I'm going to Paris for vacation and don't want to binge!

I'll be off to paris for a week for vacation, as much as I am looking forward to the wonderful trip I'm also worried about the food there! I give in to food temptations easily and I just know that I will eat a lot of food there - foie gras, meringues, croissants, all those mouth watering food! I love French food- Unfortunately most french cuisine are rather high in calories and fats and bad bad bad for weight loss, so I'm quite sure I'll exceed my daily cal limit of 1200cals. Plus my family tends to encourage me to eat all the time, so it's rather difficult for me to eat little! The thought of binging 2000 calories a day for a week is daunting!

Anyone got any advice for me? Should I just give in and indulge for... a week?! Nononono... I don't want to cry at the scale when I return!

You know what?  Exceed your 1200.  Do it.  Have you ever been to Paris?  Parisians are really good for eating fresh.  Fresh fruits and veggies are cheap and amazingly tasty, so fill up on those.  Plus, it's walk-a-thon city.  Seriously.  You'll end up walking everywhere.  The metro is a great system, but you'll still have to do some walking.  Enjoy the food, just make a point of walking everywhere and anywhere you can.  Trust me. Then a hunk of brie with a baguette and some red wine and a chocolate croissant is worth the extra miles! And, if all else fails, it's only one week.

Well, the french population is considerably thinner than Americans! I found this article: http://frenchfood.about.com/od/frenchdietheal th/fr/fatfallacy.htm

The tips make sense. Eat small portions of delicious food but if I were you, I would indulge! It might set you back a week on your plan but I think it would be worth it, considering french foods are quality, not as many preservatives and more wholesome food (even if there are tons of butter in some food!).

Actually, "most" French foods are not so rich.  You'll find beautiful roasts, chops, all kinds of fish and wonderful vegetables and salads.  Also, the portions won't be so large as they are here, and the French don't snack.  Look for a book in the library called French Women Don't Get Fat by Mirelle Giuliano, or get it from Amazon.  It's a real eye opener.

A tip if you will be having a Continental breakfast while there - instead of a croissant for breakfast, have a piece of baguette and some jam. 

I don't know what your maintenance level is, but mine is 2100 calories right now, so I could eat 2000 calories and not gain anything, and it's likely that you can eat hundreds more than 1200 and not gain.

Walk a lot. If your maintenance level is, say, 1800, and you walk a lot (as people tend to do on vacation in big cities, especially one like Paris, which is fabulous for walking), you will be able to eat 2000 calories easily and not gain anything.

So I wouldn't worry too much. How many fat French women do you see on the streets there? They size their portions better than we do.

Have fun!

I think you should splurge and enjoy... but remember that there is a difference between savouring food and experiencing that part of another country's culture and being a glutton and eating when you're not hungry or eating way too much.

Try to balance out what you put in your body with lots of walking (which I'm sure you'll be doing anyway with all the tours and stuff) and maybe try to fit in a little more exercise that usual.

You can experience all the tastes of France, you've just got to keep the portions reasonable!

ps. i am sooo jealous! enjoy your trip!

Oh my gosh are you kidding?? Experience Paris for everything it's worth. Eat small portions of absolutely everything! This is probably a once in a lifetime opportunity or close to it, take advantage, don't feel guilty and have an AWESOME time!! The one thing you'll have going for you is you will probably be walking everywhere, so feel good about that!

 I would make it a point to get as much walking and moving around in that you can and drink alot of water to stay hydrated but other than that I would enjoy the lovely food over there!

When i go to Italy and France next year I plan to enjoy it! 

Thank you all for being so encouraging, I feel a whole lot better after reading your wonderful advice.I'm so looking forward to the trip, and yes, hopefully I'll be walking and moving around a lot. :)

The article nini provided is a real eye opener, I always thought French food are extremely fattening and unhealthy! What a fallacy! I am not a big fan of vegetables and fruits, but I'll surely enjoy the fresh roasts, chops, seafood, cheese and desserts!... Yummy!

ENJOY Paris- there is too much of it to worry about calories- and with all the walking you will be doing- it will not matter!!!  Don't eat anything made in America- while there..No candy bars, no McDs, etc etc- Eat Parisian  and live Parisian and you will experience how good the food is with none of the weight gain- as part of the experience is that Parisians enjoy the dining experience- a meal can take hours- with good food and good company- and no excess!

I lost over 60 pounds in 3 months when I moved to Paris- and had no idea I had done it, because I ate everything I wanted to and more!  Fresh fruit and veggies are everywhere..as are Patisseries, enjoy!

But I walked- walked and walked- no car and lived on the 5th floor of a walk up!  Plus the clothes sizes were different so I bought what fit- with no concept of what size it was.

Enjoy your trip and be sure to catch the view from Sacre Coeur- with bread, cheese, wine/water it is by far one of the most breath taking views in the city!  Enjoy!

I think you can still have a great time in Paris and still not worry about your eating habits.  I would just ensure that you eat smaller portioned meals more often and that will allow you to have a lot of different foods in the course of a day while still keeping your metabolism high. There is no reason why you can't have fun, eat good foods and still be motivated about your progress thus far!

-Todd

I agree with everyone else. I minored in French in college and had to do a lot of studying french culture and I don't think you're going to gain any weight while you're there. For one... you'll be walking a ton so if you go over you calories a little, I'm sure you'll burn it off. And like someone else said... meals are WAY smaller there than here... and food and drink is pretty expensive there so unless you have an unlimited budget I don't think you'll be bingeing.

Have fun and enjoy Paris! Go to Montmartre and the Louvre and see all of the fabulous sites Paris has to offer. I can't wait to go during my Peace Corps service.

Systo, I was in Brittany for a week and then paris for 3 days in the spring with my parents and aunts and now next week I am going to the Brittany coast with my husband on vacation. I am neverous too. I love french food. In April I managed it without gaining any weight. The big thing I did was walk as much as possible. Our hotel was on the 6th floor in Paris and I took the steps to and from my room every time I came and went.  And in the village were we rented a house I walked all over the village. Then I was careful what I ate. You probably will have breakfast at you hotel and they will have a good vareity of foods and fruits. If you eat a bagett for breakfast, spread the butter and jam thin and take an apple for a snack later. I did eat corrisants in April I just exercised a lot. Also the french beef is very good, so try to order steaks and salads and avoid the fries(pommes) they will be a mistake. Paris is a big city but the main sites are walkable if you are willing to sweat a bit. I am also worried our trip next week.The french are into cream sauces which I love but am avoiding and I am finally seeing the weight go away and I would like that to continue, but I am hoping to walk as much as possible, eat as well as I can and not gain weight during the week. Good luck.

EAT AS MUCH AS YOU WANT!!!!

I was in Paris last year for ten days, and the food is wonderful. But the trick with the Parisians, and most French people for that matter, is that they don't OVEReat. They won't eat an entire block of cheese if they are happy with only a few bites! That is the secret to why most of them (especially the Parisians) look the way they do. They enjoy their food, but they don't overdo it. And as someone else said, their food is fresh and wonderful. Whatever you do - beware of McDonalds & most of the Greek street vendors. Try to eat in French restaurants. Paris is filled with Italian, Greek, Portuguese etc etc cuisine - but stick to the French food. Buy a fresh french roll from a bakery, a Couer de Lion camembert, and a bottle of wine - sit next to the Seine at sunset and just enjoy yourself!

enjoy paris, don't worry too much about the food, just don't overdo it. after all it's just a week, you're not gonna ruin what you've already achieved in a week.

i was in paris last year and it was beyond amazing. i loved it :) have fun!!