Discovering the Unexpected Secret to Losing Fat and Building Muscle Strength

In August of last year, I began my journey. I spent four months exploring Europe, and here's what I discovered: I adore European cuisine—all of it!

1. I ate when I felt hungry. (Typically, I'd eat just twice a day, but there was no hard and fast rule. I listened to my hunger cues, regardless of the time.)

2. I stopped eating once I was satisfied.

Dinner in Dubrovnik at 44. The pasticada was the most delicious meal I ate in 4 months. And we shared escargots for entrée. Photos by Erilyn Wedd

3. I ate whatever I saw (and could afford. ) Enjoying Bakewell puddings, spotted dick, toad in the hole, steak and kidney pudding, roast beef, and Yorkshire puddings in England, haggis toasties in Scotland, and a variety of delights in Paris like baguettes, cheese, real French butter, and rhubarb jam. Savored poffertjes in Rotterdam, indulged in pizza and red wine in Berlin and some Vietnamese crispy duck too. Experienced the most delicious croissants in Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria, and sampled various pierogi in Poland. As you can tell, I indulged in what I fancied but always in moderation. If a restaurant portion was too large, I'd save it for dinner at the hostel the next day.

Dinner at a very posh restaurant (Restaurant Shtastliveca- highly recommend) in Veliko Tarnovo and the best croissants in the world — raspberry and pistachio pictured. My photos

4. I didn’t have scales, so no weighing myself. With all that indulgent food, I must have gained some weight!

5. I walked. And walked. And walked. I walked a lot. On most days, I covered around 5 kilometers, while on others, I pushed myself to 10 kilometers. Yet, I thoroughly enjoyed every step. I found joy either in visiting places on my list or simply wandering through the unfamiliar backstreets and alleyways of new cities.

Breakfast at Luxor, Split. Three Eggs Benny! My photos

So, when hunger strikes, go ahead and eat what you crave, then stop once you’re satisfied. Tuck those scales out of sight—or even better, get rid of them entirely. Make it a point to walk as often as possible. Take the stairs. Scale towers.

So, when you're hungry, enjoy what you crave and pause once you're satisfied. Put away those scales, or even better, toss them out. Walk as much as possible. Take the stairs. Scale towers.

Dinner one night in Dubrovnik. Pears and dark chocolate and roast chicken chips. We didn’t eat out every night, My photos

How much weight did I gain? I stepped on the scale as soon as I got home. To my surprise, I had shed 8 kilograms (17.6 pounds) — the most I’d ever lost by accident.