Weight gain on vacation

Not me. I usually come back thinner. We tend to walk a lot on vacation.

thinner here too...

I fight weight gain every waking hour while at home.
While on vacation I consume croissants/gelati/pasta/wine, often three meals a day, and I either maintain status quo or lose weight, due to the walking.

I usually drop about 5 pounds, everywhere but Germany. I guess I don't move around as much with a belly full of beer and brats!

Weight stays the same, but my legs look great when I get home!

I gained a couple of pounds during our last vacation. We went to Vienna, Munich, Florence and Rome. While we walked basically everywhere in Italy, it was freezing and snowing in Vienna and Munich so we took public transportation everywhere to get out of the cold. Still, the weight gain was worth it for all the wonderful Viennese desserts and pastries!! Luckily I lost the weight pretty quickly once returning home.

Usually I try not to worry too much about weight gain on vacation. Sure, nobody likes to gain weight, but part of the vacation experience is the food. I am generally pretty mindful of what I am eating at home, but I definitely wasn't about to pass on gelato while in Italy!

I usually gain around 3-5 lbs. I normally walk about 5 miles a day, live in a three story house and bike a few times a week. The increase in walking on vacation is "outweighed" by a greater increase in food and wine consumption!

I always lose a few pounds. Increased physical activity, I guess.

To paraphrase Louis X1V...

Perte de poids, c'est moi.

European cities are wonderful for walking while exploring, and I do a lot of that.

... we walk to the restaurants.

I stay the same in Europe. The extra calories consumed get burned off with all the walking.

In the US I tend to gain about 3-5 pounds on a two week trip. The extra calories consumed are NOT burned off by riding everywhere in a car. NYC is the exception, however.

I lost 10 lbs on my last 2 week vacation. I drank wine, and had one sweet indulgence every day. But, I walked a LOT. Of course when I came home and didn't walk as much, I stopped losing weight.

Even living in NYC and doing lots of walking, I always manage to loose weight on vacation regardless where.

Whether doing lots of walking in Europe; or being driven just about everywhere in Africa; to a combination of both in SEAsia; and lots of walking in South Pacific, Australia - loose weight all the time. In Australia I actually lost 8-lbs which was a big surprise when I realized I had stopped into every other MickeyD's (there's one on about every corner in SYD) for fries. I'd never do that at home - eat fries, nor loose weight like that. And as quickly as it came off while away, that's how quickly it came back when I returned home.

In conclusion, I believe I should spend more time on vacation!

I lost several pounds from all the walking - definitely didn't pass up anything I wanted in terms of food or drink.

Sandi, I also took the weight loss as a sign I should spend more time in Europe. I've found several other reasons also; for instance - dollars have to be folded to fit in my wallet, Euros fit perfectly, and I have absolutely no problem with jet lag going to Europe, but get hit hard (and it seems harder each time) coming back.

I get hit hard coming back to the US as well. Going to Europe my problem is simply sleep deprivation on the overnight flight. On the 2nd day I'm fine.
Coming home, a day or two later I experience zombie-like symptoms.

lost 15lbs last summer in sicily. i gained it back so i am going back in august. wish me luck

Never gain, usually stay exactly the same. I think it is all the walking but also smaller food portions in Europe and no snacking. I do eat many rich foods, delicious baked goods & drink loads of wine.

I stay exactly the same, because even though we walk for miles sightseeing, we make it up in the dining experience! Wine in France, gelato in Italy, beer and frites in Belgium, chocolate in England...takes a lot of walking to undo caloric damage like that.

I lose about 2 lbs for every week. I eat larger meals but tend not to snack at all while traveling.

I stay the same on vacations because I don't have a refrigerator full of food in my hotel room (as I do at home), so even though we eat well, it's only at mealtime! And I walk much, much more than usual when vacationing..........

I stayed the same after a week in Paris; my travel companion was overjoyed to find she had lost 10 lbs. She wants to return; thought it was the best diet plan around. (Very little snacking and tons of walking....)

Paris 2 1/2 years ago I lost 8 pounds in 12 days.

London/Paris last month I lost 6 pounds in 12 days.

It has to be the walking because I didn't deprive myself of anything, however I wasn't a glutton either.

I must be the oddball here...I gained 8 the first time I was in Italy. I gained 4 the second time (I was there for half the time). I attribute it to eating unlike I do here and not keeping up with my gym schedule 5x a week like I would at home. I also live by the cardinal rule: Never pass a gelato shop without trying at least one...

One one of the bus toors I've taken the guide said he'll weigh the bus with us inside at the beginning and at the end of the trip. If there would be less then 10 lbs per person weight gain we'll take the tour again!

I always gain weight on vacation - hard to stay on a diet eating out. And I am not a foodie, I eat wherever!

Sometimes I gain and sometimes I lose, but never more than a few pounds in either direction. But I always come back with great looking calves.

I always lose weight on vacation - an average of 3/4 pounds per week - even though I eat much more than at home. It's all the exercise - when you walk all day (as opposed to sitting behind a desk for 10/11 hours a day) your metabolism just burns everything up.

I usually gain a few lbs - where I would normally go to the gym a few times a week, I don't get a chance to on holidays. Also, I find when I walk while on holidays, I do it at a slower pace than I normally would - to take in all the sights!

Because of the walking I usually stay the same or only gain pound or two even though eating is one of our favorite things to do in Europe. Where the big weight gains comes is after the trip. Somehow we always seem to continue the eating pattern we establish on holiday without the walking. Then the pounds really start to pack back on. Besides the eating helps with the post holiday letdown.

