Eating my way through France

Why worry about it. Some of us gain weight while on vacations, some of use loose weight while on vacations. In the whole scheme of life everything evens out.

You will probably be doing so much extra walking that it will all even out.

Liz remember the most important thing : you only live once !! Have a great trip!!

Go for it. You won't regret it. For chocolate, there is Bernachon in Lyon where you get the city's best chocolate and pastry. In Paris, its Le Maison du Chocolat on Boulevard de la Madeleine. For great mustard, its the Maille mustard store about 2 blocks away from Le Maison. They have mustard on tap if you can believe that. For cheese, I would suggest Laurent DuBois at 47 Ter Boulevard Saint-Germain on the Left Bank. Laurent DuBois has won the title France's best cheesemaker. You can choose cheeses to have vacuum wrapped to take home. We've been to all of the places mentioned above. We kept our cheeses refrigerated in our hotel room and only removed it when we departed for our flight home. We had cheeses made from raw milk which aren't supposed to be brought home but nobody asked at passport control. Our mustard on tap made it too. What a treat. If you want maps to all of these places, I can link you to them.

I agree with the other posters; you only live once! Enjoy the food while you're there!

As others have said, most people have a hard time gaining weight while visiting Europe because you are walking SO much more than you probably do at home. Miles and miles a day, really. Plus tons more stairs than you're used to. My FIL ate huge portions of fatty German food, drank a ton of beer, and still noticeably lost weight during his 3 week trip here. No one who has visited me has complained of gaining weight during their visit. But if you're really worried, just walk instead of taking public transit (unless it's really too far) as you'll "experience more" that way anyway! Take stairs instead of the elevators/escalators (when they exist), make sure you bring whatever heartburn medicine is most effective for you, as pharmacies in France will give you what they think you should take, regardless of your preference.

I usually lose weight on my trips! I only have problems after getting home because I've gotten used to eating so much and not gaining. I just doesn't work for some reason to keep eating so much but not get the same amount of walking in! :)

You wound me, James. I'm actually an excellent cook (gotta justify being a hausfrau somehow) but I don't think I cooked more than once the whole time they were here - FIL was really excited about German food and ate a ton of it, I'm still amazed he managed to lose weight.

Start working your way through our 400 cheeses and see what happens!! :-) If you are down this way you have to try the Jurancon and fois gras!!

Walking will likely balance out the additional food intake. I guess for the 9 days' before and after the tour be mindful of what you eat and remember a taste is just that....a taste :). Bon Appetit!

I hate to break it to you but its really hard not to gain weight in France! I thought I wouldn't gain anything...I typically eat light, I don't eat any meat, pork or chicken and mostly stick to veggies. However, I do eat dairy.
Well, that was my downfall. But it was the good news as well. I had the BEST omelette I have ever had in France. The BEST pastries too. The BEST cheese. Oh boy, I walked and walked and walked but I still put on 7 pounds and have yet to take them off. I have no regrets though. It was a year ago and I am STILL thinking about that omelette! Just enjoy! :)

Count me in with the group that walks a lot, eats like a French version of Henry XIII (you should pardon the mixed historical metaphor)and loses weight. My trips to France tend to be based on guided group walking in the country (High Point Holidays most recently) followed by a few days in Paris.
Unfortunately, returning to the sedentary lifestyle undoes all the good.

Spent three weeks in Paris and Normandy with a friend. She ate huge amounts of food for breakfast, lunch and dinner with 2-3 pastries a day thrown in for good measure. I ate far less than half of what she ate. We walked at least 15 mi a day, everyday. At the end of the 3 wks she had lost 5 lbs... I lost nothing. So annoying. Everyone is different.

Some of us can be like Ed Norton , eat , eat , eat , stay skinny as a rail ! others of us , like Ralph Kramden , no hope . ( A teeney weeny piece , not an itsy bitsy piece ) . Personal metabolism and genes dictate most of this ! I used to work with a guy who lived on veg , but his cholesterol was through the roof ! Do the best you can but don't agonize , eventually we all lose this battle !

Liz, I'm worried about it too. I'm going to France in 2 weeks and I just bought a bunch of new clothes to bring, having just lost a bunch of weight. What if I can't zip my pants after 10 days? So I shopped a little more and found stretch waist paints and skirt, and planned more walking tours. Then I'll hope for the best. Like others say, it's genetics and you do want to experience the delights of France, even if you can't zip your pants.

Thanks for the Ed Norton, Ralph Kramden reference. Takes me back. Don't forget Trixie.

I find it impossible not to gain weight in France, even though we walk miles and miles every day. The food and wine are just so good, and why pass it up. That's a large part of what we go for. I think I average a weight gain of 5-10 pounds over the course of a 3-4 week trip to France. The hard part is that as I get older it gets harder and harder to lose it when I get back. So just enjoy it all when in France and then worry about it (if at all) when you return.

@Nigel , who could forget Trixie , or Alice or best of all Alice's mother , the BLABBERMOUTH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

During those 9 days, have fun! Experiment!! Ask for the "spécialité de la maison" or the "spécialité régionale" and just dig in!
Oh - and drink wine with that and ask for a "digestif" afterwards! ;-)

I walk everyday at home for at least a half hour. I can pretty much eat what I want without gaining weight. I have never gained weight on any trip to Europe. With all the walking, you pretty much can eat what you want, within reason. Pigging out daily, on either side of the ocean, may pack on the pounds. It all depends on your metabolism. You are going on a food and wine tour, expect to eat and enjoy! Happy Travels!!