Calories and travel... HELP!?

RainbowCandle24

So I'm going overseas soon to Europe... which is super exciting...
Except that I've spent the last 6 months trying my hardest to lose weight and I'm terrified I'm going to gain it all back.. I've cut my daily calorie intake by about 500 ( although I've plateaued the last few weeks to I cut it down again).
I really don't want to gain the weight back but I also really want to enjoy the food ( especially in Paris and Rome).
Any suggestions?

Rosemary7391

I managed to lose weight whilst I was on holiday even though I wasn't logging. I made sure to not eat just because it was there, I only ate until I stopped being hungry. I almost always left a bit. Eating slowly to enjoy the tasty food helps with this! I also skipped lunch a couple of times because I just wasn't hungry, and I enjoy my evening meal better if I am.

raspberriliana

You CAN restrict your calories while traveling. The question is - should you...I would just enjoy myself and try everything I want to try while still being sensible.
Trust me, we Europeans know our food, you'll regret it if you don't let yourself indulge a little bit.
Especially if it's only a week or two, don't worry about it, even if you gain a couple of pounds, you'll lose them in week or so!

sytchequeen

You'll find the portion sizes served in Europe typically smaller than those on offer in The States, so I think you don't need to worry too much. There is plenty of delicious cuisine you can try that will be healthy, fresh, and not overfacing. Enjoy!

ghudson92

I personally would just enjoy yourself, how many times will you have this opportunity? When I go to the big cities I tend to maintain as I walk everywhere and make sure to drink lots of water.

Etsar73

I recently spent 7 weeks in Europe and ate everything. My diet went out the window. I only put on 3kg which surprised me because l thought it would be much more. I tried at the start and gave in soon. I walked everywhere and everyday, l walked far more than l could and would here at home. I think all the walking prevented more weight gain. I have since lost the 3kg with diet alone since my return. No regrets. Would eat all the food again!

girlinahat

portion sizes over here tend to be smaller, and there's often plenty of fresh vegetables, but also plenty of delicious bread and pastry offerings.....(I'd choose to have a pasty or sweet treat instead of lunch rather than in ADDITION to lunch.

Meals tend to be social affairs and there's plenty of opportunity to eat slowly. There's so much deliciousness that please don't hold back on trying all the good stuff!!!

gothomson

I did it the other way around a few years back - Scotland to Canada. I didn't even think about what I was eating or exercise (but we tend to do a lot of walking, but I didn't log it as I would back home). Sure I put on a couple of pounds, but then it all came back off as soon as I got back to my usual routine. Just go and enjoy it, and what others say is right - in Scotland anyway - we tend to have smaller portion sizes - its what we tend to eat that's the problem :-) but if your sticking to your usual food then don't fret. Also - if your in Scotland do try Haggis, it get a bad reputation but its actually really nice -but remember that advice is from a Scot - and a Glaswegian at that ! :-)

JadeQuetzal

I went to Spain on a business trip for 2 weeks once. I lost around 10 pounds on that trip without even trying. There happened to be a metro strike going on while I was there, so public transportation got a little tricky and I opted to walk a lot instead of wait a lot in the station just to ride a super packed metro (I got to see more of the city that way anyway, and even had a few side adventures on my walks). The food also seemed way healthier than what I was eating at home around that time. The only real temptation was all the pastry shops. Unfortunately (fortunately?) they were a bit too pricey for me, so it wasn't a problem in the end.

missperfectpitch

You could consider eating at maintenance during your trip and returning to a calorie deficit when you return. This is what I did for a recent 2 week trip, where I ate at about maintenance by writing down food notes in my diary and logging my best portion estimates after the fact. Doing this, I ate anything and everything that I wanted in reasonable portions, and returned without any weight gain. It can be pretty difficult and time-consuming to try to estimate everything you had though, more so than regular logging, so if you don't want to go through the hassle of logging while on your trip, you could also incorporate some other strategies to stay on track. For example, you could keep your breakfasts and lunches light in order to allow for more calories later in the day for a nice dinner and/or snacks like pastries and desserts.

lucerorojo

I spent two weeks in Europe in September, and I logged. I increased my calories to only losing 1 lb. per week so I could eat more. I didn't lose 2 lbs., only .5 lbs. but I was glad that I didn't gain. I went to wine tastings and parties and had evenings that I could only "guesttimate" the calories--I'm sure they were over my goal. I also arranged to stay in an apartment with a kitchen so I cooked most of my own food. (This is in a country whose food I don't particularly like much, so this was preferable to me). I would probably eat out more in Italy or France, both which have cuisines I like.

I think the key to it (and life in general) is to not make food the center of your activity. Of course you don't want to miss out on the gourmet delicacies in France or Italy, but there are many things to do and see in those countries and more interesting IMO is the activity rather than the food. You can get amazing French and Italian food outside of Europe (although pricier and doesn't have the "cultural" thing) although it's not in the context of the culture. What you cannot do is talk to the natives in their milieu, visit the sights, museums etc., outside of those countries.

quiksylver296

If I were going to Europe, I definitely would NOT worry about my calorie intake/weight. I would want to absorb the culture as much as possible. I'd just get back to business after my vacation, personally.

