I recently arrived back from London and Paris, stayed healthy and had a great time.
The last time I was in London I was competing in the Mr. Universe, trying to sweat off all the water I had accumulated on a 40 hour flight from Australia that included 5 stops and one overnight in Karachi (plane needed servicing) in which we all pigged out on 5 star plush hotel cuisine.
Anyways, London has obviously changed but I was able to stay crazy lean by following this somewhat unorthodox routine:

1. Eat Bread.
Your gonna think I’m crazy for suggesting this but if you get your daily (or every other daily) dose of a French Panini with ham, lettuce and tomato or a gyros with chicken and yogurt sauce (quite popular in Paris) for lunch, you won’t crave those starchy’s for dinner. Remember French bread is very light and crusty, contains less sugar and salt than what you’re use to, and is easy on the stomach. In London they offer many gluten and wheat free sandwich alternatives (check out the eatery ‘EAT’ by London eye).

2. WALK, WAlk and walk.
Lets face it you’ll be busy checking out the major landmarks of these fabulous cities and if its Paris, London or NYC the best way to sight see is by hitting the pavement.
If you can notch up 2-3 hours of walking a day that’s over 1500 calories burnt right there entitling you to an all natural gelato. Walking keeps you super lean because is engages your whole body especially when your climbing stairs - two at a time of course.

3. Don’t TRAIN Legs!
If you are going to hit the gym, perform a total upper body workout. No need to train legs, because you’ll be working them while walking, climbing stairs and riding. On that note, Paris have bike racks you can rent bikes at from only one Euro a day. And you can drop them off anywhere in the city where there are bike rack stations. Check out my video. I rode to the Eiffel tower. It was about a 15 minute bike ride from where we were staying in the Latin Quarter.

4. Don’t Hit the Gym.
In my recent experience most of the people working at hotels don’t know where the basic gyms are so you may be wasting precious sightseeing time searching for centers that don’t suit your needs. In London I was directed to a Sauna and in Paris a Pilates studio which opened midday. Instead perform various pushups and crunches throughout the day. Powerpose® while in the bathroom mirror before a shower (contact me for these routines) and for a more comprehensive whole body, gym free workout, use playground equipment. In London we stayed near the London eye which has a playground behind it. Twice I use it and performed modified pull-ups off bars and ropes, pushups off ropes creating that unstable surface/grip for extra core engagement, and crunches and leg raises on a very narrow bench -again challenging my ability to balance therefore engaging more of my core.

5. Eat Yogurt
France is well known for yogurt and in Paris I was able to get some great varieties with a high lactobacillus content. Because you may be eating different and exotic foods it’s always a good idea to start or finish the day off with yogurt which will keep your gut healthy by fighting bacteria and ease any stomach ailments you may have. I saved a packet for breakfast by buying packs of 6 for no more than 2 Euro’s. Combined with a low sugar all natural granola it makes for a very healthy brekky and helps you lose weight.

6. Eat small and keep it at 3.
Your mind will be so occupied on sightseeing , shopping and just enjoying the cultural environment you wont really have the time nor should you have the desire to eat BIG at each meal. Keep your servings small to moderate and don’t go back for seconds unless its fresh fruit or straight protein. I found that by just eating 3 main meals each day with coffee and tea as my snacks I was able to stay super lean and enjoy my crepes and occasional ice cream at the same time.