diddl_maus

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.

mnapoli

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!

MzPossum

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!

Intrepid1

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.

suze

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!

Madison

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.

diddl_maus

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

artsfan

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.

Eloise

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?!?!

FainaAgain

I can say that this post is # 70.

suze

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.

FainaAgain

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!

artsfan

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.

LoveItaly

Here is my thought...for what it is worth. So much of the prepared food has corn products in it. I know because I am terribly allergic to corn and cannot eat anything that has anykind of corn including corn syrup.

There are just a few canned soups that I can buy such as Andersons Split Pea Soup and a few broths.

All the sodapops sold in the US have corn syrup. Most breads have corn products and so forth.

In Italy their Coke for example is made from sugar instead of corn syrup. The boxed pomi strained tomatoes are just tomatoes. Almost all canned tomato products in the US include corn syrup.

Almost all our bread products in the US include corn syrup. That is not the case in Italy at least.

Lots of calories.

Plus I would suspect that besides all the extra walking that perhaps (just a guess) that when one is in Europe they do not have snacks available (staying in hotels) as they do at home. Gelato is eaten but would imagine that that is less calories then crackers, boxed snacks (junk food) etc. that is in the average American kitchen? Just a thought.