3 weeks traveling in Europe without putting on weight? Tips, please

Eat proper meals, sitting down, at least two courses and don't "browse".
Many's the time I've sat in a restaurant and an American party will arrive halfway through my meal and they'll be gone before I get to the coffee stage, having had just one course or a pizza between two.
Take your time and eat slowly.

Hi

Like you I go to the gym, have an active job and count the carbos and fat content. So when I travel I let my hair down and have a pastry a day. Don't do it. This is where the most damage is done! Sadly (for my waistline) I also had bread for breakfast. What the heck - I put on 1 or 2 kilos but work it off when I return home.

My tip. Leave the pastries or keep them to a minimum and do lots of walking.

Cheers

We spent ten days in Italy and I thought for sure I would gain tons of weight. I ate gelato at least once a day and the big Italian meals. BUT, I lost 3 pounds! We walked 27 miles in 8 days (I wore a pedometer) and we didn't plan to walk all that - it just happens. Since the Italians eat differently, we followed how they ate - longer meals talking about life, pasta is only a small part of the meal, etc. It was wonderful, I had everything, and lost weight! They have much smaller portions than we do and the food is richer so you can eat less, feel full, and feel like you weren't missing out on anything. Enjoy and MANGEA (spelling - means EAT in Italian!).

Don't worry - and don't scrimp. You won't gain weight and will probably lose a bit even if you do eat all the rich foods evey day.

You probably will expend more energy in a day of just normal sightseeing and walking than in an hour's work out at your gym.

Go and enjoy . . . . . .

In some major cities, your hotel may be able to suggest a local gym that's available for a reasonable day rate. We did this in Sorrento two years ago, and it worked out very well.

We also shared dishes when we could, and ate more at lunch than at dinner, on the theory that we'd get rid of some of the calories with long walks in the afternoon/evening.

A last suggestion is to plan dinners that involve at least a short walk ( 10-15 minutes) back and forth from your hotel.

Good luck!

I never gain weight traveling in Europe and pretty much eat what I want, within reason. Since you'll be at hotels and eating out, that eliminates snacking (my downfall at home). I don't have a sweet tooth so desserts aren't tempting but I drink more than my share of wine!

Definitely take your gym sneakers with you and you can do a "powerwalk" some mornings. Or a fun thing to do is try a local health club or class. I've taken aerobics in Switzerland (french), step call in Mexico (spanish), at local places and it was a hoot. I doubt this had any effect on maintaining or losing weight but it was very fun and not your typical tourist activity.

and oldie-if by your lecturing comment about "Americans" rushing off you are somehow inferring (in that inimitable faux-superior-knowledge British attitude) that Americans don't know how to relax and enjoy a meal in Europe or elsewhere, then you surely have no earthly idea what you're talking about.

Tourist groups are tourist groups, it doesn't matter if they're American Russian, or even, (gosh, could it even be?-British) they have a finite period to get from one point to another, so they in fact WILL be stopping for a short period of time to eat. So to take that fact and apply it to your broad-brush generalization of Americans in Europe, is risible in the extreme, but, also, alas typical.

that would be... step class (sorry haven't had my coffee yet).

I say eat what you want & enjoy your trip! When I am home I workout 4 days a week and eat mostly protein, veggies & fruit. When I'm on my once a year European vacation, all bets are off. In Italy I'll eat a chocolate cornetta for breakfast, pasta for lunch, at least one gelato a day, etc. I walk so much that I hardly ever gain weight while I'm away. I'm a food lover and work hard all year for the trip, I will not restrain myself!!!!

To me, if I have to spend a little extra time after my vacation burning off any small vacation weight gain, it's worth it to me to be able to enjoy my vacation without worrying about counting calories, carbs, etc...

But with all the walking, I've never actually gained weight overseas.

So far everyone agrees that walking is the key. Re eating treats, opinions are divided -- maybe according to individual metabolism? I am part of the group who can gain weight merely by walking past a delectable Parisian pastry shop...

Forgot to mention that my downfall is cheese. Since DH and I were poor students together, we have had our bread and cheese lunches in parks all over Europe. Most of the good cheeses, as you know, are 80 percent fat. I think I will do ok on this trip if I just avoid it altogether.

A big part of the experiene of Italy is the food. It is silly to waste the time worrying or worse the experience in another country when yoiu will just loose the weight when you return! For the record I have been to Italy 9 times, I eat like crazy and have lost weight evry time!

