ITALY- Has anyone travelled/studied abroad while dieting???

I went to Italy for two weeks last year while I was in the midst of losing the first 50 lbs. I didn't stress too much. I watched portion sizes, didn't go overboard on desserts, packed dried fruit and nuts for on-the-move snacks and walked a lot. When I got back, I had dropped seven pounds. I'm a vegetarian, so I had a lot of pasta and pizza, but I tried to make sure to add as many vegetables as possible. One thing I like to do, if I have access to a fridge in the near future, is pack up half of the meal before I start eating. That way, I stop at a reasonable portion rather than trying to estimate when I've reached half and continually deciding "just one more bite won't hurt". It's only three weeks. Worst case scenario is you gain a few pounds while you're making memories that will last. So long as you don't lose the good habits you've learned, you'll be fine. Have fun.

In general, you will walk your *kitten* off (literally) in Italy, so just watch your portion and minimize the gelato exposure and you should be fine. Enjoy it!!

yes, i was in italy for a foreign exchange program for about 2 weeks.
we did so much walking around it really didn't even matter honestly. i just tried to not stuff myself full at each meal, and when i came home i think i maybe gained like 3 pounds which went away pretty quickly.
just make smart choices, stay active and you should be fine. you only may get that one chance to go so don't cheat yourself out of amazing opportunities (food wise). i prolly never will be able to go over there again so i'm glad i did get to experience the culture and not just live off salad the whole time.
oh and the discotheques, where we stayed anyway were open til like 5am so just dance all those calories off!
where in italy are you going?
watch out for the mimes and street performers if you end up in venezia, they don't know how to take no as an answer.

eta: it also may be easier and less stressful for yourself if you aim to maintain while you are away, that may be more obtainable and manageable instead of trying to lose still

I ate everything in Italy and put on 4-5KG in a month aha I loved it though. Gelato and everything ((:
hehe you have to go and enjoy yourself!

For goodness sake's woman.

You're going to Italy. Enjoy yourself and indulge.

Whatever 1 or 2 pounds you may or may not put on is well worth the experience of enjoying Italy to the fullest. It's not like you can't lose it again when you get home.

I first started exercising/eating healthy a little while before I studied in Germany (for 3 months) and tried to keep it up there, but gave up logging when I was tempted by bakeries on every corner, delicious food, etc. and just had fun because I knew I only had a limited time there. But all the walking I was doing kept me thin, I actually lost ~5 pounds by the time I got home.

So my advice...go on the trip, enjoy the pizza (it's unbelievable) and pasta and everything else, and just try to keep active. Don't take the metro more than you have to, walk when you can, get out for a bit of extra exercise when you have time...but DON'T skimp on the food! It's too tasty! Pizza back home has never been the same since I went to Italy hahah

My wife and I went to Rome last october, and frankly, we found that we were doing so much walking during the trip we had plenty of calories to burn at meals. On the day we went to Naples/Pompeii I logged 25,000 steps on my Fitbit. Also, something to consider is the difference in the way Americans and Europeans eat. For instance, My wife and I found that the portions of the meals we were eating were much smaller, and much less meat was used. Granted we went out of our way to avoid the more touristy resturants, and went local as best we could.

Also, as a side note, if you do go to Naples visit La Antica or another of the pizzerias there, it'll ruin you on American pizza. They use very little cheese comparitively, and what cheese they do use is fresh. Aslo they use a thin layer of sauce, and the crust is almost like a cracker. Plus one pizza is enough for one person, it's well worth the extra calories.

this has nothing to do with your upcoming trip and everything to do with what you are associating it with. if you view studying abroad and vacation to binge eating and experiencing food without restriction, then you will fall prey to repercussions of that life. I often travel overseas, sometimes for months...and in very remote regions of the world. Although perhaps you cannot possibly maintain a certain level of fitness, you can certainly remain vigilant. sadly, in the USA, dieting is even easier than overeating. You can track calories, exercise, heart rate, calories burned. But I must argue that in any country you can do the same, if you understand your limits and your habits.

We walked everywhere and lost weight, but I think we sweated it out (it was late June) and bought fresh stuff at the store most of the time.

If you can, go to Cinque Terre and make a day of walking between the 5 towns, it's a workout! It's like stairmaster from hell! lol But so beautiful.

My experience while traveling abroad...I've always lost weight. You don't have big friggin' USA portions and you walk your *kitten* everywhere.

I wouldn't worry too much about, generally italian food is much better than what we get here in the US. I saw this post the other day http://kslenderliving.net/5-healthy-eating-habits-from-around-the-world-to-help-us-lose-weight/ and I thought it was kind of funny what differences there are between us and different countries when it comes to food.

Anyways, you'll probably walk a lot and as long as you control your portions you shouldn't really have any issues. I spend a year in germany and I actually thought it was much easier to watch my weight than it was here. Thet have more "real food" and very little packaged food.

Good luck and have fun

does italy do the thing like spain, where they have the big meal during the day, and dinner is lighter? i find that that is really great, and usually don't gain a lot when i go to spain.

i've been to italy twice, and loved it. the sights, the food, the people, the art and the history are incredible.

portions are generally smaller then they are in the states, so there is that to consider. and you walk a lot more to get around town.

eat a salad and all your veggies while traveling. enjoy a glass or two of the homemade wine at the restaurants. It's cheaper then the water. Yes, they charge for water.

there is a McDonalds right next to the Pantheon in Rome. Don't be one of those americans that eats there.

the things that will get you, are some of the cured meats, and sausages. they can be fatty and salty (which makes them sooooo good). there is a reason they are served in small portions.

I'm in the middle of a study abroad right now. I gained a lot of weight at first and started my lifestyle change while abroad. I have since lost 11kg. It's definitely possible.

Italy is wonderful! The cuisine really varies depending on where you go, but I generally LOSE weight while vacationing in Italy. The portion sizes are generally smaller, and I find that the food is cooked healthier. The pasta, for instance, is made in a healthy oil and not piled high with sauces and cheese. Of course, this is not a sure thing, but it is what I have experienced while over there.

Walk a LOT! I am sure that you will - there is so much to see. Keep your alcohol intake in check. My parents both gain while we are over there, but they drink a ton. Wine is wonderful, but you don't want to drink away all your hard work.

Ate everything (bread, pasta, Pizza) and drank wine and limoncello) for 3 1/2 weeks and lost cause you walk and walk!