Lagoo

Benidorm's great and I hope to return for a week or so this winter. I'm wondering though, if I were to live there would I become fantastically overweight? There are so many food outlets serving tasty (i.e. fattening) food - pizza, chips, burgers, all-day fried breakfasts, kebabs, rich currys.

How do you avoid eating at these places every day - as I'm sure I would eventually because I can out-will a week of temptation but anything longer...

Rosemary

For several years I went to Benidorm full board in a hotel for 10 days over Christmas. This meant that I was eating 4 or 5 times more than I do at home but every year when I returned home I had either stayed the same weight or actual lost some. This I put down the the fact that I walked miles every day, several times a day because it was not only posible but also because my interest was maintained as I rarely walked in the same place more than once. If you lived there you would probably end up counteracting the food intake with the additional exercise especially if you do not keep on going to a place close to where you are living.

Rosemary

Lagoo

Ah yes, one of the reasons I like Benidorm is that it's so easy to walk. They've got that lovely wide beach front - other cities would have a road there. And the rest of it is pretty flat too. If they added a Sevilla-style cycle network it would be an exercise paradise!

From memory most of the tourist restaurants are at the north end of town. According to your theory if you lived at the south end you'd have a long walk to get to them and each journey would be calorie-neutral!

Lefty2021

Regarding diets, if you were living there you would have your own kitchen facilities so able to prepare your own food controlling your own calorie intake, my wife and myself have spoken about exactly the same.

Lagoo

Yes of course you're right, but I'm weak! And am sure that after a few weeks I'd be having a pizza once a week as a treat, then maybe some chips occasionally, then perhaps the odd Indian, then without realising it I'd be eating fatty brown food every day

PS I'm not seriously thinking of moving there, just a recurring day-dream. (It's pretty hot there and, let's face it, global warming isn't going to slow down, so I'm happy up north in beautiful Cantabria.)

Lynn R

Exercise certainly helps and is good for you, but most people seriously overestimate how many calories are burned by exercising, especially walking. Think how many calories there are in a pizza then look at this chart:-

https://www.healthline.com/health/ca...alories-burned

tebo53

Hi Lagoo, (Hi Rosemary)

I moved to Benidorm 7 years ago and to be honest both myself and my wife still weigh about the same as we did when we moved here!!
Yes there are some wonderful food outlets and because of the competition everywhere is cheap. We used to eat out fairly often when we first moved here and visited most local eateries, bars and restaurants. But after you have done that for several months the novelty wears a bit thin and you tend to calm it down drastically. I retired here and have, over the last few years, learned to cook some interesting meals at home. We still eat out about 2 to 3 times a week but enjoy the more " up market" restaurants like a good Italian, Spanish, Bulgarian and numerous English outlets. There are good restaurants all over Benidorm, not just the northern side.
Benidorm is getting busier by the week and most of the hotels, bars and restaurants have reopened and are serving good food. The old idea of Benidorm, Fish n Chips, Pie n Mash days are becoming a thing of the past unless you hunt it out........
Whatever you have......enjoy!

Steve

Lagoo

Thanks that's interesting about getting bored of it all. And also about the restaurants' menus changing - how soon before the first vegan-only restaurant?

tebo53

Ha, vegan, I can't imagine that will happen very soon!
Obviously you can still get Fish and chips or Pie and Mash which are good value and quality but I prefer eating in nowadays with home cooked meals and a bottle of wine.

Steve

growinspain

Many in Valencia

growinspain

I do miss the €1 huge slice of pizza there.. Purchase 2 add your own meat topping, a few minutes in the oven at home and you have a nice meal - snack...

Being 51 years old, 120lbs and with the same jean size since I was 16, this food and diet stuff I have never had to concern myself with unless my coach (baseball and American football) told me to eat more... That was usually protein shakes or raw eggs....

bob_bob

" return for a week or so this winter. I'm wondering though, if I were to live there would I become fantastically overweight?

Why should you gain weight if you lived there? "I'm weak" is not really a valid reason, you put weight on when you put more fuel in your body than your body needs; enforce some self control on stuffing your face with junk food like chips and pizza and you'll be fine; allow them as a treat once a week. Little things like not going into town on an empty stomach unless your planning to dine out will help stop you caving in and going for fries and pizza et al. Thats works for food shopping too, go to the supermarket hungry and you buy food you don't really need.

growinspain

There are a minimum of 10 vegan restaurants in Benidorm according to "the 10 best" on trip adviser and google search...

tebo53

I'll be surprised after the covid effect if any are still actually open as its definitely been "survival of the fittest" here in Benidorm.

Steve

Lagoo

One in Santander, a few in in Madrid and a few more in Barcelona. Be interesting to see if young people keep their principles as they get older and richer and therefore more vegan places open up to cater for this new market.