I was on a bus tour for 2 1/2 weeks. Our breakfasts and diners were included in the tour so I had little choice in what I ate. I ate lots of fruit for breakfast with yogurt and meusli (which I swear was soaked overnight in cream!) I usually took an extra piece of fruit and a bun which I ate with Nutella for lunch and then whatever dinner they gave us. I shared a passion for chocolate with the tour guide so we often sneaked some of that together. And LOTS of water.

I came home 15 pounds lighter. Go figure!

With all the walking, I've never put on wieght while on vacation. I never miss the opportunity to take the stairs, climb to the top of towers for the views. That takes care of the lower body. For upper body, why not just do some push-ups each morning before you get started. This will also remind you to stretch out before your day of aerobic walking.
Have a pastry or two, you deserve it.

Trying out a local gym is a good idea, even if just for the cultural experience. My daughter joined a gym in Salamanca when she was doing study abroad there, she loved it.

Of course you will be walking so much that a gym really isn't necessary.

I want to reiterate the idea of looking into doing your normal exercise routine in a foreign country. It is a wonderful way to have that 'live like a local' experience we're always talking about. Whatever you study- yoga, dance, aerobics, weight lifting- find a studio or a gym, take some classes; or if you are a runner- take your shoes, shorts and hit the streets early morning.

If you're in a "maintenance" mode with regard to your weight and you've been doing this awhile, I wouldn't worry about gaining weight. You will likely be doing lots of walking. I probably average at least 5 miles a day on trips, but it doesn't seem like it.
I would go for 1-2 "treats" per day.
BTW, in Europe, you will notice that pastries, torts, cakes etc don't taste as sugary as the stuff in the USA. But they are full of flavor, to be sure.

It's unanimous. The walking will be plenty of exercise. (And I work out 6 days a week.) This is more true in the cities, not quite so true on a driving tour. But almost all tourist destinations in Europe require some walking.

Secondly, what we do is have a big, restful lunch and a light or no dinner. It Italy, dinner is gelato. Worked pretty well in Paris also. Save a lot of money this way too. But occasionally we save up appetite for a dinner in a nice restaurant.

Allowing yourself the pleasure of local food is part of the experience. You won't be able to fully enjoy your vacation if you are too busy counting calories. It is possible to eat well and in moderation (portions are usually smaller in Europe than here in the U.S.). Walk everywhere, have your gelato and enjoy. You might even find that you lose some weight. Have a great trip!

I always lose weight when I am in Italy, and I eat my face off, eating things I always try to avoid normally. In fact, I wish I could go on vacation more often - it seems to work better than all the freaking out I do over calorie counting at home.

It is your vacation - take a break from the gym and dieting, that would be my advice. Seriously. I am a girl, I know what you are worried about,(the jeans not fitting anymore, for instance) and I am saying don't worry about it.

In terms of Italy, my experience is that the portions are smaller. The quality of the food is better, if you eat at the right places. Vegetables and proteins are excellent. As for pasta, it is a primi, or first course - hence the smaller portion than what we are used to here. Sure, order wisely, but eat what you want!!! Trust me, you will work it off!!!! Some days you eat lighter, some days you eat more, and it all evens out in the wash.

Enjoy yourself. Eat fish and chips, croissants, chocolate, pasta and gelato. Going to the gym five days a week at home means that you are fit and you will burn calories efficiently - that is the benefit of all those workouts! This is a reason to work out as regularly as you do...so you can go on vacation once a year and forget about it for a while!

Enjoy yourself. Have a great trip.

Thanks, folks. I like the big, leisurely lunch followed by the gelato dinner.

Our 21-year-old son, who can eat absolutely anything and is happy to do so, will be with us. I will try not to let him be a bad influence.

Every time I go to europe I LOSE weight - generaly 2/3 lbs per week - since all you do is walk all day. And this is despite eating more and drinking more wine than I do at home. (Here I generally do the gym only 1/2X per week - but do walk a lot here already - but defiitely not all day like in europe.)

If you don;t pig out completely (cleaning your plate is not required - and portions are often smaller then in the US) you should not gain weight.

You are all cheering me up a lot. Thanks!

