Wednesday, 17 December 2008
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How French Women Stay Skinny
I read a really fun book recently, French Women Don't Get Fat. The author, Mireille Guiliano, discusses how rich and fattening the French diet is, yet how rarely French people are overweight.
Studying abroad in America, Guiliano gained over twenty pounds. She suggests that there is something in the French philosophy and lifestyle that makes healthy eating more accessible.
I actually really like the key to Guiliano's diet philosophy because it's so simple -- eat when you're hungry, don't eat when you're not, and more importantly, eat whatever you want.
I know we've had a lot of posts about different diets on this site, but I think any diet where you're severely limiting your food choices is counterproductive.
Guiliano's only suggestion is quality over quantity -- if you do indulge in a slice of triple chocolate mousse cake, make sure you eat only as much as needed to satisfy you (ie not the whole cake). Also, pass over the bread bowl or pass over a food that you don't necessarily like that day.
Have you ever been on a successful diet? Have you ever considered Mireille Guiliano's method? Do you think French women don't get fat?
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Comments (58)
That's how I eat. I eat when I'm hungry or when I crave something, and I only eat until I'm satisfied. I'm not too fat, I think...I'm American though :]
@FallenReign@xanga - That's the reasoning as to why the French don't get fat. Eat until you're not hungry, not until you're full, and you'll be good to go.
@democrab@xanga - Yeah...it makes sense to me. Not to other people I know, though; they think I'm not eating, when I really am, I just wait until I get hungry. Seems like the most natural diet to me.
Well, it could also be portion sizes (they're smaller over there), and the fact that they SMOKE. ALL. THE. DAMN. TIME. Nothing takes away the appetite for most people than nicotine. As for all these French women being so svelte, once the American machine REALLY goes into gear, they'll be as fat as us. Trust me.
Also, some people just don't have that "STOP!" program, while others (anorexics) have a skewed "STOP!" program. Is there something that anorexics know that the rest of the fat American population doesn't--it's all in the wiring of the brain, and while I don't condone anorexia at ALL, so I don't want to get any flames, but you do have to wonder what type of brain can develop an eating disorder to that extent.
I studied abroad in Ireland for a month and a half, and lost about 10+ pounds without trying. In addition to not having huge portions of "convenience" food so readily available, I think a lot of this "French Women Don't Get Fat" methodology rides on the fact that in Europe, you WALK. EVERYWHERE. At least I did.
Because I was walking (and because I had limited refrigerator/freezer space), I took more frequent trips to the market to pick up perishables. I thoroughly enjoyed everything I ate while there, but I never ate until I was past the point of being full. I drank *plenty* of beer while there, but still managed to lose weight.
I think a lot of the European svelteness (not that the Irish are known for being particularly trim) has to do with a lifestyle that is geared more toward movement as a part of daily life, and eating food that genuinely satisfies you, as opposed to driving everywhere, easy access to both convenience and "reduced-whatever" foods that aren't really satisfying.
@ZepBlueEyedGirl@xanga - Very true. I think a lot of the lifestyle habits we develop could also be because the geography. For instance, Australia (we're fatter than America now) is very spread out and isolated, which makes it necessary to drive most places. America is similar, in the sense that it's an epic landmass and, compared to Europe, people are still quite isolated.
I studied abroad in France. I was there for four months, and that whole time I was there, I counted FOUR fat people (with the exception of Paris, because probably the only fat people I saw there were Americans anyway!).
@pocket_mouse_poppet@xanga - I completely agree! Everything is just *closer* in Europe. Unless you're going on a fairly long trip, having a personal car really isn't necessary. I loved that there were little shops everywhere & you could walk to get all your necessities. I STILL wish America was set up similarly, but that's just not going to happen, given our infrastructure & road systems.
when i went to europe i lost 7 lbs. when i first went i was 122 lbs. and when i came back i was 115
What do I do if I'm almost always hungry and almost always in the mood for something? >__<; I love to eat... mmhhmmm I'm hungry now.
