Last but not least, I should mention that most of my meals' portion sizes were smaller, but there were more sides and courses. For example, all dinners came with a soup, and the main entrees were always served with a separate plate full of green salad.

My grandparents of Fench decent ate like that at every dinner.  Homemade broth soup, a leaf lettuce salad and small portions of potatoes and proteins and always a dessert followed with tea.

Dinners there were always at the table with lots of conversation.

Glad that you enjoyed your trip and came back a little lighter.

I am a fast eater.  To slow myself down, I take a sip or two of water between each bite.  I still eat quickly, but not nearly as quickly as before.

I also used to have the next bite "on deck."  Now, while I am chewing, I put my hands in my lap.  Took awhile for me to know what to do with my hands all that time, but now I'm more comfortable with doing that.

I always lose a few pounds when I visit NYC even though I feel like I'm eating more treat foods and meals.

I assumed it was because I do so much more walking and no driving when I'm there. (both eating and exercise rev your metabolism)

Now that the weather is warming up, you should take your lunch break in a nearby park.  There are parks all over Manhattan.

Yay for 2 lbs gone!

I started loosing weight when I stopped skipping meals.  Eating regularly keeps me from being too hungry and then overeating. 

I went to Sicily a few years ago and lost a few pounds during my two week stay. The breads were all a long grain bread that I am sure took a lot more to process. The pizza was great but different. And I have to say the sheep intestines that people were lined up to get from the street vendor at midnight were good but a little fatty.

The cafeteria at the place I had to do some work for even served one beer or one single sized wine with lunch if you wanted. I observed very few overweight people during my stay.

I spent 2 weeks in Madrid over the holidays and came home 5 pounds lighter.  I attributed it to fresh food, not processed and I did most of my eating in Tapas bars!  I love Europe.

When I traveled Scandanavia and England last summer, I found that I walked much more than I do at home.  This occured not only because I was on vacation, but simply because that's how you often got from point A to point B.  Even taking public transportation required walking to and from various stations.

I broke my ankle my first day in Madrid and was in a wheelchair the whole 10 tour, so perhaps I would have lost weight otherwise.

Breakfast was our biggest meal, hard to resist the spanish chorizo, jamon serrano and manchego. But otherwise it was tapas and wine (Rioja!)

The small meals were so pleasant, was it because I was sitting in a little cafe on the street? (couldn't fit the wheelchair in the restaraunts) or was it Europe!

Great hopes to return on two feet and find out.

But seriously, Igor has made some important points which I need to learn. And longwalker, thank you for putting so susinctly, "I too always have the next bite on the fork". So much help, thank you.

I think one of the great differences between Europe and the US regarding food is also that food is part of the "art" of living. People tend to take more time to eat and therefore are keen on "better" foods. A meal is a thing to enjoy, and it is easier to enjoy when the actual taste of things is preserved, and not overwhelmed by fat or sugar. Even a piece of chocolate tastes better when it is a Lindt with 99% cacao (and little sugar) and you eat it while sipping a non-sugared espresso sitting at the terrace of a café.

It is, of course, a generalization, and I am biased, being French. I studied two years in the US and at first put on weight. Then I realized that drinking Coke during my meals killed the taste of everything and instead of raiding the vending machine, I started raiding the salad bar. I was probably one of the only one Europeans in my class who actually "lost" weight in the US in the end ;-)

When I spent two weeks in the Netherlands a few years ago, I came home almost 20 pounds lighter. I credit it to the fact that all the food I ate was fresh, filling and nutritious, the soda had real sugar in it so I couldn't drink much of it before I was satisfied and sick of it, and I biked everywhere. There's no such thing as a sedentary lifestyle with my best friend around.

Best weighing-in of my life, I have to say!

When I travel to the Caribbean, I lose between 5 and 10 lbs there, depending on the length of my stay. (Up to 8 days) I thought this was crazy, considering that I drink alcohol all day and have an endless buffet at my fingertips, but I eat and drink slower and have no processed foods while I'm there. Most of the foods are freshly picked vegetables, freshly slaughtered meats and amazing fruits. Even my drinks have real fruit in them, not fruit syrup.

Incidentally, I don't crave chocolate, potato chips or other mindless-eating foods while I'm there. I'm too busy having fun, playing pool volleyball and enjoying my friends. Tells me I need to find a way to create my vacations every day here at home.