HI artsfan--food, dieting and weight are the bane of the existence of many of my co-workers and myself. I think I have some awareness of how important this issue can be. However, please accept this advice in the kindest way possible: Unless you are on a severely resticted diet for a life threatening medical condition, lighten up!! What are you saving yourself for if you cannot enjoy a trip to Europe? One more point, IMO, if you go to France and avoid the cheese, well, forgive my directness, but that is like going on a honeymoon and avoiding the s--!! Now comes the "professional advice". Give yourself a *true* vacation and put these concerns to one side. Also, practically speaking, any weight you m put on in a short time, comes off more quickly. Have fun!!!!!

I always lose weight when I go to Europe. You are always walking and moving, unlike here in the US>

Socialworker, lol. No, I don't have a life-threatening condition. I just know from childbearing how hard it can be to take off what one puts on, no matter how delightful the circumstances.

Ok, I will eat cheese. Maybe not the St. Andre...

One simple tip: walk everywhere you possibly can walk.

Ditto to the above. European cities like Paris and London are much, much safer to walk in than American cities. Munich, for example, is such that I have seen single women on the streets at night. No,they were not what you obtuse people are thinking.

Haha socialworker, do you realize you told me to "lighten up"? lol

I love chocolate and stopped in nearly every chocolate shop we ran across in Paris, but with all the walking (miles and miles every day) I lost 5 pounds. We also ate at least three meals a day with wine at two. I love Paris!

One of my favorite parts of going somewhere new is running there. I'm serious! I even get my husband to take a picture of me in some scenic or monumental place that we run, so that I can tape it into my running log. I'll always have incredible memories of running in the early morning in Rome, around a deserted and glistening Trevi fountain (on New Year's Day, nonetheless!); of running through a quaint Alpine neighborhood in Salzburg and being chased down by an angry man whose property I was unknowingly on (scary moment); and, another favorite, of having a fantastic long run around Lake Zurich on a lazy Sunday afternoon. It lets me be able to explore a place and gives me a better taste for life there. AND, I NEVER feel guilty for eating whatever I want during the day! Enjoy!

All I can offer is my crazy pre-trip diet routine: The hubby and I are on our usual three-week, pre-trip preparation diet for our trip to France/Germany. We totally low-carb it for three weeks, lose a few pounds, and then feel free to indulge when we get there. (To be honest, we start indulging at the airport...that's where the vacation begins, right?)

I'm sure this is not the healtiest solution, but honestly, it makes all the eating that much more fun. And we never end up eating as many carbs as we imagine or gaining more than a pound max on a trip to Europe. We're usually on the move, so normally there is no harm done. This trip, I just found out we're going to need to redo the kitchen floor in our Paris apartment...so bring on the croissants, baby!

I definitely feel we get enough activity in on vacation, although this trip we are going to seek out a park where hubby can jog.

Admittedly, we seem to eat so often that I never actually get hungry! Of course we all know whether at home or abroad you're not supposed to eat if you're not hungry...but I've ever been too good about following that on vacation!

Based on your destinations, I'm guessing you're going to walk your butt off, and like everyone else I have very high hopes for you actually losing a few pounds while eating all those goodies! May the weight loss gods be with you!

Have a wonderful trip!

You are right, artsfan, it was, of course, no pun intended, but rather a metaphorical reference to letting go of something that was "weighing" on your mind!!

One of my fondest memories of our last trip was ordering a plate of Nachos prior to take-off. We had been (and still are) low carb dieting and this was our first break in the action. They were lovely.

We ate carbs to our hearts content and didn't gain weight. Walking through the Staatsgalerie in Stuttgart probably kept of at least a weeks worth of weight.

Next year, Paris. Bagettes here I come! With a brief stop for Nachos next to the Icelandic departure gate!

Hi, artsfan!
I know what you're going through and want to share some of my thoughts. First of all, you should know that I have been a successful weight watcher for the past four years and for a while was a weight watcher leader. However, when I retired from teaching my husband and I began traveling a great deal so I am now "totally" retired. We go for 25-30 days at a time to some pretty exotic places, and never once have either of us gained weight. As a matter of fact, we usually lose a few pounds! First of all, I am very assertive with the restaurant staffs. On a cruise or on a tour, we tell the person in charge that we don't want sauces or fried foods, and could they possibly give them to us plain? We always ask for dressing on the side and we "fork" it on, using very little. We ask for extra veggies instead of the carbs, and have NEVER been told that this couldn't be done. We drink a lot of water and walk a great deal. We eat lots of salads and not too many carbs. For breakfast, we can usually find low fat yogurt, we have egg white omelets (which can be filled with loads of veggies), fresh fruit or a little cereal. We were once in Sicily and told our guide that I don't eat pasta. Whenever we went to a restaurant, I was handed the most beautiful antipastos. The other people, having eaten pasta continuously, were actually salivating when they saw what I was eating. On this past trip to Croatia, we ate seafood and fish and thoroughly enjoyed how fresh and delicious it was. One night, we ate oysters fresh out of the Adriatic Sea!! As far as desserts go, I try to stick with fresh fruit or just a little taste of something special. Everyone thinks that vacation means temptation, but there are wonderful healthy foods available just about everywhere! We have also had gelato, but one scoop after a very lightlunch shouldn't hurt a bit. Good luck!