I love that book. It's intelligently written and, like you said, funny. I actually used it to help change my philosophy towards dieting and food - it's not about restricting yourself, but enjoying what you eat and developing good eating habits. I think a lot of us don't truly savour food, but stuff it in our mouths without thinking, and hence it leads to overeating. She really makes you question why you overeat or have gained weight in the first place - very therapeutic.
I also love her discussions on processed (re: junk) foods, and her theory that we eat a lot of junk food because it's lower quality food. I do find that when I eat "quality" food, I eat less of it.
I eat whatever I want. Quality is KEY. If you eat cheap chocolate candy bar, you probably need to eat the whole bar or even two to feel like you've had enough. But if you have some high quality, high coca content chocolate (my favorite: Green and Black 85% coca dark chocolate), you probably only need a piece or two.
The thing with extremely rich natural food is that, well it's so rich that you won't be able to eat a lot.
My rule is that I'll eat anything that's natural. Most of the time at least. That has helped me to stay slim and I eat chocolate, butter, ice cream etc every single day.
@pinkcandles@xanga - I'm the same way; I don't think I've had a candy bar in years - they're not just satisfying! But I'm very satisfied with only a piece of Lindt's dark chocolate.
I travel to Europe 5 months a year and nowhere have I seen a fat person! I'm astonished everytime. Especially in Romania, the girls are extremely extremely skinny. And they eat! They eat mcdonalds all the time, it's like a restaurant there. It's just they walk everywhere, they don't have their own cars because it's very expensive. Also I think the food in Europe is more expensive than here and much smaller portions, so people can't afford to eat that much and they eat more quality food. They have markets that sell fresh food, fresh fruits, fresh everything. It's more natural over there. Of course, our american ways are slowly growing over there as well. Also, here, we get free refills everywhere! All that soda, so much sugar. Over there, the soda's are in those little bottles and they are like 3 dollars. Here it's 2 dollars for a whole 2 liter bottle! No wonder we get fat over here.
Oui, non et non. :)
french have such a good life style
french women not getting fat is bull shit. i've been living in france the last six months and unless every single fat person i saw was a tourist, then french women most certainlydo get fat.
la femme qui a ecrit ce livre est plein de merde, a mon avis.
well no, i take that back. i agree with all her ideas, moderation and all that but french women DO get fat and i think i should mention that i gained a lot of weight there.
so... I should drive to mcdonalds and get myself a milkshake? alright...
Every summer I go live in eupore for about 5 weeks. And EVERY TIME I go, I come back about 8 pounds lighter. And thats without trying. One year, I did try-- and I lost about 14 pounds, and I wasn't starving myself, I was just going running a few times a week. I've lived in Europe also, I lived there for a year-- and as many people said, yes you do walk A LOT, and you eat truely satisfying food. Europeans are generally svelte, you hardly ever see a fat person.
and, to the guy who said that french are gonna get fat soon-- YEAH RIGHT!! they're an old country and have definitely established their culture and eating habits.
That's how I eat.
Yay French people!! ^^
YES. YES YES YES.
Sad that I didn't get to write this first!
@hopeful_mrs_lysacek@xanga - je ne crois pas que l'auteur veuille dire que toutes les femmes françaises sont minces. je pense qu'elle veut dire que toutes les femmes françaises qui sont minces, sont minces parce qu'il y a une façon certaine qu'elles mangent.
I've recently lost 30 pounds, and plan to lose 10 more. I agree with her. I eat what I want, but as I've made better choice, what I want is healthier. Also, I eat burger, fries, pies, heavy cream and real butter. But instead of eating it all at one meal, I eat a small amount, a few bites, half a sandwitch instead of two whole. My "diet" isn't about what I can't have, it's about moderation and better choices. ~ L
From what I've heard about the French, they eat more slowly and in more social settings. That is, they don't just wolf their massive meal down so they can rush back to work. The hormones that tell you when you're full take a while to kick in. But if you're sitting and enjoying a leisurely lunch, you're probably giving those hormones time to work. So you'll feel fuller and perhaps not need to eat everything on your plate.
I have a feeling that French people don't get served the massive portions that Americans eat, either.