Permesso la grassa...excuse me fatty!

So, our Italian Viaggio is drawing to a close as we are off to gay Paris this evening and I recognise that my blogging and fat investigative efforts have been somewhat hampered by our day and night tripping across Bella Italia! As previously mentioned, the little I have seen of the Italian 'Fitness Industry' is that it is virtually non existent with only a very few handful of gyms sprouting up in some really strange places...to date the only advertisements for gym type facilities have been in Sorrento (opening in November) and Venice (of all bloody places where you can't even swing a cat due to the space restrictions!!). I took a photo of the advert for your info:

What has been really evident whilst on our viaggio is the number of obese and morbidly obese travellers there are around the countryside. A lot of whom appear to be American and British if the accents are to go by...

On another note, today (Monday 27 September - our last day in Italy) we (the G-Star) and I came across (by coincydink) a set of death dealers in a farmacia...so for shits and giggles I jumped on to see what damage has been done in the past three weeks without Satan's Lair and the Washinator...well fully clothed with shoes and straight after breakfast the Italian Death Dealers indicated my current weight as being 103kg...now I realise people that this is heavier than I left the Australian shores BUT I am actually not unhappy with this as I really believe that in the scheme of things, when I return to sunny Brisvegas the death dealers may indicate that I have been able to maintain a level of homeostasis with my weight during the viaggio!!!

So as mentioned, off to Paris this evening and the hotel we are staying at for the next 5 days has a gym and a swimming pool SO...the intention is to start to get back in to some type of exercise regime prior to our departure from the continent in preparation for the 12 weeks shred with Washi when I return...oh boy wont you get some reading enjoyment out of that!!!

So, until the next entry...yours wrapped in Italian cheese, wine and gelati

F'Athlete d'Italia

22 September 2010 - Day 13 of the Italian Viaggio

OK Peeps now we're back in to the swing of things! Have been spending the day e-mailing and updating facebook pictures galour (facebook address is helen@themuse.com.au if you want to friend up and see our pictures!). Have also been getting CAPITAL pep talks from the Washinator via e-mail about walking, walking, walking and only eating 'good' Italian food...

Well let me tell you ALL ITALIAN FOOD IS GOOD AND THAT"S THE PROBLEM!!!

So, as mentioned in my earlier entry, the walking has been top notch...although not at break neck speed - no high intensity but I think it has been a strong slow long cardio burn...walking has been averaging at the very least 2 hours per day and sometimes upwards of 4 plus so for the last 12 odd days that's been a strong point. The eating, as also previously mentioned, has been a bit more of a challenge...without the diet retinas of the Washinator and the Fiery Red Head (Lauren) to be on my butt, so to speak, about a food journal and balanced meals, eating every 2 hours etc etc things have gotten a bit, well OUT OF CONTROL!!!

I was making the observation over my grilled scampi and Toscana Salad (lettuce, olives, cheese, tomatoes and basil) at lunch just a few short hours ago that eating in Italy is a very different experience... when at home, eating is a bit of an obsession (at least for me it is)...when I am 'dieting' I constantly feel cranky at the perceived deprivation I am experiencing at the hands of supposed 'others'...the G-Star, Washi, Lauren etc... over here in Italia...eating is part of life not actually life itself, as is working...life is about living, enjoying and celebrating whereas, at least from my perspective, at home life becomes a constant battle...a battle for weight loss, a battle for a better job, more money, to be happier, to be skinnier, to be prettier...you get the picture. So, getting back to the story at hand, eating has been a challenge since we arrived, not in terms of eating constantly, the Italian strategy for eating is as follows:
Breakfast: very basic, some cereal (maybe), espresso (definitely) and a sweat roll (similar to croissants but not as buttery or as big) - this is at least what is on offer at the hotels...
Lunch: this can consist of a variety of things - espresso is a staple, but can include a sit down lunch...sometimes antipasto, primi piatti (first plate), secondi piatti (second plate) and then if you're so inclined dolce (sweats/dessert)...lunch staples can include pizza, pannini with mozzarella e prosciutto, lots of water (natural or frizzante) or could be a pasta (with carne/meat or pesce (seafood/fish)...
Dinner: looks a lot like lunch but is done is a far more relaxed and enjoyable (non time sensitive) manner...dinner can take upwards of 3 hours with lots of Vino, talking and laughing...
Then they get up and do it all again the next day!!!

So eating, although not 'bad' if there is such a thing as 'bad' eating...has not included McDonald and I can't say I have sighted at KFC at all (thank the gods some things remain sacred in Italy!!) But it has included large portions of pizza. pasta, cheese and of course gelati...I think it inevitable that there will be some weight gain whilst on this viaggio...

Currently on the train to Bologna then off to Venice...more Italian insights to come....

Your pseudo-Italian F'Athlete

Ciao....