Any tips for still logging in a foreign country?

IllustratedxGirl
IllustratedxGirl Posts: 240 Member
in Motivation and Support
Hey everyone,

In a few weeks I am traveling to Greece and Turkey. I'm concerned about how I can still track my calories to make sure in not going over board. I'm guessing there won't be free wifi everywhere, so the actual logging part will be difficult.. Plus, how will I even know what I'm eating and will I be able to find it on MFP or google? I'm a vegan so I'll need to know somewhat what I am eating..

My trip should be a lot of walking and more adventuring than just sitting by some pool or a beach in a resort.

Any tips on keeping up with MFP while traveling will be greatly appreciated!

Thank you!

Replies

  • charcoalgriller
    charcoalgriller Posts: 17 Member
    I live in Asia and it's mighty difficult to find equivalents. what I do is try and find something similar and 'wing it'. Not a good answer, I know, but how am I supposed to know what's in that sauce the vendor in a stall is putting on my grilled squid?

    if you're on the road and especially outside the United States it is exceedingly difficult to log. I almost always have to guess. However, I know from experience quantities I can consume and I try and.limit sauces and beverages other than water. More basic foods without additives and excessive preparation make it easier if you find yourself really needing to count.

    Mind your quantities and try and focus on the pictures you're taking with your camera and relax! :smile:
  • Pamala28
    Pamala28 Posts: 18 Member
    I live in The Netherlands. I log most of my food in English, but the Dutch name brands are all in the database!

    Is there a Turkish Myfitnesspal?
    If so they use the same alphabet we do, so you might find somethings in the database.

    Enjoy your trip!
  • ChinaCass
    ChinaCass Posts: 22 Member
    I live in Asia and it's mighty difficult to find equivalents. what I do is try and find something similar and 'wing it'. Not a good answer, I know, but how am I supposed to know what's in that sauce the vendor in a stall is putting on my grilled squid?

    if you're on the road and especially outside the United States it is exceedingly difficult to log. I almost always have to guess. However, I know from experience quantities I can consume and I try and.limit sauces and beverages other than water. More basic foods without additives and excessive preparation make it easier if you find yourself really needing to count.

    Mind your quantities and try and focus on the pictures you're taking with your camera and relax! :smile:

    I know what you mean! I'm currently living in China, and not only do I not know what many of the foods even are, but the food that I DO buy shows calories per 100g as opposed to serving sizes, and is in kcal :\ I don't own a food scale and it isn't practical for me to get one, so I've been forced to just eyeball my portions and take wild guesses of what I'm eating haha
  • nutmegoreo
    nutmegoreo Posts: 15,532 Member
    Loved Greece and Turkey, although I didn't try it on a diet. There is so much walking to be done. Personally, I wouldn't bother tracking. I would try to make better choices and enjoy my vacation. That being said, if you are determined to keep track, there is likely WiFi more available than you realize, or you could log using the website at an internet cafe. I rarely had trouble getting internet in Kenya or Nepal, so it is possible. I don't know how many of the places will have nutritional information, so you may be stuck using your best guesstimate. If that is the case, there was a chart floating around here the other day which gave some great ideas of serving sizes using your hand size or sizes of common items for comparison. You may just drive yourself nuts. Either way, enjoy your vacation! :flowerforyou:

    Edited for spelling.
  • CMB1979
    CMB1979 Posts: 588 Member
    I live in Asia and it's mighty difficult to find equivalents. what I do is try and find something similar and 'wing it'. Not a good answer, I know, but how am I supposed to know what's in that sauce the vendor in a stall is putting on my grilled squid?

    if you're on the road and especially outside the United States it is exceedingly difficult to log. I almost always have to guess. However, I know from experience quantities I can consume and I try and.limit sauces and beverages other than water. More basic foods without additives and excessive preparation make it easier if you find yourself really needing to count.

    Mind your quantities and try and focus on the pictures you're taking with your camera and relax! :smile:

    I know what you mean! I'm currently living in China, and not only do I not know what many of the foods even are, but the food that I DO buy shows calories per 100g as opposed to serving sizes, and is in kcal :\ I don't own a food scale and it isn't practical for me to get one, so I've been forced to just eyeball my portions and take wild guesses of what I'm eating haha

    Ditto. Korea here. Just gotta guess sometimes.
  • bootssowhite
    bootssowhite Posts: 93 Member
    MFP has a pretty extensive food database that includes a lot of foreign foods. I live in Morocco and I can usually find at least one entry for most of the foods I see here. Sometimes I have trouble finding specific brands, but if I'm just looking for a generic example of a type of food, I'm fine. Most hostels and hotels offer wifi, plus the MFP app has a pretty decent offline database. You won't necessarily need wifi to keep a basic estimate of your calories.

    Also, this is a once in a lifetime vacation. Don't spend it stressed out about what you're eating and don't pass up the opportunity to enjoy authentic Greek and Turkish food because you're worried about the fat content. Use common sense, watch your portions sizes, pay attention to hidden calories in drinks and condiments, and don't worry about the rest.
  • vismundcygnus27
    vismundcygnus27 Posts: 98 Member
    I agree that logging your calories would be a hassle, and if I were about to go on a trip like that, I wouldn't bother. If you're trying to keep your diet, than just use common sense about what you eat, and watch your portion size. But I'd say that you shouldn't over-stress about your food. Enjoy your vacation! How often does one get the opportunity to traipse through Turkey and Greece? xD

    Also, I can't imagine travelling while sticking to a vegan diet. Good luck, but be aware that both of those cuisines are quite meat-heavy, and vegetarianism, let alone veganism, is not that common in southern Europe. Try to be conscious of how people are preparing your food, and with what ingredients, but that might not always be possible.
  • IllustratedxGirl
    IllustratedxGirl Posts: 240 Member
    Thanks for the tips everyone... I definitely won't be worrying too much about my diet as I eat pretty healthily, and we will be doing a ton of walking. I just want to make sure I'm not going overboard without realizing it while eating foods I'm unfamiliar with the content of, ya know?

    I definitely will not be stressing it though!! If anything I'll be aiming for maintenance as I want to enjoy all of the local food :)

    Eating vegan there will be a challenge, but I have done some research... the trick is to stick with mezes

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