heidij123's Journal, 17 Mar 17

Alright for some. 

I think ...you should have a great time.. I certainly would 👍👍👍 

I think it can help yes. Admittedly, I don't strictly lowcarb anymore, however - I do tend to save them for days when I'll "use them" (i.e. burn enough that I can afford to slot some into my daily totals without cutting into my "protein and fat" budget). I did learn a lot about how my body responds to some foods because of it, and it can be helpful for keeping one's appetite in check, really helped me in Estonia for instance, on that "food tour". We did walk a LOT, but I tried to not overdo it on the frivolous foods. Ditching the "filler carbs" helps when you're not able to always control what your intake will be - because those tend to not keep you full and are so easy to overeat. If you just naturally focus on getting your daily proteins, and keeping any fats on veggies and proteins, you just end up feel more satiated and from a nutritional standpoint, the veggies that provide modest carbs at least also contribute more nutrient density and fiber. My other tip is an obvious one - don't "drink your calories" if you can help it, since it not only ticks up the total, and can also cause one's "nibble the nibbles" guard to go off duty....at least mine can, if there's wine and olives nearby.... :) 

Low(er) carb would certainly help, but so would watching sugar. But let's face it, you are going to Spain, so not only do you now know what you'll have to choose from each day, it is a vacation, it may be a place where the food is amazing, so while you could watch what you can, I would certainly indulge if the food looks to delicious to refuse. You can always do damage control when you come home. :) . Enjoy that vacay. Hope the opinion if a stranger is okay. I've been low car since 2011 and have survived many vacations :) 

OMG so many typos. Sorry! 

This is always a dilemma when you go on a trip. Low carb works for me and I have went on several trips with good intentions, but the temptations always got the best of me. Steer clear of potatoes and bread. fill up on salad with lots of fresh veggies in it. Have a great time! 

Except in the case of paella, filler carbs won't be the tastiest thing on your plate! Don't take any bread from the bread basket and try and avoid the chips. I'm not sure which part of Spain you're visiting or the kind of restaurants you'll be going to. Standard restaurants serve a fixed three-course menu at lunch. Evening meals are usually à la carte. At lunch, the locals would choose vegetables for their starter, protein for their main course (which tends to come without any kind of garnish or veg except a few chips and maybe, in the case of fish, a bit of salad, hence the vegetables for a starter) and then dessert would ordinarily be fruit or yogurt. However, the menus offer a lot more options than that and it is all too easy to eat lots of fatty food and no veg. Not much you can do except your best and enjoy it all. No-one goes on holiday to suffer! 

When I am with others and eating I focus on protein protein protein and then low carb veggies - usually green. I avoid breads pastas rice potato etc. And limit wine to one glass...dessert may be one bite of some one else's if I cannot resist - It is tough...or you could intermittent fast and eat one meal each day. Then eat what you want in controlled portions 

Enjoy! Focus on choices that don't include bread, rice, pasta, and potatoes. Oh, and that darn sugar! 

I agree with Rhontique. Eat and drink as much Fat, Meat and protein as you fancy. Avoid carbs and sugar like the plague.  

Thank you all, that all sounds like good advice! We'll be eating breakfast and evening meals in the hotels we're staying at, and lunches out. I don't do well on fats, so I tend to like cereal/fruit/yogurt for breakfast, but could do ham and eggs some days. Lunch, well, that is probably going to be the trickiest part. I probably won't want a full meal at lunchtime, so it will be some kind of snack or light meal. I'll try and make some kind of sensible choice from what's available, and try not to eat too much. Evening meal will be easier, as I can have a big salad to start, or soup, and then a meat or fish main, and leave the chips. The bread basket is an issue, as that always arrives first, and I'm sure I'll be hungry. Probably best to eat a little something before going down to dinner so that I don't scoff the bread! Desserts are a major temptation, and I'm sure I'll indulge in one or two, but definitely can eat fruit some of the time. I have a new trick with desserts - if it involves pastry, don't actually eat the pastry part, just the filling 😀 I'm likely to have a couple of glasses of wine most nights, and a lot of water, but might switch and have spirits with a low-cal mixer sometimes. I'm not so much concerned about eating very low carb, just thinking that cutting down on carbs will be my best way of cutting calories without cutting enjoyment. I will do what I can, and if I'm wavering, will have a look at this journal, and all your great comments, to point me in the right direction and boost my resolve 😀 Thanks again! Oh, and I'll also wear my new skinny jeans to eat in, to give me a bit of extra motivation.....