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Is it possible to go to Paris for 8 days and not gain weight?

Is it possible to go to Paris for 8 days and not gain weight?

Old Jan 27th, 2006, 01:27 PM
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Heavens, my pleasure (urging over to the Europe board since it's Paris you wanted to know about)!

And I have to say I don't lose amazing amounts of weight like others mention, but can stay stable (sorry Scarlett for me no daily chocolate croissants).
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Old Jan 27th, 2006, 01:30 PM
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Gambader- next time why don't you try those classes? Certainly you spent 20 euro on lots of other stuff on your trip. i've taken step classes in Mexico (Spanish), aerobics classes in Switzerland (French)... not so much for the exercise but it is a great way to get a peak at local life!

Others, I have to disagree with the "eat what you want" people posting here, I am guessing they have not had weight issues the have fought and won. There's no reason to go wacky just because you're in Paris. You can enjoy things in a modest way without depriving yourself experiences.
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Old Jan 27th, 2006, 02:27 PM
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Yes. Walk a lot! I usually lose weight even though I'm eating all kinds of foods that are fattening. But we walk constantly, and I think that makes a big difference.
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Old Jan 27th, 2006, 02:37 PM
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http://www.mireilleguiliano.com/press/sipress.htm
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Old Jan 27th, 2006, 03:03 PM
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The cartoon is perfecto. Thanks for the chuckle...
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Old Jan 27th, 2006, 03:19 PM
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On my first trip to Paris I lost just over a pound a day.
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Old Jan 27th, 2006, 03:22 PM
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Suze,

I agree -- in retrospect, if I had just missed one of the many restaurant lunches and worked out instead then bought a crepe jambon/fromage, then I would have saved money AND had a good workout!

I do wonder if those who lose weight on these trips don't have a huge issue (no pun intended!) with weight as I do!
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Old Jan 27th, 2006, 03:31 PM
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I always struggle with my weight at home and I'm 44, not 24. Nevertheless I lose weight whenever I go to Europe for all the reasons mentioned -- walking walking walking; eating fabulous foods that are so satisfying, I find I don't need a second helping; sitting and eating leisurely meals so I have time to digest and realize I'm full; no "emotional" eating, that is, eating because I'm stressed and/or bored (happy, ectastic, yes, but apparently that leads to less overeating for me!).

But there's one more reason, I've pinned down. I'm not sleep-deprived when I travel. Even with all the touring, we make it a habit to get an afternoon nap in (NOT something we can pull off in real life), and I swear that makes a difference. When I'm sleep-deprived, I tend to make unwise food choices (no will power) and want to eat more because I feel bad for my exhausted self.

Now, I gain weight in the Caribbean. Too many pina colads and just sitting on the beach. So while I nap in the islands, too(!), I do think the key is the walking we all seem to do in Europe.
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Old Jan 27th, 2006, 03:46 PM
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Heavens, in case you missed this one when I posted it long ago.

http://www.mireilleguiliano.com/press/lorenz.htm
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Old Jan 27th, 2006, 03:47 PM
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The New Yorker cartoon isn't current. Obesity in France is increasing. "The reason for France's growing waistline could be that the country is simply becoming more Americanized." Here's a link: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Atio/story?id=1548281
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Old Jan 27th, 2006, 03:50 PM
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It still applies to Paris. In France profound there has always been overweight people as here.
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Old Jan 27th, 2006, 04:00 PM
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Four months ago, we spent a week on the greek island of Samos, and whilst there I lost weight, mainly because of activity and greek food. Bread from the backery (without butter), greek salads, olives, wine, and LOADS of swimming, walking (weight bearing of course, uphill), and cycling.
As for obesity.....its a problem in Australia. Any Doctor can tell you, that people only have to be more ACTIVE, eat healthy sensible foods (no fast food), drink lots of water, and your weight will reduce, and so will your blood pressure, your risk of type 2 diabetes, and other related diseases of obesity. Everything in moderation they say. I have found that cycling, walking & swimming each day, has given both myself & my wife a new lease on life. Each day we swim, cycle & walk FURTHER than we have done before.
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Old Jan 27th, 2006, 06:49 PM
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I was not quite 51 on my last trip and I have always been overweight. I will be more specific on how I lost weight. I had a simple economics problem; I didn't have much money to spend on food. So I booked myself into a hotel whose price included a breakfast buffet. Every morning, I ate: 3 slices of various breads, a brioche, several slices of meat and cheeses, a carton of fruit yogurt, a croissant, orange juice and two cups of coffee with sugar. My lunch consisted usually of one bowl of 2 scoops of Moevenpick vanilla ice cream. Mid afternoon, I'd drink an Orangina or a Henniez. My dinner was usually a trip to a Manora (a big buffet) where for 7 Swiss Francs, I filled a 9 inch plate with a sausage or some baked piece of meat; plus either a couple of salads or sides or a big slice of quiche; and then a roll. Some days for dinner, I'd get a big hot dog or a McDonalds filet of fish or a meat pie from somewhere. Sometimes at night, I'd have another bowl of ice cream or a chocolate bar. The rest of the time I was walking or visiting museums. I slept about 8 hours a night. I lost 13 pounds in 8 days.
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Old Jan 27th, 2006, 07:16 PM
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Wow, Sheraulei, that is amazing! I admit to being a total pig at the hotel's breakfast buffet and still coming home pounds five pounds lighter. We're talking three croissants or danishes, a couple of slices of brioche spread with butter and jam, three links of sausage, an egg or two, a bowl of granola and yogurt, gotta try a wedge of each of the cheeses offered, can't resist any form of potato within view . . . . and cups and cups of sweet. milky tea.

