HAPPY 4th of JULY!
After getting back from my week cruise to Alaska, I was back at it Monday morning.
One of my clients was also on vacation the entire week that I was gone – in Italy.
He was curious to see how he did while being gone for a week, and he stepped on the scale.
To his amazement and as I expected – he lost weight.
So how did he vacation for a week, and lose weight – while I GAINED weight?
It’s the food (mostly). It’s always the food.
Before discussing the food, this was probably the 2nd biggest factor:
Movement
I worked out 4 times on my cruise – but walked much less than I am used to in a normal week. I usually average 12,000 steps per day, but this week I averaged 7000.
He walked 17,000-20,000 steps everyday.
As I have discussed many times – daily steps and movement is VERY crucial to weight management. Studies have shown a range of 500 – 2500 extra calories can be burned in a day based off of just how much you move!
The Food
The food on the cruise was amazing. However – it was VERY VERY rich. There was butter in everything. There were extra portions of everything. I had a roll every night with butter. I had dessert every night. I had several drinks most days.
What does this add up to? Considering ONE tablespoon of butter is 100 calories…
One old fashioned is 200+ calories…
2 scoops of REAL ice cream could be around 500 calories…
I have no idea how much I consumed.
Do I feel guilty? Shameful? Nope – I chose to do it – I’m an adult and I’m cool with my decisions.
So what was different with HIS trip?
Traditional and authentic Italian food is relatively “light” compared to the American versions.
They eat limited red meats, little butter, plenty of fruits, veggies, pastas, and olive oil (yes it’s still a high calorie fat – but much less is needed than butter).
So is butter and fat the problem with American diets?
NO! It is one of the leading factors contributing to the American diet – but the bigger picture is just an overconsumption of FOOD and CALORIES.
When you prepare your foods, when you know what you are eating, and when you are in control of your nutrition – you know exactly what to expect.
Back to normal habits for me!
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Stay healthy my friends,