How I Lost 37 Pounds in 4 Months Traveling Through Europe (And Writing My Book)
Let me go ahead and say it plain: I lost 37 pounds in 4 months while eating pasta, walking cobblestones, drinking water like it was holy, and not working out.
No gym. No diet. No calorie tracking. Just walking, writing, and living.
As a 46-year-old Black woman in full menopause who gained weight on hormones back in the States, I had no idea that leaving America would be the biggest weight loss plan of my life. Europe didn’t just help me write my book—it gave me back my body.
From 212 to 175 Without Diet Culture
Let’s be clear: I didn’t do keto, Whole30, WW, or any of that.
I started at 212 pounds (I hit menopause and went from 150 to 212 overnight, I kid you the fuck not). Now, in my fifth month of exploring Europe I am at 175 pounds. I tracked it with one thing: the scale. No food journal. No apps. Just my body telling me, something's changing.
I didn’t try to lose weight. I just started walking. Living. Breathing different air. Within one month of leaving the States I was down 10 pounds — stubborn pounds that I thought I’d never be able to lose.
What I Ate: Local Food, Real Food, Whole Food
You know what happens when you stop seeing billboards for fast food, 24/7 commercials, and drive-thrus on every corner? You stop craving junk.
I ate what locals ate:
* In Italy, pasta, pizza, and desserts that didn’t feel heavy and laden with chemicals.
* In France, croissants and quiche that didn’t spike my blood sugar.
* In Scotland and Ireland, full meals that felt like real nourishment. Potatoes, more potatoes, and how about haggis on the side?
I only ate fast food once in 5 months—McDonald’s in Bari, Italy. And baby, I was not impressed. Thick bread, dry burger, and none of the fake joy American fries give you.
When the environment shifts, so does your appetite. Junk food just disappeared from my mind.
Walking behind other walkers in Reading, England.
Walking Was the Workout
I didn’t hit the gym once. Not once. What I did do?
* Walked 15,000 to 20,000 steps a day.
* Took buses, climbed stairs, explored medieval cities. Train depots in Europe are no freaking joke. They don’t care about no one—1000 stairs, yup.
* In Prague, I hit 20,000 steps in a day just vibing with the architecture.
* In Edinburgh, walking 15,000–18,000 steps daily felt normal. All around, you are surrounded by walkers, elderly and young, just walking it away. Young, fit. In Edinburgh little elderly women would power walk right past me—Grandma Nana, I see you!
I didn’t plan workouts—I planned explorations.
No car = no sitting in traffic. No Chick-fil-A runs. Don’t even miss it. In fact, I get slightly nauseated even thinking about it. Just moving from sunrise to sunset, and sometimes beyond.
Menopause Made Me Heavy. Europe Let Me Exhale.
In the States, I was on hormones. Nothing happened. I stayed bloated, tired, heavy. Out here? I got off hormones. Stopped obsessing. Started living. And the weight started melting off.
Europe gave me the soft life my hormones were gatekeeping. No pills. No patches. No creams. No plans. Just food that was less processed, movement that was natural, and the freedom to feel alive.
The Writing Life Helped Me Slow Down
I traveled to write, not to lose weight. But the writing helped. I wasn’t mindlessly eating in front of Netflix. I was sitting in medieval pubs, notebook open, writing while sipping water or wine, and just...being.
I gave myself permission to experience the moment. To write notes, draft chapters, observe people. It all made me eat slower. Breathe deeper. Stop rushing. That matters more than any app or gym membership.
No Diet, No Gym. Just Italy, Inspiration, and a Little Sweat.
This weight loss wasn’t expensive either. Local food is affordable in most European cities. Walking is free. And drinking water? Girl, get a bottle.
I didn’t do anything extreme. I just left America.
Stock Images.
You Can Do This Too
If you’re a woman in your 40s+, deep in menopause, looking around your life wondering, “Is this it?”
Let me say this clearly: “You are not stuck.”
There is a life waiting for you with better food, easier movement, fewer commercials, and yes—hot Italian men who will make you blush while holding open a door. (Ask me how I know.)
You don’t have to move tomorrow. But you can plan.
Want Help Planning It?
I help women just like you escape the grind and start writing their next chapter. Whether you need a new story or a new setting, I’m here for it:
* Travel Consultation Services
*Ghostwriting & Writing Coaching
And if you want to see it in real time, follow me on:
* https://www.instagram.com/stephanieshephard_author
* https://www.tiktok.com/@stephanieshephard_author
Final Word:
I didn’t lose weight to impress anybody.
I didn’t leave America for abs.
I just stopped living for survival and started living for joy. And joy, as it turns out, looks *damn* good on me.
It might look good on you too.
Want to eat Italian food, dance under the moon, and write? Or just dance and eat? Well, join me for an exciting Women’s Writing Retreat in Italy from October 13-20th!
Also, check out my romance book, A Sweet Love Like Ours, just $1.89!
More at www.stephanieshephard.com