If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.

- George Washington

Wednesday 30 June 2010

Diet Weirdness

How's this for weird?

I go to France for a fortnight. I eat what I like, when I like. I eat bread (lots of it), cheese (lots of it), and barbecues. I drink wine (less this time than usual, but you get the picture) and beer (lots of it).

You could say that my diet while abroad is completely unregulated. It's just what I feel like eating or drinking at the time, with no regard for calories, five-a-day, balance or 'sensible limits'.

So how come I came home half a stone lighter than when I left?

And how come this happens every time I go abroad?

Answers on a postcard, please.

4 comments:

  1. Shedding weight has to be some combination of 'take in less calories' and 'use more calories'. If we assume you didn't do the former - it must be the latter.

    'Use more calories' could be made up of 'move about more (under your own power)' and/or increased metabolic rate. Perhaps you have been moving about more?

    An alternative might be that, despite appearances, you were taking in less calories - by not having a key excess calory source easily available - by, for example, not eating cheddary-like hard cheese while en France.

    Half stone less will be more healthy - I would see if you can regular trips to France on prescription.

    Derf

    ReplyDelete
  2. I said on a postcard - Get it right!

    Your first point is, of course, correct. I don't think I was more active on holiday; quite the reverse. One easy answer is 'no spuds' or, to be more precise, little carbohydrate. Apart from the odd plate of frites, I had no potatoes for a fortnight, and no pasta or rice either. Bread was consumed, but in moderate quantities (French bread seems to go a long way). So 'fewer calories' is surely the answer.

    But I am also convinced that the quality of what you eat is important. I've followed a low-carb diet before (what I call non-extreme Atkins) and not only do I lose weight, but my whole system feels better. I need to stick to this once more - the problem is that my taste-buds are programmed to like biscuits and starchy things, but my metabolism doesn't agree.

    Still, 11 lb since we left the UK - can't be bad. I think NHS prescription French trips are very much to be encouraged.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I lost about 2 stone when i was in spain, as i changed to salads for lunch and liquid diet on the nights. Though i could walk in a straight line for about 4 weeks with the drinking every night.

    ReplyDelete

Comment is free, according to C P Scott, so go for it. Word verification is turned off for the time being. Play nicely.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...