Eating in Italy

I am heading to Italy in a week, and I will be there for 2 weeks. I have been there before, and I know all the bad foods that I am going to indulging in... 4 cheese pizzas, white pasta, red wine, coconut yogurt and gelati (I am a coconut fanatic).

I plan on running everyday I am there, will not be doing any weight training. Will be walking lots too checking out all the sights.

As much as I want to restrain myself, this is a trip that we will not be repeating for a long time, and I do want to enjoy all this. Guess I will sacrific myself the 2 weeks, and get back on track when I come home!

Has anyone else been though the same thing, travelling abroad yet still maintaining their caloric intake?

 I feel your pain! I travel 2-3 times per month for my job and it's always incredibly difficult to maintain my 1500-1700 daily intake on the road. I try to work out in the hotel gyms but it's difficult with my meeting schedule, etc. Happily, though, a couple days 2-3 times per month haven't seemed to catch up with me yet; it might even help jumpstart the metabolism.

 

2 weeks is a bit more difficult, but I completely agree you shouldn't sacrifice the delicious pizzas, pasta, gelato and wine--those are the things that make life sweet. Just drink lots of water and try to moderate the portions, that'd be my best advice.

 

Have a blast in Italy! I'm headed there in a few weeks myself and plan to indulge in pizza as well :) 

thanks for the advice. I have my 1L aluminum water bottle that will be strapped to the side of my backpack for easy access. :)

there is absolutely no relationship between american italian food and the food in italy.  servings are small; ingredients are fresh.  just stay away from the restaurants that cater to american tourists and you'll be fine.

though fresh and small-portioned, italian food is beyond delicious.  i spent a semester there.  i probably didn't gain more than 5 pounds, though, which isn't horrendous.

i did do a lot of walking, as i'm sure you will.  one thing i did was always order soup w/dinner.  first of all, it's always yummy.  and it helps fill you up so you don't feel famished after your entree (bec the portions seemed small to me), which means you can deal w/1 scoop of gelato in the evening instead of 3.  have a blast, italy's awesome.

I went to Italy last summer; have an awesome time!

Besides the basic stuff, you do a lot of walking to help make up for the food. I prefer more tomato based sauces than creme, and they have lots of food in restaurants, so watch the amounts. (Portions themselves are small, but they keep coming....)

I LOVE Italy!  I agree with all the comments above...I did fine while I was traveling and didn't stress about the calories - I just enjoyed the food!  I tend to each lots of fish, fruits and vegetables anyway, so being there with everything so fresh was heaven.  I came back a few pounds lighter than when I left - probably from all the walking.   

My problem was readjusting to life back at home...I wanted to continue eating as I was while on vacation, but not doing nearly the amount of activity.  I put on 8-10 pounds after the trip was over! 

Have fun! 

 

I go to Italy at least once a year, and without fail I lose weight every time -- even when I'm not dieting. I agree with many of the posts - the food is fresher and cleaner, plus as a visitor you are probably marching around all day long taking in the art and culture. Enjoy yourself!

I went to Italy in December and told myself that if I worked hard before and after my trip then I could just eat whatever I wanted.

In a country like italy do not worry about eating because it is all wonderful. To keep things somewhat in check maybe only have 1 pastry a day, there are wonderful bean and veggie dishes and eat less pasta and more wonderful beef and fish meals.

The food there is amazing, you will have a great time.

One of the first things I do when I get to a new town in Europe is find out when and where the farmer's markets are.  There are lots of cool produce varieties in other countries' farmer's markets that I can't find here.  In both Italy and France, I love to just get some good cheese, a little bread, and a selection of fruits and veggies and have a picnic lunch.  Lots of people focus on restaurant cuisine when they travel, but it can be just as fun checking out fresh foods from the markets.  You can also meet some really cool people this way.