It's so true - whenever I get home from a 2 week trip to Africa I feel podgy around the waist thanks to zero exercise and eating rubbish hotel food and drinking lots of excellent beer. After my November trip I couldn't shake off the weight; I was drinking a few bottles of beer a week and not cycling much. Now the weather has improved, I've been out for two good hard rides and stopped drinking beer and suddenly I feel much better. Beer is really lethal stuff for gaining weight.