What about transportation?  Did you find yourself walking more?  I think they do this more in Europe. I remember walking more while in Greece on vacation.  In Athens, my uncles house was walking distance to the grocery store so we walked to buy food or walked to get to the train station.  When I was on business in Germany, the small town of Freiberg was pretty walkable.  Even in the US, when I visit walkable big cities like San Francisco, I'm always surprised by the exercise I get from not having to drive everywhere.

I have to say- that whenever I travel, except to visit close relatives, (where I feel "at home" in their kitchens), I lose weight. I used to think that it had to do with the place. Now I live in one of the places that I used to travel to and lose weight, only I've started to gain weight! I think that losing weight on a trip has to do with being in an adventure, away fro our usual stressors, being super aware of one's new surroundings, and taking the focus off of food...putting it into living instead. How do we translate that into our regular, everyday lives?

I picked up almost 10 kgs in 2 months when visiting florida, nyc and canada.. I found that when there people eat "on the go", and always quick meals like take aways.. Here in South Africa, we tend to eat a lot more fresh fruit and vegetables and cook in a lot less oil..  We also don't really do microwave meals etc.. 

Having said that I have heard Europe in general has very good eating patterns, and have the lowest overweight percentage of people..  China also does not seem to suffer with obesity either?? 

@natashaheptinstall: I didn't end up walking a lot during this particular trip, but I agree with you that this plays a big role in many Europeans' flat bellies. Takeaway #4: take the stairs.

I'm originally from Argentina. I have traveled to Europe and I noticed that Europe as well as Argentina's food its not so processed and has less additives and coloring. Not only this is bad for your health (in the long run) but *hydrogenated* oils are not good for you, making loosing weight very difficult. 

Next time you travel, buy something, anything. Look at the labels, the ingredients, you won't find artificial additives, numbered coloring or hydrogenated oils!!

People all over the world are more healthier than Americans as well as thinner. I wish we could follow their steps.

One thing I need to add. The FDA approves of all these artificial fillers in foods. Why would you trust them? Eat organic if all possible. If you can't afford to eat organic, learn to cook from scratch. Buy unrefined sugar (raw) and unbleached flower, always!!!

I have lived in the States for 16 years. All my life I was a *think* girl. Now I'm 15 lbs overweight, thanks to the FDA. 

I just spent a week in London and would have lost weight except that my sister-in-law's servings were bigger than at home! Even though I ate more, I maintained my weight as I was walking for more. Although both my sister-in-law and brother-in-law have desk jobs, they expend more energy getting to work and can easily handle the slightly bigger servings!

I was able to shop at a London supermarket and the selection of fresh, healthy foods was amazing. I live in rural Canada and the lack of fresh, tasty greens, herbs, fruits etc. is so disappointing. The opportunity for exercise for myself always has to be planned. Unfortunately my desk job is not located in a building with stairs and I have to have my car available for work so there is no chance of riding a bike to work - unlike Europe in a lot of places.

Oh yes, gata, I agree. I did read many labels and did not find the preservatives present as we do here. It can be a real challenge to eat healthy here.

I lose weight by getting more exercise, eating less processed foods, and now i spend more time in the grocery store selecting good quality foods, and reading more labels of course, i also count every calorie, and drink more liquids. 

ajawaan - I can't believe you thought a London supermarket had an amazing selection of fruit and veg! I live 20 miles south of London, and never really thought about it before. Whenever I hop over to the continent I always think their selection of fresh veggies and whatnot is amazing. The continent is very different to here with regards to fruits and veggies - they all come in frozen, travel miles upon miles, use pesticides etc. The continent not so much.

Hey!

I'm from Scandinavia, and I have travelled quite a lot. I find it hard to generalise about Europe the way some of you are doing - take for example England, where the obesity level is soon the same as the US.

Also, the eating patterns and foods vary greatly in the different parts of Europe. Take Spain and Italy, where dinner is served 9.30 pm at the very earlist, which we know is unhealthy, where they fry their food in gallons of olive oil, but yet you don't see many overweight people walking the streets.
Take France, where they eat a croissant and black coffee for the breakfast (not the big nutricious breakfast we learn to take our time with), small salad for lunch and small delicacies for dinner (which also make you eat less).
There's Germany, where they're famous for wiener schnitzel, veal coated in breadcrumbs and deepfried, or their 'wurst', sausage...
In Scandinavia, the main foods are fish, dark rye bread, and things like swedish meatballs and lots of fresh vegetables and fruits.

Yes, it is less common to eat tv-dinners, but I think it's unfair to generalize when it comes to European eatings habbits.