I love all these accounts about losing weight in the gastronomic capital of the world. We should compile them into a book: _French Women Tourists Don't Get Fat_.
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Old Jan 27th, 2006, 07:41 PM
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LOL!!
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Old Jan 27th, 2006, 10:08 PM
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The French Women Don't get Fat book tells about this soup that they drink for days , a cup an hour for days!! before they eat solid food~~shudder~~
Perhaps those of us who go to Paris and eat and don't get fat do so because we are not fat to begin with?
I don't know anyone who is overweight and mentioned gaining or losing..anyone know?
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Old Jan 28th, 2006, 05:49 AM
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I think I gained weight in Paris and lost in Rome because I was too hot to eat a lot!

It sort of made me mad actually in Paris. I think they eat a TON! Why aren't they as fat as Americans? I think it's because they don't drink supersized softdrinks! When we got to JFK I was sitting in the food court looking around and EVERY table had about 5 gallons worth of soft drinks on it. It struck me as so different from Europe, where you just don't see that.
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Old Jan 28th, 2006, 06:05 AM
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I don't have statistics, but I expect that most people will lose weight on a trip to Europe, simply because it involves a lot of activity (including a lot of walking) and not much eating. The exception would be people who are very interested in eating and make that a significant goal of the trip. For most people, though, the goal is to eat fairly quickly and cheaply, and then continue with sightseeing, and this almost inevitably produces some weight loss.

In my first visit, as I said, I lost over a pound a day. I found that hard to believe when I returned home, but then I did the calculations: I had been walking about 16 hours per day straight, with only one fast-food meal. The daily deficit had been around 4000 kcal, which works out to just over a pound a day, so it was a real weight loss.

That's a bit more extreme than most visitors, but I think most people are still eating less than they burn while they are on European vacations.

This is in contrast to something like an ocean cruise, where many people spend the majority of their time eating and sitting around, and they may not get much exercise.
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Old Jan 28th, 2006, 06:07 AM
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They did have something on the news where I live about how French people are concerned about more overweight people and there is a current campaign about that (I saw the ads and the woman they interviewed). I don't think it is just soft drinks at all -- many other drinks would have as many calories as soft drinks, for example. I think it's a lot more eating in general, including lots of snacks and fast food. Soft drinks may play a part if you drink the regular calorie ones. One thing I notice in the US is that people seem to need to eat a lot all the time. For example, you go to the movies and lots of people don't seem to be able to watch a film without eating lots of candy and tons of popcorn. I don't really understand this as I never eat in the movies because it is either just before or after dinner, usually. I've seen some of these people and they are already eating their popcorn and candy in the lobby and before the movie even starts. They even sell candy, etc. in some theaters and places like that (plays, ballet, etc.). A lot of people do eat a lot while shopping, also, in the food courts. I guess if you are shopping for eight hours you might need lunch, but I can't believe all those people are at the mall for the entire day.

Anyway, this is obviously a very personal thing that can't be predicted. I am kind of amazed at some of the posts above about how people say they lose weight eating amounts that I rarely eat in a day and would be big as a house if I ate like that, on vacation or not, and walking or not. I don't gain weight in Paris, but don't really lose any either, and I just eat moderately and am walking probably the same as anyone else. I do have occasional desserts and foie gras, but other than that, don't really overload.

If you look up the amount of calories walking burns, you couldn't really lose the amount of weight or expend calories as much as people say they've experienced. Just walking doeesn't really burn that many calories to account for an extra couple thousand calories a day. It only uses up about 200-300 calories an hour. Also, I've known some people who were very sick and maybe fed intravenously or sort of fasting and they might lose a pound a day (a lot of which is just fluids), but I don't see how it is possible to lose a pound a day as Anthony says he did, because that would be a 3500 calorie a day deficit to lose a pound. That is more than a man probably should eat normally in a day, so to lose that amount, you'd have to normally require maybe 5000 calories a day and have cut back to an amount that would be very minimal for such a person. Maybe if he wasn't eating hardly anything at all, that could happen.

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Old Jan 28th, 2006, 10:57 AM
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Well, I honestly think for those of us who are overweight a bit pre-Paris, with not-so-great diets and little activity that all that walking and then eating smaller amounts and not snacking all the time does shake things up.

And, of course, people can experience a pound a day loss without being on an IV. Anyone who is bloated over the holidays and goes on a strict diet right after drops a lot of weight fast, especially if they are on the heavy side (5-7 pounds is a much smaller percentage of a big person). Water weight and all that. You can't (shouldn't) keep losing at that pace, but it's not unusual when you really shake up your eating and exercise patterns -- and you're just talking a week or so -- to see a significant change in your weight. I think it works the other way, too. Just like I can put on 5 pounds in a week when I go the Caribbean and sit on my duff and drink high-caloric pina coladas.

I personally LOVE to eat, thus, the overweight problem , and don't at all skimp on good food or go cheap on meals when I'm in Europe. Yet, I lose weight. Again, it's the quality of wonderful, satisfying food in smaller portions, the drop in snacking and the big increase in activity -- exactly what experts recommend we do at home all the time to reach and/or maintain a healthy weight.
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