Im fortunate enough to have a best friend who lives in Paris and I go often ( I live in US now)...and when there I do try to get out of the city to trail run a bit (though its part of the fun, not obsessive about getting runs in) but other than that I walk everywhere and eat anything I please...and stay the same or lose even...
I do not want to get into an argument about the american unhealthy way of life, but I do think based on the areas I have seen, many towns and cities here are not really walking friendly....many roads are too dangerous to walk on, no siedewalks, etc, it just seems easier to get around on foot in cities in other countries I have traveled too, also I notice portion sizes tend to be smaller in other countries...
again Im NOT american bashing or starting an argument! Im just sayin'....is all...
sounds like you had a super holiday!

Walking is a great form of exercise. You'll probably find that they use a lot less sugar in their "sweets" too.

People in the US don't walk simply because their towns and cities tend not to be built for walking.

I've been fortunate enough to live in New York and San Francisco, two walking cities where owning a car has been unnecessary.

I'm sure walking has a lot to do with it but I think idle time also has a large influence. I suspect that while on vacation, you didn't have the time to stop for coffee break every morning and afternoon so you missed out on regular 'snacks'. Probably equally true in the evenings. You were likely out on the town and, while you may have had drinks and perhaps something to eat, you were likely dancing on the table tops etc. Very different from sitting in front of a TV or reading a book and having your regular evening 'snack'.

There is an old expression "Idle Hands Are The Devil's Tools" and the devil likes to build waistlines.

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gotta run...

This is so interesting because I just returned yesterday from a long vacation in Europe and I had the same fear about weighing myself, but I actually didn't gain anything. I did try to run while in Europe, but other than London and Venice, I felt like the cities were not jogger/runner friendly. In Rome people were looking at me like I was criminal on the run and the dogs were not exactly friendly, so I had to cut back a lot on my running because I didn't feel that safe. But I also ate terribly! I had rich meals for dinner and treated myself to lots of gelato and dessert type foods. Every morning I had a cappucino or two and a real croissant!!! Everything tasted amazing, but in the back of my mind I was pretty stressed out about my training and weight. When I got home, I found out I hadn't gained weight, but maintained???

As for the walking, we did walk a ton, but I live in New York and walk a ton here too! So it's a mystery to me...when I'm home if I even look at a croissant or donut I gain weight... seriously, I gain by osmosis...lol! But I think the biggest difference was actually portions. A bowl of pasta in Italy is like a half-serving here and the croissants I indulged in were much small than, say, a bagel with cream cheese here. The most important lesson I learned the past few weeks is that portion control is the most biggest thing I can work on for myself. Other than that, the eating thing in Europe is a serious mystery to me. Perhaps, a vacation gift?

On a different note, I don't think Americans dislike walking or exercise. I just don't think most towns and cities are built for that much. Other than New York, Chicago, Boston, and San Francisco, it's tough to think of a place where walking is necessary. I actually think many Americans wish they had a way to get more exercise and the area we should be most concerned about is this whole portion control thing. When I was in Venice I was lucky to use a gym and many of the people working out were friendly, I ended up talking to another runner about how Americans workout and he seemed to think we were all very serious about exercise here. I guess, to me, it seems like the biggest issue is nutrition here?

Welcome Home~

I'm canadian and moved to the US 4 years ago...when I first moved here I was overwhelmed by the amount of choice in the groceries stores compared to in Canada...I'd be fascinated by the different types of junk food...it seems that there is a lot more junk for sale here than in Canada...and I can't speak for all of Canada but where I lived, Montreal and Ottawa, people were very active, but there were so many outdoor fitness fun things to do...but I also spent time in southern ontario where people were not as active....
My friends when they visit from France are always frustrated by having to drive everywhere, as walking is not an option in a lot of places...
and in my town the town council voted against sidewalks recently!

Oh and isn't an Italian gelato one or two (yummy) scoops? Compared to a cold stone creamery lb of icecream?

quote:<HR>Originally posted by MileRunnerDD:
Thanks to chemicals, McDonald's food tastes the same all over the world)

<HR>

The food might be the same, but the McD's restaurants in Italy sure are a lot less cleaner than the ones in Canada. I stepped inside a McD's out of curiosity.