French Women Don't Get Fat

[jburress]

Has anyone read this book and tried to follow it? I bought it last night and about 1/2 through the book
Janie

[Gladdy]

Hi Janie,
I haven't read the book, but I did see the author on Oprah. Oprah also featured an audience member who tried the diet and lost about 15 pounds. Presumably, it's all about calorie control and walking and "enjoying the taste, the colors, the texture of food". The French apparently disdain gyms (Oprah mentioned she couldn't find a gym in Paris and the author said health clubs go out of business because French woman do not "exercise".)

BTW, when I say calorie control, the author mentioned something called "the three bite rule." Presumably, it's okay to enjoy your food, just don't eat it!

I'm curious what your opinion of the book is, Janie.

As a side note, it is a pet peeve of mine that American women are beat up all the time about our weight and not recognized for our youthful appearance and joyful and optimistic spirit.

French women may not get fat, but they sure get old-lookin'!

[Shura]

I've read the book and liked it. What she's advocating is very much how my family ate and prepared meals when I was growing up (in the 1950s). No junk food, using common sense when eating -- if you're going to have a rich dessert tonight because it's someone's birthday, then have a light lunch and eat light the next day. And natural exercise -- walk everywhere you go, walk up and down the stairs, etc. It struck me that it's actually very much like the older Weight Watchers program, when it was based on the exchange system with no room for junk and fast foods. Add to that the French preference for quality over quantity, eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables you purchase daiily, and that's the plan. Not easy for many Americans to do, perhaps. (I don't think she advocates only three bites of everything, but that if you're presented with a piece of cake the size of a pit bull you don't have to eat the whole thing. Just take three bites, savor them, and pass the rest of the cake on to your worst enemy )

[jburress]

The author is talking about sweets or high calorie foods. She says to take a few bites and give the rest to your dining partner. That way you don't feel deprived and you don't overeat. She very strongly believes in eating only what is in season and I agree. One example she gives and it's very true, tomatoes in winter taste like cardboard and tomatoes fresh from your garden are sheer heaven.

[aphil]

Something that I have noticed eating in french restaurants, Indian restaurants, and so forth is that their food isn't like American food. In American desserts-you can wolf down a huge slab of chocolate cake, or pie a la mode...and it is doable.
I have noticed that with foreign authentic desserts (and food in general) is that it is so rich, and richly seasoned-that you CAN'T eat very much of it. I was at an Indian restaurant this weekend...they had a dessert there that was tiny little fried things (about the size of a small onion ring) and they were steeped in honey and amazingly rich-I could only eat one. That was dessert.

[Shura]

Yes, aphil, I think that's one of the points of it, too. We eat so much "easy" food -- refined everything, white bread, white sugar, etc. A sandwich made from two slices of whole wheat bread is more filing than one made with white bread, for me anyway. And if the food you eat is bland, or you have to dump a high-fat sauce over it to make it taste like something (all those commercials about how brocooli is so much betteer with cheese sauce), that's part of the problem too. If you eat food that's interesting -- well prepared, fine ingredients, etc. -- you will be satisfied with less. But it's a heck of a lifestyle change!!!!

[Canah]

I saw this lady on Oprah too. Gyms go out of business in Paris because people walk everywhere! They have built in cardio from walking their beautiful city. They are not subcribing to gyms because they don't need to it. Exercise begins when they exit their front doors. So technically they do exercise.

[MrsJim]

I always want to laugh when I see the title of this book and think of the people I work with who work in our Paris, Brussels, and other European offices who can stand to lose some pounds (some of them have more to lose than others!) and/or do belong to gyms (yes they do have gyms in Paris - Club Med Gym has 20 locations in the Paris area). It's very much a generalization. Still, I found the book enjoyable to read.

Did you check out the guide on the main 3FC site?

http://www.3fatchicks.com/diets/french-chick.php

[sapphire9]

I read this book and loved it. I am a francophile and knew much of what she's saying from my study of French culture and reading Collette who wrote sensuously about food among other things. I have tried to channel my inner French woman and have done so successfully at different times in my life. Our culture seems to value quantity over quality and promotes junk food which is hard to resist. The French don't eat between meals and don't eat rich desserts every night. they eat fruit if they want something sweet. We could all learn to be more discerning about what goes into our mouths and move about more.

[ange200]

I bought this book today (had to finish harry potter first!).

I think that from what i have heard there is some validity in how the french conduct themselves around food. They enjoy it but don't over indulge. I did an exchange during high school and loved the culture of the french and have too become a bit of a francophile since. I just finished reading a book called "Almost French" by an ex-pat Australian who does touch on the issues lightly when it comes to meals so I am looking forward to reading "French Women Don't get Fat".

I remember reading that the comparison that American meals are about 2/3 larger than French standard meals (or was it French was 2/3 or a standard American meal ) I do believe that portion control is 'out of control' in some western countries, including Australia and this is probably one of the worst contributors.

Looking forward to reading the book for some insight but I never bought it intending to follow 'the diet'. Will see what happens.

Ange

[Mel]

From today's Philadelphia Inquirer:

Up in smoke
Sacre bleu! The secret behind French women's svelte figures turns out be a real drag.