One thing I do know though, is that we 'move' a lot more. We don't take the car just to go a few blocks to the supermarket or whereever, we can walk - the car is for long distances, or moving heavy objects. In Scandinavia and the netherlands - and more and more places - you take your bike. In sunshine, rain, snow.. You take your bike.
Portions are bigger in the US, my jaw dropped to the floor when I saw the size of my 'American breakfast' I had in New York, we shared five people three breakfasts, and there was PLENTY left over.. No matter where I went, the portions were huge compared to Europe.

Also, it is my belief that you nearly always lose weight when vacationing, as some already noted. You don't just sit home in front of the tv eating, you're out experiencing things, tasting new things, with servings, you can't just stuff yourself...

I'd say the main differences between Europe and the US, if we want to generalize, are exercise and portion size.
Ofcourse there are many more, but then you would have to look seperately at the different cultures of Europe...

I beleive the US Government has a scheme to create a massively obese nation and thus have us all brain dead from all the fat clogging our arteries.

This way we will all watch CNN and believe every word of it, and slowly but surely the world will become our enemies and the government will have created frightful easily persuadable americans, and mold them into hateful soldiers. All this from loading up our foods with chemicals, processed oils, saturated fats and other lethal ingredients.

We are being used and abused! You're right about the FDA, it is their responsibility to make available healthy and affordable foods, but it is also our responsibility to say No, we Don't accept this kind of food for us and for our children! If it means creating more local farmers and boycotting main stream grocery stores and fast food places, then so be it!

Power to the People!!

Miriam

I grew up both in the states and in spain and to my dismay every summer when I went to visit my cousins, they were so much more fit! A lot of it has to do with the notion of comfort food; in the states if a child is sad or upset, they are given food reward of sorts to cheer them up. While I know chocolate has chemical properties that actually release 'feel good' chemicals, this behavior also breeds unhealthy habits so that whenever we feel even a bit low, we try to perk ourselves up with a little snack.

Which brings me to my next point! Snacking!

Dieters and nutritionists swear by the whole 'breaking it up into 5 small meals and snacks' mantra, but in Spain at least it is a moderate breakfast in the morning, a small snack around noon, an enormous lunch around 4, and a smaller dinner around 9 or 10. With the exception of a scheduled mid-day snack there is NO SNACKING there. Unbelievable, right? I'll be honest, it get tough to pull through until 5 sometimes, but eating a large lunch later in the day means that you aren't nearly as hungry for dinner when you get home, and there is more of a chance that you will burn off those calories before you get to bed.

Dieters and nutritionists swear by the whole 'breaking it up into 5 small meals and snacks' mantra

Hey!  I don't swear by snacking.  If I "swear by" anything (which I don't), it is to eat when I'm hungry, and since I eat enough at meals to be satisfied, I'm never hungry until the next scheduled meal.  "Snacks" and especially "snack foods" are silly to me.  If you need a snack, why not eat some of last night's leftover dinner?  At least it's a balanced meal...  People in the US have lost their reference point when it comes to the amount of food we need.  If mankind needed to eat as much as we think we do, civilization would be been wiped out eons ago.

I'm from the UK and spent 3 months in the US last year. I put on 10lbs because of the portion sizes over there. I really do think portion control is the biggest lesson this site has taught me and the biggest difference between American and European eating habits. The sad thing is portions are getting bigger here too now.

Original Post by: losingweight89

I beleive the US Government has a scheme to create a massively obese nation and thus have us all brain dead from all the fat clogging our arteries.

This way we will all watch CNN and believe every word of it, and slowly but surely the world will become our enemies and the government will have created frightful easily persuadable americans, and mold them into hateful soldiers. All this from loading up our foods with chemicals, processed oils, saturated fats and other lethal ingredients.

We are being used and abused! You're right about the FDA, it is their responsibility to make available healthy and affordable foods, but it is also our responsibility to say No, we Don't accept this kind of food for us and for our children! If it means creating more local farmers and boycotting main stream grocery stores and fast food places, then so be it!

Power to the People!!

Miriam

Thank you. You finally said it!

Yeah. I live in Spain. I'll tell you one thing--I don't think that TV rule applies here. I've lived in various Spanish households and the news or some other program is very frequently on, even if it's only in the background.

I think the main differences are some of the points that have already been made. Really fresh ingredients make a huge difference. Look at your yogurt. Does it have corn starch? Why?! When my Spanish husband lived in the States, he was astounded by the amount of corn byproducts in everything. Even 'processed' foods here have way fewer ingredients than most processed foods in the US.

