Freshmen Fifteen in Croatia??

I have always been active. I've played sports my entire life and just have always tried to keep a healthy lifestyle. So I don't know for the life of me why I decided that all my working out and dieting goes out the window in Croatia! I think because it's mostly organic, I have decided that the food over here doesn't have any calories and that I could eat as much as I wanted. I have seriously been eating anything that tastes good. Lamb on a spit with potatoes cooked in a bottle of olive oil, pork in olive oil, veal in olive oil, salad with olive oil...get the picture? Olive oil is great for you but I think I might be consuming too much of it. On top of that, this culture is very accepting of drinking wine every day. That makes me very happy as I happen to love wine! So now, I'm not working out, I'm eating EVERYTHING, and I'm drinking to my heart's content. I haven't paid attention to any kind of health plan and haven't wanted to work out. Perhaps, I should have remembered that my body was used to a very strict diet and a work out regime for half marathons. I haven't been on a diet or worked out since I moved here.

The other day, I was walking up the stairs to a friend's place and I got so winded I felt like I was a 70 year old asthmatic smoker. It took me five minutes for my heart rate to go back to normal. Then, two days ago, I was going through my closet and found a dress that I have only worn once when I was probably at my most fit. I put it on and, while I could zip it up, I looked like a stuffed sausage. Not cool.

Needless to say, I have since cut back on my food and alcohol intake and have even started exercising again. I'm determined to look good in that dress again and maybe even wear it for my 30th birthday. Plus, let's face it it's swimsuit season and I'm vain and want to look my best.

Of course that's not stopping me from going out tonight for dinner with my girlfriends for some yummy Bosnian cuisine and wine. What can I say, I live in Croatia...