“Voy a engordar,” I complained to my Chilean roommate just before moving back to the U.S. in the middle of 2016. I could sense it was coming, and it seemed like an inevitable fate that I had little control over.
“I’m going to get fat.”
Now, before I make anyone angry with my use of the word “fat,” I want to point out that I know this word means very different things to different people. I used this term to express my concern about putting on weight – weight that I didn’t want.
And frankly, it just isn’t fair. I learned first hand just how UN-fair it is to live in a country where the lifestyle lends itself to packing on pounds that creep up on you out of nowhere. In my one year in Chile, I shed a lot of that extra fluff and gained confidence in wearing whatever clothes I wanted while I had a flat stomach and slimmer limbs. I actually don’t even know how much I weighed at the end of my time there, and it really doesn’t even matter. I was in some of the best shape of my life and I could feel it. And the best part of all of it is…you know how hard I worked to be trim and slim?
I didn’t.
There is no secret to share on this. I really didn’t change up my diet too much or even try to watch my weight in the first place. In fact, I probably ate enough bread and carbs that year to make a record for myself. Fun fact: Chile is one of the biggest eaters of bread on the planet.
Yummy empanada de camarón queso that I got in a food stand by the sea in Pichilemu!
I loved stopping by little bakeries and getting an empanada (favorites: pollo queso crema and camarón queso!) or many times a sweet treat to enjoy on my way to teaching a class. Empanadas could easily provide a meal or hearty snack, and I LOVE them! I also got really addicted to Lays Stax Sour Cream and Onion while I was there, but so did my roommate! It was definitely our weakness. Papas fritas, or french fries, were also a VERY common side dish in restaurants. Speaking of, get a load of this popular bar food:
Chorillana – a mountain of french fries topped with fried onion, fried eggs, sliced meat, and cheese. When my family came to visit me in Chile, I kept mentioning how they had to try this food, and each time I brought it up again they would ask, “What is that?” Remember the word! It’s a fun word and a delicious food, though very simple ingredients.
My friend, Amanda, and I about to chow down on a chorrillana.
Another popular food that I enjoyed – The completo
This is basically a hot dog with a lot of toppings. I don’t think I’ve had a hot dog in the U.S. since I was about 10, but I ate whatever links they were using in Chile. One of the most common combination of ingredients for toppings, which you can see in the last picture above, is tomatoes, avocado, and mayonnaise. (Also, this last picture was right after I ran the Color Run – hence the color on my face – and I wanted to celebrate right!)
On top of all these foods that really aren’t so great for you, I also frequently stopped by one of the best ice cream joints in town and wasn’t shy on my portions and add ons.
So then, if I really didn’t watch what I was eating, how did I not balloon up?
It’s all because of the lifestyle! Walking was life and we walked everywhere. I didn’t ever drive and I was rarely a passenger in someone else’s vehicle. I took taxis occasionally, but only when needed. The streets were always populated with walkers and commuters, and in a way, this normality of walking made the city safer. I walked (and I’m a lover of walking fast) to the metro station and to bus stops and all the areas in between. I remember Mondays were my heaviest days with classes and I had to travel all over the city. My average number of steps on a Monday would always go past 20,000.
My apartment was also really close to one of my favorite neighborhoods with the best cafes, but it would take me a good 10-15 minutes to walk there. If I really wanted to spend a day walking or get a little more exercise, I could walk to Cerro San Cristóbal, which was basically a large hill in the middle of the city. If I remember correctly, it could take about an hour to walk to the top, but it was full of breathtaking views and you really felt on top of the world. I loved walking up there with friends and then, surprise surprise, grabbing a sweet treat of mote con huesillos at the summit.
Yum!
View from close to the top!
So, I’m not saying I was perfect, but my South American lifestyle felt GREAT and made it EASY to keep unnecessary weight off. I wasn’t model-like or anything, but I was comfortable and confident! Here are some various pictures taken in the summertime in South America, which was about 6-7 months into my time there:
Even though it was summer, I was still WHITE! I’m here with my roommate, Cote, at her birthday party in our apartment. I remember originally packing those mint shorts when I moved to Chile and thinking it was a joke that I even thought I could take them. I couldn’t fit into them the summer before!
My best expat friend in Chile, Tiaan, and I in Viña del Mar.
My first visit to Brazil to see Carlos!
Since my time back in the states, my weight has fluctuated up and down about 20 pounds or so. I swelled up, just like predicted, in my first year back and I was super annoyed. I then lost a lot of weight for my wedding, which was a result of a combination of stress, diet, and discipline. It took less than a year after that, however, for me to gain all the weight back, and this happens way too easily!! I am currently trying to make the numbers on the scale go down, but it takes work and careful planning, and sometimes it really irks me! I miss being a lot more carefree while living abroad. My poor husband has commented on the same challenges with his adjustment moving from Brazil to Texas. We don’t know how this culture might change enough to make us more naturally physically active, but we wish it would! It’s just not fair! And to all my fellow Americans who do work hard to stay healthy and in shape, I have mad respect for you!
Hugs,
Heidi
Hugs from Heidi 