It seems like junk food has it's particular place too. We don't have potato chips just for the sake of eating chips. If we have them, it's because we're hanging out with friends to watch a futbol game or we're at a bbq. It's not a day to day occurance. Also, there's just so much darn variety in our snacks in the US that it's hard to resist them. Even those healthy snacks! It's very easy to overdo it.

It's also way more affordable to eat fresh here. In Madrid, I can go to my corner produce guy and walk away with two bags jammed full of tasty, fresh produce for 12 euros (16 dollars, I think). We're talking about giant, cloth bags!

Lastly, many Spaniards are just so full of energy! Sure, you go out to a bunch of different tapas bars late at night and eat oily goodies and drink way too much wine or other drinks, but you're also busy talking and giggling at full volume for hours and hours long. And more than likely, you're standing! I am always amazed that on the weekends I inevitable eat and drink way too much, but on Monday, my pants feel loose. But that's what being out and about all day long will do. And we don't sit at bars. Maybe we grab a stool for a second, but it's not that typical. So in the end, you burn calories, and your body recognizes the food that it's eating as real food; not weird chemicals that it stores away.

I've lived off on and on between the States and Spain for some five years now, and every single time I go back to the States, I gain weight even though I often exercise more and make an effort to eat healthier. We're not talking huge gains, just enough to make you question what's really going on...

American eating habits are driven by profits,  European eating habits are based on culture.   You will see the same thing in Argentina and other countries.

I'm European (Icelandic to be more specific) and it's true.. less vending machines, more salads everywhere, "being healthy" is just part of everyday life......it's  normal for me. I think that if I went to the US I'd get a cultural shock from all the vending machines and thousands of fast food places.

I agree with the portion size difference between Europe and  the US.

when I was in the US for a holiday, the huuuge portions scared the hell out of me. I'm a very big eater, but that was too much even in my greedy eyes.

I've been living in China for a while now and the way of eating here is in one way even better than in Europe. As far as I can see around my colleagues and other friends, they tend to eat three main meal and two "main" snacks" in a day. This ties in perfectly with the "5 meals a day" plan. Nobody brings a packed lunch, food is available everywhere: cheap & cheerful, basic food, but also food that will get you through the day ( stir-fried veggies, meats with rice or noodles). Most people here are petite and stick thin and believe you me, they can put away an incredible amount of food! Heck, I'm a huge eater and even I managed to shed 16 kilos (approx 35lbs) in the 11 months I have been here! Bring on the rice and the "wokked" veggies!!

That said, the difference between young kids and most adults now is tremendous! I keep seeing a lot of overweight kids in my school and on the street. McDonalds, Pizza hut, KFC, etc appear to be the "best" places to eat now. That combined with the fact that due to China's one-child-policy most kids are spoiled rotten (e.g. temper tantrums will buy you a happy meal as your folks want you to shut up), I believe that soon China will have the same obesity problem as the rest of the world.

Let's hope they don't throw out all their good traditional eating habits out the window in favour of the fancy "western" lifestyle.

I spent some time in Germany, and besides that fact that we walked almost everywhere and that the emphasis on television was way less than here in the states.  I loved that we ate the largest meal of the day in the middle of the day.  The breads and cheeses and spreads were for breakfast and dinner.  And the breads were never that fluffy stuff we buy here.  They were hearty and grainy and good for you.

Could it also be that drinking some alcohol with your meal help keep you lean?

I am Polish and went to college in Poland. With my whole family in the US I was travelling a lot between these two countries. Whenever I came to NYC I would gain a few pounds. Then when I went back to Poland I would loose it right away without any effort.

Now I know its the lifestyle. I moved back to the US 5 years ago right after I finished college and gained weight. In the mean time I had a baby and its harder and harder. Even thought both me and my Mom cook the same Polish dishes its still different. I work much more and sometimes forget to eat. So does my whole family. In Poland you MAKE the time to eat. Dinner is at home with the family. People take time to prepare what they eat and they also make sure that they have time to eat it - even if its a small break at home or at work. The American way is RUSH, RUSH. We often don't have 15 minutes to sit down and talk with our family - talk abou having a full meal.

I also think that there is more chmicals and preserves in the goods that we buy in the US then in Europe.

im dutch myself and i agree on some things that have been said above...we cycle all the time and walk a lot, which helps. But i have to say that the number of overweight children is increasing because of the 'American' lifestyle we're taking over. Kids will be brought to school, spend so much time behind the computer and get loads of sugar snacks and drinks.

