Hi everyone, Just a little question for you all. I know all the tours are action packed with lots of walking, but there is also lots of bus sitting and of course lots of good eating. So which is it. Do most people come back a little heavier or do most people lose a little bit of weight? Just curious.
By the way I only have three more sleeps.
Soooooooooooo. excited.

My answer is I came back a little heavier because I enjoyed the food a little too much. I would on any other tour now not eat so much as it was hard to get rid of the weight.I am not a Breakfast eater at home but I ate breakfast lunch and dinner and the occassional piece of Black Forest cake and with a bit of sitting in the bus I did spread a bit.

Aussie Sue ~ is this telepathy? Just this morning I was wondering about the same thing. I always come back heavier because I don't only surrender to the historic experience but also to the culinary experience of a tour. I am back on the treadmill and I have renounced good food and good wine for a while!
Wish you a safe and wonderful trip. D.

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Originally posted by aussie sue:
Just a little question for you all. I know all the tours are action packed with lots of walking, but there is also lots of bus sitting and of course lots of good eating. So which is it. Do most people come back a little heavier or do most people lose a little bit of weight?

Well in my case.. Plenty of eating... Lots of cobble stone walkways... Me in my wheelchair, bones shaken with the wheels on the cobble stones, in turn the fat was shaken away (not to mention what it did to the bladder)

I think, if you are going to worry about a couple of KG's, you might as well stay home!! I say go for everything you like, you only live once, you may never get the chance to try it again

Despite all the walking, I always gain as well because I indulge in all the specialities and 3 full meals a day. This time, in Scandanavia in July, I gained the least 2.5 lbs and it was off in a week once home. The food prices there were sky high!

Gee thanks for asking Aussie Sue!! Let's just say my trousers did gradually shrink and I blame my TD 100% for all the soup, scones, gingerbread, cornish pasties, sweets and alcohol that he told us we had to try (I always do as I'm told). Luckily ?? for me I lost the excess when I came down one night with a gastro bug. But would I have wanted to miss out on any of the treats for the sake of a kilo or 2? Not on your nellie!
If you are concerned (I know how hard it is to lose the excess) then avoid the cooked breakfasts and go for the healthy options. It is tempting to eat a lot at breakfast and hopefully need less at lunch but there are way too many temptations along the way. The included dinners are often no big loss either if you feel like you've overindulged during the day. Give me a pub lunch in a 500year old building any day.

Like most of the others I gain a little while on tour. Can't resist 3 full meals a day not to mention gelato or pastries. It is soon lost once I am home & back to a normal routine.

If I had to go without enjoying all the food that is on offer, I am not sure I would go.

Oh, this is a painful topic, especially as I'm still paying for the gelato I ate in Italy in April. I had eaten no sugar in 18 months and I so badly wanted to taste the gelato. Then I had to have one the next day, and the next day, and pretty soon my regime went to pieces altogether. In two weeks time I am off to France and I just know that even if by some miracle I manage to escape the pear tarts and the quiches, the baguettes will get me.

Yes, painful is right but for me it's the opposite, When I'm away I'm so active, on my feet, walking like a maniac before the country disappears that I manage to stay the same or even lose a little while away. However, then I come home and sit at a computer, read books, knit, garden a little, raid the fridge, make endless cups of tea, and worse, there are excellent artisanal bakeries that make fabulous baguettes here except there isn't an Eiffel Tower in sight to walk to.

So, remember no matter where you are, or where you're going, remember this is the only life you have, and enjoy the food, the sights and the company. And b*&^%$er the weight which will come anyway. Trust me, I know about struggling being a tiddly with big bones .

Brenda

Edite, bibite, gaudete, nam cras moriemur.

Eat, drink, rejoice, for tomorrow we will die.

Aussie Sue: I have never put on weight or lost it on the five trips I've taken over the past 2yrs. which is fine with me as I'm only 5' and try to keep between 112-114lbs. I do have a good breakfast on tour as you never know where lunch will be especially if you're travelling and have usually about an hour for all of the bus folks to be served which makes it a hurry-up situation ; it is also a restroom stop. I wouldn't worry too much about gaining weight as one can always work on loosing it once back home and as they say you only go around once so why not enjoy the adventure. Happy travelling. Purvis

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Originally posted by Caitie:
Oh, this is a painful topic, especially as I'm still paying for the gelato I ate in Italy in April. I had eaten no sugar in 18 months and I so badly wanted to taste the gelato. Then I had to have one the next day, and the next day, and pretty soon my regime went to pieces altogether. In two weeks time I am off to France and I just know that even if by some miracle I manage to escape the pear tarts and the quiches, the baguettes will get me.

Hmm... boeuf bourguignon, coq ua vin nouveau, camembert, black truffle, foie gras, croissants, baguettes ...

quote:

Hmm... boeuf bourguignon, coq ua vin nouveau, camembert, black truffle, foie gras, croissants, baguettes ...

Dalene: Stoute kabouter!

Despite the food, the wine, the sitting, the wine, the sweets, the wine I actually lost weight. 6kg in 8 weeks. I think, without me really knowing, my portions were a bit smaller than ususal because of my increased water intake to counteract dehydration. I am, as I have said before, NZs greatest couch potato so the increaseed walking also played a big part in the loss.

quote:

Hmm... boeuf bourguignon, coq ua vin nouveau, camembert, black truffle, foie gras, croissants, baguettes ...

Dalene- I think your post here is just a liitle bit evil Off to mopp up the drool from my keyboard! LOL