This seems to be the start of a new wieght loss craze. Need to shed a few unwanted pounds? Go to Europe! Yippee!

In Europe, I have to eat constantly just to maintain my weight. Its magic!

No cabs. No rental cars. Eat what you like. Works for me!

Eat only once or twice (one light meal such as some fruit) a day. Have either breakfast or lunch. I do this at home, and away, it's an excellent way of not becoming obese.

Also, walk everywhere. I rarely take cabs on holiday, and if I'm doing a city style break then I'll walk virtually everywhere. Not only do you get to see, and experience far more of the local way of life, the pounds will quite literally drop off of you too!

Almost every morning when I am on a trip I use my stretch bands to do mini-workouts in my room. A little of this yoga-like exercise will keep your heart rate up for a while and with alot of walking during the day you will probably not gain any weight. Skip the buses and taxis as much as you can.

I think it would be a crime against nature if you denied yourself some of the wonderful Italian or French dishes when you are specifically taking time off of your regular schedule to enjoy life in another country.

You probably know your own body and know when you have crossed the line.

Have fun, that is the whole point! If you come back and write in a trip report that you skipped gelato and French pastry or pasta I'll scream.

Ok, I'll add my experiences of never gaining weight on a trip, but eating - within reason - whatever I want. I do the same analysis I (try) to do at home: is this food worth the calories or fat? In Europe, the answer is usually yes! (But I admit, I'm not a big fan of cream-filled confections, so my bakery choices are usually interesting-looking biscotti. But chocolate I'll never turn down!)

Walking is a big part of the balance of calories in-calories out. Portion sizes are a reasonable size, and smaller than in the U.S., which helps. Gelato is low in fat, though not calories, so at least it's a heart-healthy treat! Most of the time, I take a careful look at the dessert menu at a restaurant in Italy, and decide that I'd rather have some gelato from a gelateria.

You will probably never get to read all of these and mine is really a reiteration of most, I ate to my hearts content in Italy - food I would never normally eat - however I came home several kilos lighter!! I think it was the hilltop walking and the heat but was stunned to discover I hadnt put on weight! Part of the joy of Italy was the food and wine and it was wonderful to savour both!!

Enjoy!!

I have been working to reach and maintain a healthy (not perfect!) body weight for many of my middle years and will share this thought. The process is much more about exercise and overall healthy living than it is about denying yourself. It's a shame to enter into a wonderful experience in another culture without relaxing a heavy handed grip on the daily diet.
During the trip you will have a golden opportunity to let yourself experience a healthy (and more relaxed) relationship with food, get lots of walking exercise, and enjoy the smaller portions served in restaurants in France and Italy.
My only "tip" is that when I travel, I don't eat much for a few hours before bed. I walk alot, drink lots of bottled water and enjoy the local cuisine thoroughly. There's a very good reason that obesity is so much less prevalent in Europe!
Never deny yourself gelato!!! Perish the thought!

An Italian friend of mine went on a diet a few years ago, and when I was visiting, I had dinner with him and his family. He had lost a significant amount of weight, and when I asked him about the fact that he was still eating bread, he said "but bread is bread! One must not face the day without it!!"

to summarize:
drink water and then drink more water
small portions
walking alot
early dinners
enjoy life
leave the calorie counter at home

and enjoy life!

What is the point in going to these places if you do not enjoy the food? The gym will be there when you get back. I'll take two pastries or a large gelato.

Everyone has already said it, but I wanted to add my 2 cents. Each trip to Europe, I have lost 10 pounds! and we eat everything! Don't deny yourself one of the pleasures of foreign travel! You walk so much more than you expect and it really shows on the scales! Bon appetit!! Enjoy!!

While I appreciate some of the sentiments posted here, no need to go hog-wild with food on vacation. There's more to Europe than eating. I certainly don't deprive myself but am reasonable. When you go WAY overboard it is hard to get back on track when you return home.

