Miscellaneous Forum

I lose weight on holiday because I can't nip to the kitchen for a yoghurt when the hunger pangs start. the trick is to have a glass of water and wait for a bit en e hungeR goes. It's also more interesting on holiday as there's plenty to see and do. Sorry for typos I'm trying out the fiddle iPad. Claus when we hit 40 and after a horrible thing called middle age spread hits us. The waist balloons, so adjusting eating habits is important. Cut out the carbs and just eat meat and green veggies or salads.

I don´t care about diets and carbs and so on. It just makes life miserable if i can´t eat and drink what i feel like. I´d much rather cycle 100 kilometers a day than starting to worry about what to eat and what not to eat. It´s enough that i have developed some allergies in recent years. I don´t even know what carbs is, but isen´t that what you have in bread and so on? Actually it´s when i´m in Asia that i find it the easiest to lose weight cause the food is fantastic, but alos very healthy with lot´s of vegetables. And nipping in to the kitchen for a snack is the big enemy when i am visitng the family in Denmark which i am this weekend. Just been out for a sandwich by the way. But at least i will be going trekking in Nepal starting the day after tomorrow and that should beb good for the old body.

I put on weight in the winter when I am stuck indoors too much and because cold weather makes me want to eat more. Then I lose it as temperatures rise and daylight hours lengthen. I don't usually put on weight when I'm on holiday because even though I eat more I also walk much more than I do when at work. I can't do a lolling-about sort of holiday because t bores me rigid. And if the weather is hot (or even pleasantly warm) I tend to eat less anyway. I don't bother overmuch about what I eat (everything in moderation is a good maxim, imo) though I avoid pre-prepared foods where I can. Don't like the idea of all the additives etc.

I lose weight from all the walking and not having munchies at hand. That's why I love our hiking trips: I can eat a great big 'ol dinner at night and still drop some weight.

It depends on where I go. If the place has good food, I'll probably gain but if the place is so-so and expensive, I'll probably lose. Most times I'll not change because with all the walking, I've countered the extra calories especially when visiting Europe. There's always wine and rich food involved in the west and by the time I return, I feel heavier :(

I generally put on weight on holiday because whatever I do its not full on all day like at home...and food that someone else has cooked is a bit too good to resist...I read recently that people on cruises can gain a pound a day!!!

I love to get up real early and hit the streets on a holiday, much to the reluctant follow up of my better half! Love a sumptuous breakfast and an equally 'comfort food' dinner with a whiskey or two. But don't put on weight because we walk and walk and climb stairs and huff and pant away! Once we return home, we take two days off to relax and have a 'real holiday'!!

Claus, Doing a trip now in Canada it's hard to keep my weight in balance. I miss my daily bicycle rides. No pasta for me at Bergamo :) PJ

Northern winters make me put weight on aswell and that is one of the main reasons why i avoid spending long periods in northern Europe in the winter. And for me weight gain is not so much about the way i look with it, but my body hurts, my blood pressure go up and i have problems falling asleep when i have too many kilos around my belly.

I usually gain weight on holiday because I love to eat! And we don't eat normally when we travel, I try to eat sensibly when I'm home (except on the weekend) but I'm more inclined to eat things that are bad for me when I travel. I usually plan the food part of the trip and then worry about where to stay and what to do ;-) We do walk a lot but it's not enough to keep ALL the calories off All inclusives and cruises are killers for diets, 24 hour availability included in the price of your trip leads to overeating for sure. We make sure to hit the gym when we do those types of vacations but one dessert from the buffet probably takes about an hour at the gym to work off!!!!

I almost always put on weight. Usually about 15 pounds on a 4 week vacation. I think it is because the meals are so much larger than the ones I eat at home. Of course stopping at all of those luscious bakeries and ice cream stores, plus access to Magnum ice cream bars, has absolutely nothing to do with it. And I do get lots of exercise when traveling. My body seems to want to split the difference. I lose half of it and my body keeps the other half. It is not a pretty picture - but a good indication of how much I try to travel.

Claus you hit the nail on the head. Asian diets are mostly fresh vegetables and a little protein mixed with plain boiled rice. When I eat that kind of food the weight just drops off. I know what you mean about feeling uncomfy when the fat gets round the middle. I move awkwardly and can't feel relaxed. It's like sitting in too tight clothes. Pizza is a killer if you have too much of it (I reckon once every two months is about right and then, only the thin crust and the leggera light ones). By carbs I mean bread, potatoes, non brown pasta. Swap those for green veggies. Meat is OK if you grill it. I don't add dressings to salads unless they are low fat and avoid the croutons, lardons and beetroot. Don't worry, old chum, if you come to the VT hotel, there will be nothing but healthy low calorie tasty meals for all. I absolutely HATE it when I get porky.

If i am in Copenhagen then i eat too much pizza and for sure that puts a lot of fat on my ribs. Burgers just the same. But these days i am very few days a year in Copenhagen so this is not too bad. Diary products is a bigger enemy for me as i love it and eat lot's of cheese and drink 2 liters of milk a day wehen i am in Denmark. And then when i go out then beer is a big weight gainer aswell of course. But no matter where i am in the world then i lose lot´s of weight when i live on my bicycle even if i eat like a pig when i travel by bike. 100 kilometers per day and you can eat whatever you like.

Very true Claus. When I was nursing, I walked 14 miles a day and lifted 7.5 tons per shift. I actually had a waist. However, over the years the joints have worn out and I am no longer able to excercise as much if I want to walk with any kind of comfort, so watching the food intake is the only way to go. In 2003 I was at the gym for two hours a day and was quite trim. However, if you make healthy meal choices now, it will be much easier as the years roll on. Take Hansie, he likes cookies!

