No more Belgian chocolates

“You must be mistaken”, I just said to my endearingly emphatic MD over the phone, “are you sure the lab didn’t switch the Vacutainer tubes?”. Having just had a routine medical, my bloodwork showed  alarmingly elevated LDL-cholesterol,  the type of fat that blocks your arteries. Sure, I had gained much more than a couple of Kg/Lbs, but if you ever would have met me, rest assured: I’m not exactly the proud owner of a “supersize me” body.

Ten phone minutes later (yes, my doctor deserves a medal for patience and sheer dedication) I knew my days would now include a low-fat, low-calorie diet, no tasty Belgian beer, no succulent prime steaks and, probably even worse, no more (500g/one lbs of) delicious Belgian chocolates, a dietary inconvenience that will probably force me to make a detour to avoid the temptation presented by the numerous shops around Antwerp cathedral and city hall.

“OK”, I can hear you mutter, “stop whining, what’s the big deal, you spoilt brat?”. I do realize I may well be boring you, but I was getting ready to book an all-in, “book today, fly tomorrow” discounted last-minute vacation to the Med, one that obviously would have included lavish (as in “fat saturated”) buffets I would be unable to ignore or resist. Elaborate dining has always been one of the highlights of any vacation I ever booked. After a long, cold winter this vacation could have been the break I really needed.

Realizing that my only available travel partner is a notorious over-eater who “travels from the pool to the restaurant” (“no all-in buffets, no vacation deal”), I’m sulkingly sitting on my sunny Antwerp balcony, chewing on a celery stick,  still browsing the tempting Mediterranean “all inclusive” resorts.  With countless Europeans relinquishing their 2009 summer vacations due to the crashed economy, I had no idea “a silly bit of fat” had the potential to impact my holiday planning. But trust me, I’m still looking for a solution 

[June 20: Confession: sorry Doc, but I just devoured a Brussels waffle with lots of whipped cream. Still trying to convince my only available travel partner 'how great an active vacation without buffets would feel". He made a painful sound and grabbed something from my fridge. Probably the last celery sticks.]