Example: In Mexico I always have a big breakfasts of pancakes and fruit or an omelette then am in severe withdrawl the first few weeks back waiting for my breakfast to be served(!) while eating my bran cereal -bleck.

mmmm, I'm in Europe and don't lose weight so easily..maybe I have to go to America ?

I spent 12 days in Switzerland, eating cheese for breakfast, lunch, dinner with 2 ice-creams for snacks in between. Came home with the same weight

BUT:

my cholesterol got through the roof, so now I'm seriously dieting. For the rest of my life, I'm afraid.

So... make healthy choices while you are still healthy.

AND LEAVE ALL CHEESE AND ICE-CREAM FOR ME, FOR MY NEXT VISIT

Hmmmm... I've never gained weight in Europe although I eat much worse than I do back here. I guess we just walk so much (usually in excess of 8 miles a day and sometimes up to 14 miles in a day!) that it doesn't matter.

I'm 25 and exercise pretty regularly so maybe that helps keep my metabolism high enough for all the gelato and pizza I consume?

TexasAggie, no it's the *25* that saves you!

hi suze,

You're right and I am sure the age does help... but since that is impossible to keep on my side ( )I guess I'd better keep up the exercise

Most days in Italy see me visiting a gelato shop at least 3 times... and then there is the pizza... and the pastries...

Whenever we travel to Europe, we cease eating and increase our red wine consumption. Works a treat! And our stored fat get used up, along with some muscle tone but we NEVER put on weight, in Europe. Now Thailand is a different ball-game!

I spent 3 weeks in Italy in late June. Even with drinking lots of wine, eating blobs of bufala mozzarella for a week straight (LOTS of fat in this), having a gelato every night, and having many large, heavy dinners, I still lost weight. How? By walking my butt off -- quite literally! I brought my pedometer, and there were days that I was hiking between 8 and 12 miles per day. While I wasn't trekking like this every day for three weeks, even in the "down" days I was walking a couple of miles anyway, so I was able to keep up a constant "exercise regimen" just by default.

It also helped that I stayed in very hilly Spello for 4 nights. Climbing those hills will take the stress and weight right out of you.

I left for Italy weighing 210 pounds, came home weighing 204. Since I've returned, I've stopped doing those marathon days, and now I'm back up to 210.

Lots of good tips: walking, making sure you get plenty of water and fresh fruit and veggies (eating some non-restaurant meals makes this easier; eating your main meal at lunch and then going to a concert or show instead of having a heavy dinner helps).

I travel a fair amount for work, and don't necessarily get to walk a lot when I'm visiting Europe (because I'm not touring). So instead I work out in my hotel room (gyms rarely available, and not convenient for my work schedule). Sit ups, push ups, various yoga/Pilates sorts of things all very effective. Upthread somebody mentioned elastic bands for increased resistance---I don't use them because they take up too much space in my suitcase, but they do work well.

Eating good food is one of life's enduring pleasures. However, too much of a good thing is not good, either.

My system: a handfull of 3x5 cards. On these I keep a record of what I have eaten. It becomes very clear and very quickly where I over-indulge.

Second: eat well at lunch. Eat skimpy at dinner. Eat nothing after 8 p.m. Cut out: butter, nuts, pasta. The latter item is for America; forget it when in Italy. No second helpings. No creamy or gooey-rich desserts. Lots of fruit, lots of vegetables, more fish than usual. No fried foods.

Result: I have gone from 233 to 200 in 12 months -- and kept it off.

I'm another who loses weight on those trips to Italy. Always a tourist, it is surely the walking, mostly, that does the trick although high summer heat may have helped. But, also the food itself and the reasonable portions. And, we don't graze between meals. (I refuse to count evening gelato stops as grazing!!!) That helps us to enjoy the meals even more....

Walk whenever you can and stick to your meals, skip desserts, no between snacks.

We also balanced our meals by eating a big breakfast, a lite lunch, and then dinner out. It also kept our expenses down, since breakfast was usually included in the price of your hotel stay.

We vacationed for 2 - 1/2 weeks, and I didn't gain any weight. I credit it to walking most of the time, and skipping the sweets. You will need those meals to fuel your energy for walking. Enjoy your trip!

Well? I'm a lazy, self-indulgent slug who is well fed to begin with (GRIN). And I adore food and wine "matching". I lose weight. I walk...find I don't snack too much, don't have a sweet tooth..and still I lose weight and my thighs and calves actually get "taut".

