Alright, today a belated weigh-in since I came back from Lisbon on Monday night and had stuff to do on Tuesday (a boy’s gotta work – even if he’s merely a student). First let me say that I was convinced of a backlash weight-wise prior to stepping on the scale. I ate some greasy, salty fish (Carapaus or Trachurus) I had some drinks (thus breaking my pledge not to drink alcohol for a month; I drank shots of Vodka and Tequila rather than beer) and enjoyed my hosts mothers great Portuguese cooking.
Drum roll – This morning despite all my sins I weigh-in at 232,6 lb
Wow – how did that happen? I checked again and again the scale showed me the same weight. Being only a hobby “nutritionist” and weight-loss coach only to myself I can merely theorize about the reasons.
Theory 1: The hills have thighs
There is a reason why Lisbon is called the city of seven hills. You walk up and down and again up and down and then again up. Seriously don’t try taking a car because drivers do what they want and pedestrians are even worse. Plus almost everything is in walking-range. So you pretty much walk all day and burn some calories here and there.
Theory 2: The disjunction of ingestion in time and space
Like so many Latin people, the Portuguese take somewhat great pride in their food as it is part of their cultural heritage. As a visitor from a protestant country their intake of nutrition to me seemed as if it was following a liturgic procedure. It is not only the multiple courses they have, which I know as well but only on special occasions, but also the schedule and extent of each meal. Breakfast – other than in Germany where we often eat salmon, sausage chease etc. – is often very small and consists of some fruit, coffee and a joghurt. Lunch at 1pm is a bigger, with salad, some meat or fish etc. Dinner, which usually starts around 9pm, is BATOOOM! Huge mother! Starting with a soup or any other appetizer, then having the main course which is often fish, quiche or something equally big (including a side dish of vegetables, salad etc), going over to dessert which I witnessed to be anything from fruit to jello. In the end, to digest there is coffee – however you must note that coffee in Portugal is unlike coffee in the US or Germany. When they say coffee they get what we know as espresso only that it is in fact tasteful. Seriously I have yet to drink an espresso in Germany that doesn’t taste like my stomach acid. Alright this a very good bridge to theory 3.
Theory 3: Coffee consumption that would make an investment banker blush!
People, some of you might know this situation: You’re feeling bored and to get some entertainment you switch on TV. In Lisbon, when you’re bored you go out and have coffee. Or here, you want some updates and gossip on your friends life and call them. In Lisbon, when you want to know whats going on you go and have coffee. Here, you see that your appartment is messy and clean it up. In Lisbon you go out and have coffee. See where this is leading? In Lisbon when you want coffee, you go out and drink coffee. At the beach, in the car, up against the mini bar, on the counter on the floor drinking coffee wanting more. Black coffee is in fact quite good for your metabolism and will help you burn calories and fat.
In Lisbon you barely see fat people and if you do, they’re Brazilians or British tourists hoping to score a local. I guess in the end all my theories work in combination that is why I will try to maintain the Portuguese lifestyle during the next few weeks.
Off to cardio,
FJVolpe
Tags: Cardio, Coffee, food, Lisbon, Nutrition, Portugal, sport, weigh-in