Anon2018

One tip that helps me when I travel is to hit up a grocery store for some standard high protein breakfasts (hard boiled eggs, cheese, maybe oatmeal if that's your thing). I'm all about enjoying food and soaking up the culture, but a croissant or pastry every morning wasn't doing me any favors filling me up for the calories. I would get something like that one day to experience it and then the rest of the day try to stick to normal breakfasts, maybe even lunches, and indulge during dinner.

garber6th

I spent 3 weeks in Europe, mainly Germany, and my diet consisted of lots of beer, cheese, chocolate and sausage. I ended up losing about 5 lbs, probably because we did a lot of walking. Just enjoy yourself.

maggibailey

I’m “traveling” to San Diego tomorrow and our favorite Mexican food place has the best carne asada fries ever so I have been hoarding calories this week so I can eat them... all... in one setting. Some things are worth planning for. If I was going to be somewhere for a couple of weeks I’d probably keep doing IF and switch to maintenance because I love trying new foods.

Jruzer

How long will you be there? It's unlikely you'll "gain it all back" unless you totally give up during and after your trip.

zeldon919

You probably won't gain as much as you think.
- you walk a ton in Europe
- The diet tends to be very healthy. Even with the butter.
- Portions tend to be smaller

I spent 2 weeks in Argentina eating churros and steak and I think I gained like 2lbs.

Just be realistic and healthy-ish and most importantly ENJOY. You'll feel worse about spending time in Europe and not enjoying the food than you will be if you gain 5lbs.

davidylin

• Order smaller portions.
• _Share_ plates and items with fellow travelers so you don't take all the calorie hits.
• Eat, but don't finish your food - take the rest home or leave it for the compost pile.
• Take your time when you eat, savor, and enjoy your new experience. Eating slowly will help you eat less and feel more satisfied.
• Plan out what you would like to eat and enjoy taking the time to think about your food. Making last second calls and decisions tends to mean bigger orders.

RainbowCandle24

Thanks guys! I'll be there for about 2 months. Which is what is what concerns me.. I've done a lot of googling ( and yes I know how bad that can be) but a lot of people gain seem to say they've gained 10+ pounds in weeks.. I want to experience the food I'm just worried I'll end up throwing my whole diet out the window and come back and see it all gained back again.. especially since I haven't really had butter or pastries in months..

scarlett_k

I had a lovely two weeks in Switzerland this year and I still logged my food but I wasn't strict about it and I had my goal set to maintenance. I only gained a kilo when I arrived home, and that was gone in a week after being home. It also helped me to renew my pledge to lose weight as I had been floundering in the weeks before I went away. Enjoy your holiday and indulge in some nice things!

lucerorojo

Are you going to be in a hotel or an apartment? For 2 months definitely log. You can set to maintenance. You could undo a lot in 2 months. Even if eating out every day if you log you will at least have an idea. If you are in an apartment and can cook, plan to eat a certain amount at home to save calories and money.

nowine4me

It makes me cringe when people say they’re “terrified” here. I felt that way at the beginning, but have since learned to relax and enjoy.

Order thoughtfully when dining out, watch the calories from booze and move lots every day. Yes, it really is that simple.

cwolfman13

I usually lose weight when I travel, even if not intended...especially overseas or just about anywhere but the US, portions are smaller.

I'm also way more active in my day to day when I'm traveling...lots of walking around seeing this or that or the other. I'm on the go most of the time, so usually way less snacking. When I'm at home I'm sitting behind a desk for 8 hours 5 days per week and, welp...it's 3 PM and I'm bored so I guess I'll have a snack.

Just enjoy your trip.

acheben

RainbowCandle24 wrote: »

Thanks guys! I'll be there for about 2 months. Which is what is what concerns me.. I've done a lot of googling ( and yes I know how bad that can be) but a lot of people gain seem to say they've gained 10+ pounds in weeks.. I want to experience the food I'm just worried I'll end up throwing my whole diet out the window and come back and see it all gained back again.. especially since I haven't really had butter or pastries in months..

I managed to maintain my weight during a 3 month assignment to Italy. I didn't have a body weight scale, but I packed my food scale for around the apartment. We didn't eat out every meal, but I didn't feel like I missed anything or deprived myself of the experience. It also really helped that we only had one car, so I did a ton of walking daily and kept up my running (which was a mildly terrifying experience every time).

Good luck with it and enjoy yourself!

nicholethompson24

I spent 6 weeks in Germany, did not track food during that time, and lost 5 pounds. As everyone says, you will most likely walk a lot more plus the food is generally healthier and served in smaller portions. Have fun!

dwilliamca

Ditto the above statements about Europe. AMs we ate a croissant and coffee or maybe some fruit from a street market. Even B&B's served healthy breakfasts with great choices. For lunch we usually stopped at 3 or 4 different establishments and bought fresh bread, meat, & cheese....plus often a bottle of wine. Crepes are also fairly light. Dinners we ate out, but most were modest compared to U.S. We had pizza at least once a week and it is much lighter than ours. As people mention we walked a lot even taking the buses and metros. Have a great trip and enjoy the food.