This is so helpful! Thank you! I am buying a pedometer. Only problem is, I am gaining weight sitting here reading all these posts. Seriously, this is great info and I plan to eat gelato, walk a lot, and come back with my clothes too big...

I am in the same (gravy) boat as SusieC. I am not terribly active, skip breakfast and eat pretty much what I want when I want at home. I think the 2 1/2 weeks of 3 healthy meals a day, no snacking, lots of water and walking shocked my body into weight loss. It had absolutely nothing to do with carbs, fats, or magical food combinations. Simply, I used up more that I took in. On the other hand, a couple on the same trip who frequent the gym and run gained weight.

I have never gained weight on any trip to Europe. I estimate that we walk an average of 10 miles a day (even after using public transportation!). The food choices are amazing, and there are always a lot of vegetable dishes to enjoy. I'm not a dessert lover, but I love getting a small gelato during the evening passegiata. Just keep moving and you can enjoy the food!

Dear artsfan
you've gotten lots of great advice--I'll just put in my 2 cents. We were in Europe for 2 weeks last year (Germany, Austria, and Switz) and, like the other's have said, I lost a pound or two, with my beloved pretzels, ice cream sundaes, and sausages! Yes, we walked alot. I also had some pilates "stretchy" bands, which I brought and used to excercise, as well as doing a little pilates every day or so in the hotel room. This, along with having only one "big" meal a day (for us, this was usually dinner, having had a salad, bratwurst, or bowl of soup for lunch) Don't give up your cheese--why not have a simple lunch of cheese, fruit, and fresh vegetables--get it at the market and eat in the park. (relive those early days in Europe with DH!) Have a wonderful trip!

How much do you weigh now?

I don't think that restaurants "sneak" fats into already fatty foods such as desserts, croissants, and all that gelato you want to try.

You avoid putting on weight while traveling the same way you avoid putting on weight at home.What are you doing "in the gym" that keeps your weight under control? Lifting weights (I doubt it); using a treadmill? If the latter, then walk longer on vacation and eat less.

I think the self-confessed lazy bones above who usually are not active and skip meals at home could start a new diet craze... bring those European vacation habits home with you...
<3 healthy meals a day, no snacking, lots of water> and walking & some more walking. It's a brilliant idea!

Artsfan - Enjoy your trip. You will be fine. 1st trip to Paris I came back 8 pounds thinner, second trip 6 pounds thinner, this last trip I came back 7 pounds thinner and I didn't deprive myself of anything. I attribute it to all the walking I did. Avoided the Metros as much as I could.

Have a wonderful time.

Hey if Suzanne Somers can do it why not. SusieC want to write a book with me?

Sounds good, folks. Their fruits and veggies are always full of flavor. And as for riding the subway, I wasn't that excited about taking the tube at the moment, anyway...

Intrepid, with that attitude you might want to try a little gelato -- could make you a bit jollier. For the record, I do lift weights in addition to doing an aerobic routine. And U.S. restaurants do sneak unnecessary fats and sugars into all sorts of main dishes. Take a look at the nutritional info for Au Bon Pain to see what I mean. Making a conscious choice to eat a gelato or try a croissant is very different from eating something that is supposed to be healthy and actually isn't.

For those who are going to the UK, Pret a Manger is very open with the nutritional info.

Enough, already! This is the 69th post, as far as I can make out, that says that one does not put on weight traveling in Europe because of the walking that one does.

It's also the 69th post urging that one forget diets while traveling in Europe.

What more is there possibly to say?!?!

I can say that this post is # 70.

LOL- go Faina!!!

<It's also the 69th post urging that one forget diets while traveling in Europe.> Eloise, actually that's not quite true. Lots of people made a good case for why you can eat in a reasonable fashion while on vacation and still enjoy yourself.

No, seriously, if somebody doesn't like this thread - there are so many others to read! BA grounded planes - 5 posts. How to be dressed in ________ - 1,000 posts. Will I be safe in __________ - 500 posts. Millions of different reports. Why is this outburst on this thread?

Nobody forces any Fodorite to read anything against their will. There are threads I don't like or don't care about, so what? It's not about me. And not about Eloise. Let's take the road to peace!

Lol, Eloise. I think this was a Fodor's Bonding Experience. Happens every time anyone mentions gelato. And although you summarized the main points, there have been a lot of other helpful tips posted.