So now we know the real reason why French women don't get fat and American gals continue to grow into Yankee Doodle doozies.

Forget all that stuff about sipping leek soup and learning to enjoy the brie-filled moments in life, dictated to us (rather haughtily, I might add) in the best-selling diet book French Women Don't Get Fat.

Say au revoirto the notion that our big behinds are connected to a low-brow addiction to Big Macs and Little Debbies, while their sleek silhouettes come from a refined appreciation of chic cuisine.

C'est pas vrai. It just ain't so.

According to several critics of the popular French diet book, plus a group of scientists who have done actual research and most of my close personal friends, much of the mystery behind the French physique is nothing but smoke.

As in cigarettes.

A study done in 2004 by college professors in Georgia, New York and Pennsylvania says at least 20 percent of America's obesity is due to people quitting smoking. (Yes, the other 80 percent is connected to junk food, little exercise, and overall bad living, but let's not digress.)

Sandwich that bit of scientific information with the fact that, according to the Centers for Disease Control, 34 percent of French women smoke, compared with 19 percent in the United States.

Voila! The French paradox is solved.

It's not the wine. It's not the daily strolls along the Champs Elysées.

It's the nicotine, mon chéri.

Any woman, American or otherwise, who has kicked the habit is well aware that withdrawal makes the waistline widen.

The French love their cigs as much as they love their creme brulee. Or should I say on the side of their creme brulee?

On several Web sites I scanned this week, women who said they were from France admitted to smoking in between courses at restaurants.

They actually bragged about how they would never stoop so low as to eat greasy fast food. And then, in the same sentence, they'd add that they routinely puffed on at least 10 smokes a day.

Hey, Gigi, here in America we call that cheating!

Even France's treasured beauty, Catherine Deneuve, told the Washington Post that she stopped smoking a while back but lit back up when she started, how you say?, porking out.

But fear not, women of America. The truffle is about to turn.

It just so happens that smoking is beginning to decline in France because the government is taxing the dickens out of cigarettes.

Since 2002, the Agence France Presse reports, the price of a pack has risen by 40 percent, to about $6.80. Which has led to more than two million people abandoning their puffs.

And now, according to the Harvard Health Letter, one in 10 French women is obese.

So there you have it, the unfiltered truth.

The price of looking très joli in a size 6 Chanel is bad breath, stained teeth and cancer.

Merci, but I'll pass.

Let them eat cake. I'll take a salad and a few more years of life.

ONLINE DISCUSSION

How about that? Tell us what you think about the real reason French women "stay thin" at http://go.philly.com/rant

Hmmmm....I think I'll skip the nicotine course!

Mel

[MrsJim]

The author actually makes a VERY valid point IMO!

And ya know what...it's true - I work with several French people (men and women) and most of them smoke like torches (and the ones who don't live in the States, but fly in for business meetings, etc. LOATHE being in California because they aren't allowed to smoke unless they go outside to designated smoking areas - both times I went to London on business and attended business dinners and luncheons they would LIGHT UP between courses - bleagh - I am SO not accustomed to that anymore...)

[mauvaisroux]

Hmmm...true they do smoke a lot in France but I do think Europeans eat better than we do. When I was in Scotland I walked everywhere and ate fish and chips for supper and every day I ate strawberry tarts or other treats from my family's bakery - nothing like free baked goods and still managed to lose 6lbs after 1 month of living like this.

I think the fact that we went every 2 or 3 days down to the "high street" in town to buy fresh food and the walking really helped. My Aunt, mum and I always cooked meals (except for takeout fish and chips) from scratch and had 2 smaller meals in the evening (tea and then supper) helped.

Also everything in my family's bakery was baked fresh from scratch - real cream- nothing processed so everything tasted amazing but, as Aphil pointed out, was very rich so you could only eat a small portion or one treat and not 2 or 3 of them.

Having said that, I could apply the same principal to my vacation in New Orleans. Mardi Gras for 10 days I lost 5lbs even though I ate my face off and had one or two drinks per night...how? By eating mostly fish, crawfish, blackened alligator and red beans and rice. No low-fat options available in those yummy restaurants down there but most of the food I ate was grilled. I was too full from dinner to eat desserts and did a ton of walking everyday.

I apply the same philosophy at home - most of the foods I eat are fresh, simple meals, I don't buy prepackaged foods or low fat convenience foods I have the odd glass or red wine now and again and I don't deprive myself if I want a treat but it has to be something realllllly goooood - like 1 Godiva truffle instead of a cheap chocolate bar from the drugstore.

Oh my, I seem to have rambled on a bit here but I find the French way of eating really interesting.

[Lolapop715]

Hey I noticed you lost 115 lbs how did you do it ? I am at the end of my rope and idea ! any suggestions? Thanx and way to go !

[aphil]

MrsJim lost her weight by totally changing her lifestyle for good-not just going on a "diet". She eats healthfully, and is very active, exercising religiously.

Mauvais-I agree. If I am going to treat myself to a sweet treat, I would rather buy one expensive truffle, or a small piece of good organic dark chocolate-than half a full bag of M & Ms.