I usually stay about the same. Although I do take active vacations - walking, hiking etc, at home I run 3 or 4 miles 3 times a week, lift weights, and play racquetball - so my body is used to quite a bit of exercise already. I don't feel like I get more exercise on vacation, unless I am doing a LOT of hiking.

Karen

Karen

I didn't think anybody played racquetball anymore.

I first started playing it when the name was paddleball with huge wooden paddles and only three-wall courts.
Stayed with it for 15 years and then stopped as it got harder to find courts and partners as we moved around the world.

Recently "discovered" it again. Lots of aches and pains, but still love those flat roll-outs on my corner kill shots.

I ALWAYS lose weight on vacation, even though on vacations I often eat more food, or eat fattening things (e.g., wine, fatty cheeses, gelato) much more often than I do at home. I'm sure it's because I walk constantly on vacation. I really don't eat "bad" food at home, but spend way too much time sitting and therefore eat too much for my activity level.

The wife and I just got back from a month in Europe and both of us gained weight. I gained 7 pounds and she gained 4. We walked alot every day but with all of the gelatos,tapas, pastas,frites,croissants,wines, cheeses,foie gras,chocolates,brats, veal,lamb, beer and the occasional grapa tossed down before bed I guess explains what usually happens. Don't worry, your on vacation. You can lose the weight when you get back home.

My dear, I always eat one meal a day at home, usually twice a day on holiday, but like others I walk a lot so my weight stays the same, sometimes it even drops just a little.

I always gain because we have three meals(not at home Do I, only café au lait for breakfast) and apertifs and digestifs, not an every day at home ritual. Plus so much pastis and wine with friends.

I don't gain when in Europe or US cities, hubby wears a pedometer and we walk an average of 8-9 miles/day exploring. And boy, do I binge about 2 days before we go home! I diet before we go and relax and enjoy while we're there.

Now cruising....I have gained about 2 pounds on our last 2 week long cruises, but again, only because I really let myself go, but when I come home the party's over. Back to my normal weight after eating the right way again.

I don't lose or gain weight, but on our last trip I came home with a much flatter stomach. One day I kept wondering why my shirt was riding up, and finally realized that my pants were sliding down. :~0

On my last trip to Italy I didn gain three pounds even though I walked every day and climbed 137 steps to our apartment a few times every day.

I really don't know why this happened, but I joined both Curves and a Middle Eastern Dance Class when I got back to nip any more weight gain in the bud.

Chat Noir -

Yes, some people still play racquetball! I play tournaments, and run tournaments here in Northern Virginia.

I travel to national championships several times a year as well. It is a great community of people, and great exercise! (My current rotator cuff tendonitis notwithstanding )

Karen

In this milieu, I'm a loser as well.

Am I right to guess that the losers are a bit overweight to begin with and the gainers are normal/under weight before they leave?
It's just a theory of mine, buy I may be wrong.

I have no idea wheather I gain or lose on vacation - I don't even own a scale. Generally though my pants are snugger in the winter and roomier in the summer I guess my body needs a little more insulation in the winter (I live in Canada).

Keep in mind that muscle weighs more than fat. So even if you stay the same weight, you are still more fit and toned from walking.

I tend to eat a ton more than normal, and much less healthfully while on vacation. I've never gained any weight though, probably due to the fact that I end up walking seven, up to twelve hours a day! Even on beach vacations, a short jog along the beach or swim in the ocean against the waves will burn off any extra calories you've consumed

"Am I right to guess that the losers are a bit overweight to begin with and the gainers are normal/under weight before they leave? It's just a theory of mine, buy I may be wrong."

Not necessarily; I wasn't overweight before my trip.

I just saw the comment about the people who lose weight on trips must have been overweight to begin with, LOL!!! I'm a 24 year old avid runner/hiker and I guarantee I am not overweight in the least. Even so, walking 12+ miles a day burns more calories than my typical hour-long run, and thus I lose weight on trips, or at the very least stay the same. Depsite eating more than normal.
I am sure that many of the people who lose weight vacationing in Europe are not overweight to begin with either. Just a slight increase in daily activity will increase your metabolism more than one would think.

Okay, okay, I take it back.


lindi

In your defense, lind., my personal trainer told me that very overweight people or people who eat alot of junk food lose weight faster than those on the borderline such as me, when they diet or exercise.

Me too! We are vacationing in Peru, and I have lost 3 pounds in ten days! I have not done anything extraordinary as far as exercise goes. My meals have been bigger here for lunch and dinner, but I am not snacking near as much as in the states. Woot! I hope it keeps up!

I always eat way more food and much richer food too when on vacation but still don't gain any weight because of all the walking.

I'm middle aged, not overweight at all and work out at the gym 4-5 times a week. I think if I didn't exercise regularly I might lose a few pounds from all the walking, but being in shape, I maintain.

I'm always amazed that I haven't gained anything when I get home, given that we plan a lot of our vacations around eating amazing food!

Resurrection! I also answered this post in 2004... and right now I'm trying to lose 3 pounds I gained while on a cruise 1 1/2 weeks ago.

What I've learned...

cruise = weight gain
city travel = weight loss, get to eat more and not add on pounds

Knocked two notches off the belt (that really did need knocking-off). In 3 1/2 weeks in France and Italy, conservatively, I'd say we walked 150 km easily.

I often lose on vacation maybe only a pound or two but also clothes fit a little looser. I think it is walking, less snacking, more whole food vs cheap food - but most of all I think we all lose weight when we aren't so stressed.