Dinnertime in my family is still family time, where we come together to discuss the day and what else...  I noticed that whenever we eat in front of the telly (what we only do whenever we eat fries or readymade meals) i eat way more! Besides you'll stay seated way longer.

takeaway # 5: try to get up after eating and clean up the table and kitchen, this will improve your metabolism! (thats why most females are less heavy then males because they still do most of the cleaning up...)

My first 6 months living in Denmark I gained 30 pounds! explain me that one!

Haha well if you ate a lot of "Danish", that could explain it!! Danish people eat loads more baked goods and bread, plus they drink endless amounts of beer, which is pure calories!! Opt for white wine or red in stead of the beer, and go easy on the bread.. that's the way to go in Denmark.

Not only the things you mentioned above but when we were there we walked more than we drove or rode.  I totally loved this idea but there again the towns are smaller and easier to get around than ours are.

I also liked eating the big meals at noon and then a small meal at night.

I agree with GATA from Argentina,  FDA has actually no control here in the USA, check the laws about labeling, you will be surprised. Every year I go to Europe and loose 5-7 lbs. and I eat a lot there, more then I dare to in USA

this is just what i had been wondering for weeks!

i am going to Italy in almost a week. and i was worried that my diet would be so much harder to do down there. [all the walking we are going to be doing will deffinetly be added into the working-out category.]

When I'm on vacation, I tend to be more regulated in my eating times and I think that helps.  I eat good, nutritious meals. 

When I'm at home, I tend to skip meals (due to a hectic lifestyle) and then get so hungry I overeat.  Eating regular meals with healthy snacks in between is definitely the better way to go -- keeps blood sugar more stable, curbs the cravings and I don't overeat at the main meals.

coma_red, just watch out for all the pizzas and spaghetti and pasta!! haha. carb mania!!

I'm from the UK but lived in Russia as a student and agree that despite eating large amounts of food (compared to in the UK), I came home about 9lbs lighter! Like others have said here I put this down to good, fresh home cooking. I also ate out a lot but because in going to a restaurant is still a social event you don't seem to consume as much or as quickly as in England. This rule seems to apply throughout eastern Europe as I have been to several countries in this region and always come back lighter. The whole European cafe culture of eating at outdoor tables makes the whole experience much more pleasant and in my opinion takes the focus off the food and makes for a more satisfying experience overall. Unfortunately, a lot of this is being lost in the UK but it is worth applying a few Euro style eating habits.

i just have to say that I spent 4 months in rome italy, among other places i visited in europe....and i gained about 15 lbs upon coming back. i think it all depends on how YOU eat as a person...i know italy taught me to eat without inhibitions and i very much enjoyed mostly all my carb-laden delicious meals...with a cost!!!

just sharing my experience...props to all you who lost though!

The same thing happens to me when I visit Mexico. For a two week trip I will come back 5 to 10 pounds lighter! Its incredible. The meal portions there are a lot smaller and they give several different courses. You get soup before the meal, an appetizer, the main course, a cafe con leche afterwards and of course the food is fresh with hardly any perservatives. When I lived in Mexico for a summer I dropped 20 pounds without even dieting! Walking is a huge part of everyones day as owning a car is more of a luxury. It was a 30 minute walk for me into town and a 30 minute walk home. Its that way everywhere, even in Mexico City. I love traveling abroad. It reminds you of how inactive and unhealthy we are in this country! Lets take a lesson from our Latin American neighbors and our European friends. Start walking more and eating less! 

blinx - I live in rural Alberta...produce is horrible!! In the bigger centres it is better. My brother-in-law was commenting on how tasteless the green veggies were in London, I was salivating!! He needs to come here and experience tasteless!!

South of London, I'm jealous! I took an amazing drive in the country out to Bosham...simply beautiful!!!

I was in Munich, Germany, several years ago (yes, Germany, with all of its delicious tempting goodies) for about two weeks, and I lost 7 pounds!  I did a lot of sight-seeing on foot, and the food was so delicious and satisfying that  I didn't overeat.  No additives, just good food.  I ate whatever I wanted, including ale and beer.  I have been to Scotland and England since then, and found pretty much the same thing, even if the food sometimes  was much simpler.  Also, Europeans spend lots of time outdoors, walking and hiking, just as a regular part of their lives.  Everywhere I was, they didn't  have to go far to find a nice place to walk, and public transportation was available to get them to places out of the city. 

i lost weight in europe as well. we ate mainly from natural food restaurants and the super market. 

also walked about 6 hours everyday, napped int he afternoon and clubbed until 6 in the morn....