Keeping on plan at home, while not necessarily a “piece of cake,” is relatively easy once you’re In the Grove.

So it was with some trepidation that I left on a nine-state road trip April 1 with my husband. We planned to visit friends in Chicago; Nashville, Tenn.; St. Louis; and Des Moines, Iowa, and view public art along the way through Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri and Iowa over nine days.

We packed our suitcases and two cooler bags that included several of my favorite foods: homemade sourdough rye muffins, a bag of Honeycrisp apples, a motley of bell peppers that I’d cut in wedges, hard-boiled eggs, coconut oil, mangos and my favorite spices, turmeric and cumin.

My intentions were to eat “on plan” as much as possible and stick to the one treat meal a week recommendation.

We headed to our first stop about seven hours away in Chicago, driving through strong winds, rain, sleet, snow and sunshine.

Our friends welcomed us and they, along with my husband, celebrated with wine and light snacks. I, with solipsistic resolve, accepted the offer of cold green tea and declined snacks.

After a good 1½ hours, they left us to wind down for a quiet evening and meet up the next morning.

We each fixed something to eat ― I had one of my favorite cheeses: Fromager d’Affinois Florette Goat Brie with my homemade sourdough rye muffins, cherry tomatoes and green bell pepper with some more green tea. So far, so good.

The best laid plans of spending the day in downtown Chicago walking around and photographing public art were deferred due to weather ― 50-mph winds, more snow and rain as well as an unfortunate accident in which my iPad mini was dropped resulting in a shattered screen. So we headed for a local mall and Apple Store, where we were able to get some walking exercise in as well as replace my device.

Since our guests had told us they would be reserving a table at Zia’s, their favorite local Italian restaurant, it was a no-brainer to have that be my treat meal for the week. I was able to thoroughly enjoyed a delicious lasagna with a salad and a glass of wine and even a few bites from the complimentary dessert plate of tiramisu, cheesecake, gelato and pie. Since starting the MB® plan over three months ago, I’ve photographed nearly every meal. I can’t believe I forgot to take a photo of the meal!

The next day, Sunday, we were off to Nashville for three days, which is normally under an eight-hour drive. But due to an accident and consequent detour causing a mistaken bifurcate, we stopped at Kentucky Fried Chicken for lunch.

I ordered two chicken breasts, removing the skin and bones, and a side of green beans. (Remind me not to do that again.) I love fresh green beans. Even frozen green beans are acceptable, but you can keep canned green beans. Yuk! It had been years since I’d had them, and now I remember why.

Our Nashville host, a longtime friend of my husband’s, welcomed us and took us out for dinner two of the three nights we were there. I was able to order wisely ― chicken once and fish another time ― with veggies and no dessert and no wine. I did, however, succumb to a small piece of mixed berry pie that (he had made especially for us) on our first evening after returning from our restaurant meal. I felt the choice of being gracious and accepting was more important than to decline his genuine offer so I could stay “on plan.”

Weigh-in was the following day, so I was not surprised that ― for the first time in 11 weeks ― I had gained one-half pound. And yes, I brought my own scales along, both bathroom and kitchen.

Three highlights of the Nashville visit were stopping at my old office at the Nashville Tennessean; a 1½-hour walk around Cheekwood Botanical Garden and Museum of Art and Opryland USA. The fact that neither my husband nor I are Country Music fans did not diminish our enjoyment of some great entertainment.

Eating my dinner ― mozzarella cheeseballs, bite-sized green bell pepper and sourdough rye muffin in the darkened theater ― surreptitiously, complete with music, went without a hitch.

I was not exactly thrilled when my husband bought the largest box of popcorn available for his “dinner,” but I reminded myself that “this IS my journey and my choice.” Admittedly, popcorn and wine are the two things I miss the most!

One thing that I noticed a few days into our trip was a return to shooting arthritic pain in my finger joints. I realized that, while I had brought turmeric along, I had not been using it when eating out. As our trip continued, it was clear the difference the spice makes.

The following day ― about 5½ hours ― on the road and we were in St. Louis, for a couple of nights. I’d wanted to photograph the famous arch ― at 630 feet ― the largest stainless steel structure in the world.

Our friends wanted to take us to their favorite restaurant that evening ― also Italian ― where I enjoyed a goat cheese, sausage, onion, black olives and tomato pizza and a glass of wine. No dessert! 😜 I didn’t even eat half of my pizza, which meant my husband had a ready-made lunch for the following day.

The following day was a rest day in our hotel playing Hand and Foot and walking to a nearby shopping center that featured a newly opened Weber Grill Restaurant. Known nationally for its backyard grills, the restaurant had only been opened five days. I ordered a grilled chicken salad that was delicious. We were also able to get a 45-minute walk inside the mall, which was appreciated as it was another cold, windy day.

The next day we were off again on another 5½- hour drive from St. Louis to Des Moines. We ate lunch on the road and enjoyed a pleasant dinner at Ruby Tuesdays, a few minutes’ walk from our hotel. I had a tasty grilled tilapia, green beans and zucchini.

Discovering Des Moines’ John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park was a complete delight. Getting our exercise in, we walked around for about an hour and a half with a beautiful blue sky and bright sunshine albeit cool temperature. I was able to photograph the art as well as the diverse and exciting architecture in three areas of this very charming city.

Again meeting up with a longtime friend for lunch, our original plan was stymied due to a long wait time. We walked around the block to a rustic vegetarian restaurant plastered with posters, signs and political stickers. I’m not sure what was in my sandwich ― on marble rye bread ― but know it was a mix of hot vegetables.

After lunch and a great catch up conversation, we were back on the road for the relatively short, final 3.5 hour drive from Des Moines to home in Edina, Minn.

What I learned on our 2,000 mile road trip is that it is not only possible for me to stay “on plan,” it was also fun, interesting and a welcome change.

That said, I gave myself permission to have a couple of glasses of wine on two different evenings. After all, I was on holiday.

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Results: Adapting to my situations, I made healthy eating choices and was able to exercise 20 minutes to two hours by walking almost every day while on our road trip, which helped me loose 1½ pounds while on our trip. I’m now past the 100-day mark and have lost a total of 29 pounds.

Tips: While on long road trips, use rest stops to do a few minutes of exercises to boost your circulation every couple of hours. Remember to bring your turmeric container along so you can add it to your meals while traveling.