I lose some weight about 2kgs when I'm on holidays, so much of walking and drinking a lot of water, I'm already full when mealtime (psst..my friends ordered food that good enough for 4 persons but there are 6 big size ladies to eat, and I end up eating vege and rice..hmmm..) When I get home, I gained back 3kgs, eating all my lovely food I cooked and stored in the fridge. ;-)))

Asian food is not created equal and there are some pretty "bad" foods out there too like the greasy fried rice/noodles, curry, rendang, nasi lemak (which literally translate as fat rice) and satay & peanut sauce. All yummy but not suitable for the calorie conscious. So if you stick to the healthier options like the boiled or steamed variety, you'd be ok. As for me, I appreciate all Malaysian food ;)

I apologise in advance as I am undoubtedly going to annoy some of you here. I am one of those lucky and infuriating people who never gains or loses weight no matter what I eat or drink. Being on the road or at home is all the same to me. I am, to within a very few pounds (I haven't weighed myself in a long time), the same weight as when I left school in 1978.

Claus, I can imagine that working in the travel industry isn't healthy for the waist... my mother is a tour guide and when she first started, she couldn't resist the daily hotel buffets. Nowadays, the "novelty factor" of the 5-star hotel food has worn off and she isn't tempted anymore. But in the first year of her job she gained a lot of weight. With me, it depends on where I am going. But usually I loose weight on holiday. Tomorrow night I'm off to Sri Lanka... and when I'm in a bikini all day, I don't feel like lying around with a rounded stomach full of food (not a good look in a bikini) so I eat light and less all day and tend to loose some weight. When I'm in Scotland, we eat heavier foods but we walk a LOT every day and are very active, so I also tend to loose weight. And because of the cooler climate (pretty much anywhere is cooler than Dubai...) my metabolism seems to work better and "burn" more... But this autumn we are planning a trip to Italy... and I am pretty sure that both my husband and I will gain some weight there!

@fergy=How Very Lucky You!

During short trips, my weight usually stays the same. But during long trips (at least a month), I usually lose weight. Probably because I'm more physically active during those trips - I lost maybe 15 pounds while I was in Seville because I spent at least 2 hours a day in the dance studio (and one of my teachers was hard-core and old-school, getting us drenched in sweat within the first half hour of class) and walked everywhere. When I arrived in Seville, I sometimes wore a corset-type thing under slim dresses to hide the fat rolls and a tube top under low-cut tops to hide excess cleavage and prevent a wardrobe malfunction. Less than 2 months later, my stomach was flat for the first time in years and my chest was at least one cup size smaller, so I didn't need the corset or tube top anymore. During my 5-month stay in Sweden as an exchange student, I lost a lot of weight not only from more exercise (I walked a lot more than back home since I didn't have a car in Sweden) but also from bad eating habits. It was my first time away from home for a long time without catered accommodations or host families feeding me, and I didn't know much about cooking so I didn't eat as much or as well as I should have. It didn't help that Sweden is mostly a meat-and-potatoes country that doesn't have a lot of variety and flavour in local cuisine, so eating became somewhat of a chore instead of something I enjoyed like in Spain and other places where I loved the local food.

The novelty of 5 star buffets are long gone for me too. Buffets are nothing special even if they are 5 star i think. But they allow me to refill as much as i want and i eat so fast that is usually fill myself much more than a should. I´m a terrible eater when i am alone and usually sit with the laptop or the newspaper for breakfast to try and slow down my eating cause i otherwise eat like Homer Simpson and showel it down like crazy. And i also have the problem that i am NOT choosing some salat if you put a big juicy steak in front of me and i am NOT eating an apple for breakfast if you put bacon, egg and diary products in front of me. I must not have that choice for breakfast if i am not to eat it.

And Valerie: You are right that some asian food is fattening, but the portions are much smaller in Asia than in Northern Europe and they tend to cut the meat in to smaller peices so that you just eat less of it. I consume at least half a pound of meat for dinner when in Denmark and sometimes even a while pound. That does not happen to me in Asia :) Happy that i am flying to Asia today :)

Sorry to hijack but what trek are you doing Claus?

Don´t know yet Fergy. I will decide when i get there tomorrow. I am travelling on my own and do not want some schedule to follow, but i might team up with someone if i come across someone i click with. I do not really have time for Everest basecamp or Anapurna as i do not want to push my schedule, so i think i will devide it in to two smaller treks. I have been thinking about the Langtang national park for instance.

Depending on what kind of holiday I am taking, my weight gain or reduction can go either way. EX... cruise ship vacation, weight gain.....Tourist in China countryside, lost 2.2 kilos.... Beach vacation with sports activities is a lost, but then just beach vacation with the boys,,,golf, fishing, smoking fat cigars....forgetabout it. cheers tommy x

My weight has been stable, say plus/minus 1.5 Kg, in the last 25 years or more. This regardless of the season or where I am - vacation or not - even on long periods of time abroad and the amount of exercise. I never followed a diet except avoiding meat unless impossible, and I stay away from crap food.

I usually gain weight. We go out to eat more often, and usually excercise less, despite hiking. The only execption is skiing holidays, don't usually gain any during that no matter what I eat. Plus that is the only time we eat "junk" like getting a bag of chips and eating it in while driving. I never buy that sort of thing at home.

When I visit my sisters, as I will soon, I gain weight as they are very good cooks.

I consistently lose 1kg a week on holidays. It's all that walking. As a Type 2 diabetic, I know that it isn't really the fat that is the problem it's the carbohydrates. The bread, rice, pasta, fruit and sugar are all far more problematic than fat.

IP, that is an ambition of mine to go one one of those freighters and I did a bit of research into it. The general consensus was that, yes, the French do like to do themselves proud at table! Sorry to hijack the thread a bit but how did you find freighter cruising generally? Do you have pages on it and, if so, what country did you put them under?