Diet and vacations

[MikeTurin]

Hello to all,
being August, I'll make some days of vacation in France.
The problem is, I'm not really sure on how to manage the food. I'm really curious about new foods, and when abroad I like to eat the local cousine.

The former me surely started to eat a lot going in bakeries, diners, and so on. The current type 2 diabetic me, albeit well controlled, doesn't know exactly what to do.

I think that is worse to overthink about calories and so on, because surely I'll kill my vacation mood, but of course I mustn't go in "vacuum cleaner" mode. Not having a scale nearby surely I'll stop to check weight.
Frankly if I'm in Lyon, I'll ask a Salade Lyonnaise, even if that has croûtons, lamb, chicken, fried bacon and quenelles, even if it has a lot of flour and eggs, and the cervelle de canut, even if is made with greasy cheese.

What do you think?

 

[bulkbiker]

Just remember that just because it's on your plate it doesn't have to go down your throat...
I would avoid the boulangeries totally, way to tempting. I blame the three years I lived in France for finally tipping me over the T2 line. Restaurants should be fine.. salads and meats/fish. Enjoy yourself..

 

[Brunneria]

I think I'm stricter than most when on holiday.
- but it is for a very good reason. Now my bg is nicely under control carbs make me feel pretty rough, tired, floppy and heavy limbed, if I eat too many. So I figure holidays should be for maximum enjoyment, not for sitting around feeling like I don't have the energy to do anything...

As an example, we went to a self catering cottage in Norfolk for a week last year. I decided (unwisely) to allow myself 1 decent portion of carbs a day, whenever I felt like it. Bread, chips, whatever. But after 4 days of this I felt so awful that I went back on the strict no carbing, and enjoyed the rest of the holiday much more. Slept better. Walked better. Beach dog walks. Climbed stairs better. Stayed on my feet all day visiting Norwich, the town and cathedral...

we are all different, and some people don't get the reaction I do. But I find it a brilliant motivator to keep on the straight and narrow.

 

[DavidGrahamJones]

The current type 2 diabetic me, albeit well controlled, doesn't know exactly what to do.

I think that is worse to overthink about calories and so on, because surely I'll kill my vacation mood, but of course I mustn't go in "vacuum cleaner" mode. Not having a scale nearby surely I'll stop to check weight.

What do you think?

As Brunneria mentioned, we're all different.

Broadly speaking I'd suggest avoiding what you avoid now, anything with bread, pasta, potato or rice. Add to that anything made with flour.

Although bulkbiker's suggestion "just because it's on your plate it doesn't have to go down your throat..." is true, I think you can make life easier by not putting it on your plate in the first place.

My views about calories are based on years of eating less and less and achieving nowhere near what I hoped for (try nothing). I don't overeat at home so it's no problem not overeating when away. In fact, what's really weird is that I always lose weight on holiday, much to my wife's annoyance.

As for fatty things like the lovely cheeses, I know it makes my BG go up, so I am careful with how much cheese and fatty stuff in general. I suppose that should be the rule, carry on eating to your meter and don't go barmy just because you're on holiday.

Bon vacances (I love France).

 

[MikeTurin]

Broadly speaking I'd suggest avoiding what you avoid now, anything with bread, pasta, potato or rice. Add to that anything made with flour.

Actually I eat some pasta or some bread. Normally I avoid rice. I neve liked potatoes very much, so i don't eat them. The fact is I normally a lot on vegetarian side, especially when I have to cook alone. Spoiling a pasta or vegetable or some eggs is difficult, much easier to spoil the meat or the fish, and I'm not really a good cook, but I'm slowly learning.

I think you can make life easier by not putting it on your plate in the first place.

In a restaurant or a brasserie you normally don't have to otion to decide what goes into the dish.

In fact, what's really weird is that I always lose weight on holiday, much to my wife's annoyance.

That, for me, has an explanation: I like visting museuma, looking at architecure and walk in the streets of the cities. I love also walking in the countryside in the panorama is good.
Having to drive in holidays in the traffic is not a thing I like too much, so I then to walk a lot during holidays.

Bon vacances (I love France).

Merci beaucoup, moi aussi j'aime bien la France. La langue françcaise par contre c'est dificile...

 

[DavidGrahamJones]

In a restaurant or a brasserie you normally don't have to otion to decide what goes into the dish.

Not disagreeing and if I analyse my "Eating out" experiences it's been mostly in the UK and the US. If there's something that's not part of the recipe and easily removed, I'm more likely to choose that dish and then ask for it to be kept off the plate. I have been in situations where it turns up anyway, and I ask for a side plate for the stuff I don't want and I will ask them to remove it because I don't want to be tempted. I'll even explain why I can't eat what I've asked them not to put on my plate. I'm such a miserable ******* that I will explain that if I have to leave something it will be binned (hopefully), whereas by not putting it on the plate it's not wasted, I will add that with a third of the world starving I'm simply doing my little bit to prevent waste.

My last meal in France was actually in the Jules Verne restaurant at the top of the Eiffel tower where I avoided (asked them not to bring it out) 3 of the 6 courses of a set menu. Even so, I was as sick as a dog the next day, probably punishment for being an awkward git. LOL

I think also we all have different views about food. I've had to watch what I eat for decades because of my weight, even before being diabetic so I don't get enthused as much as someone like my wife who can actually tell you what she's eaten and where going back several years. I think I'll have to test her tonight. LOL

 

[britishpub]

My advice is (as always) don't overthink it. You are on vacation for gawds sake.

 

[MikeTurin]

How all it ended...
First of all I've had a lot of fun, and I've managed to survive talking in French. I've had a problem and the French pharmacist was very helpful when she understood that I was still studying French (ie. when I took my dictionary and grammar to explain the problem I had.
I still have some museums to visit and some places too, so I think I'll make a weekend trip or two in the autumn: the bus fare is 34 euro, not very much and the bus itself is very very comfy.

French cuisine is really really good, even if I managed to stay under 110 mg/dl (6.5 mmol/l) fasting I cot some weight, I think 3 kg.
The salade lyonnais is really super, so the andouiette or the chicken with vinegar sauce (that is creamy actually), La cervelle de canut and the Saint Marcelin are very very very tasty... Of course I didn't dare to go to eat in french pizzerias or domino's pizza.

Other bad news I've walked too much and I got blisters on the feet. Then, after the return home, I ve found that feet and legs got swollen, I've called the ER hotline on Sunday, they told me to go to the nearest ER ward, where i got visited and got some antibiotics. After the treatment with antibiotics and some herbs all seems OK, the blisters haven't broken, and after the visit to my GP the problem was that I walked too much and didn't sleep much. Anyway for some days I'll stay on weight loss diet to lose the 3 kg I gained.

 

[Brunneria]

Sounds like you had an excellent time. I am envious!

 

[MikeTurin]

Sounds like you had an excellent time. I am envious!

Yes, I had good times. Thank you.
I thi k that having bought a guide, Hachette's le routzrd, had hslped me very much, especially because using internet abroad could be difficj!t, and tripadvisor mobile site is almost unusable o. a cellphone. And of course paperbacks and paper maps don't have any battery tha can be depleted!

 

[dbr10]

Just remember that just because it's on your plate it doesn't have to go down your throat...
I would avoid the boulangeries totally, way to tempting. I blame the three years I lived in France for finally tipping me over the T2 line. Restaurants should be fine.. salads and meats/fish. Enjoy yourself..

Good advice. I find travel very stressful when it comes to finding something I'm sure I can eat. You can't live off salads. I think I've given up trying to explain to people what I want - I just pick the best choices I can find.