How to lose weight in Portugal. Is this possible?

how to lose weight in portugal

PORTUGAL will make you fat

Portugal will make you fat, that is a given fact. If you move here, you will have to compensate the huge amount of foods you will eat weekly with some healthy exercise.


Since we moved to Portugal we gain some considerable weight. And this is due to the fact that our routine was completely disrupted with all the novelties and all the amazing food you encounter here at every step.

It’s impossible not to eat here. A nice bacalao a brass lunch, a nice pasteis de nata for the afternoon coffee, and you gain 10 kg in 2 months easily. Not to mention the amazing wine tasting and ginginia you will find in any Sunday food market. By the way, my favorite and close to us Sunday market is the one in Loule. If you know another amazing food markets in Algarve please leave it in the comments!

So to lose weight in Portugal, I think it’s a myth. Or is reserved only for the more athletic person who does running in the morning, kayak in the afternoon and midnight swimming on a daily basis.

How to lose weight in Portugal

The good news is that Portugal is all about living outdoor. And this helps you have a more active life and get into some pretty neat stuff, you would never thought 5 years ago you will be doing.

Try some SUP (stand up paddle) or even take a few surf lessons. Maybe you will not become the next best suffer but you will lose weight trying and you will have the time of your life in the process.

Also try to move a little every day. Remember why you moved to Portugal! Of course that for all that yummy food, but also for the amazing wheatear and nature and I know you promised yourself that once you reach Portugal you will make more exercise. So start now!

From my own experience I can tell you that we started to loose weight (and pronto!) when we took up tennis. We played every day (with Sunday pause) and it showed big time.

So you need something like tennis, swimming, kayaking, done daily or at least a few times a week, and the results will start to show.

A final note: It’s more about quantity that quality when it comes of the movement of the body. So even if it’s a 5-10 minute walk a day, it’s better that a 2 hour walk a week.

How do you lose weight in Portugal?