Secrets of those skinny French women

[wosnes]

Found this following one link to another:
http://www.katheats.com/jenna-eat-live-run/

from her FAQ's

How do French women stay so thin? How do they make it from one meal to the next without snacking?

A typical day in the life of a French woman might be a cafe creme (coffee with milk–whole milk) and a croissant and fruit for breakfast, an omelet, crepe or salad for lunch and a large late dinner such as chicken or fish. This dinner was usually at around 9:00 and you are right when you ask how could they possibly not snack?! It took me a few weeks to really get in the swing of things because my body was used to eating the american-way when we eat about every couple hours but after eating the French food for awhile my body got used to their eating times.

Typically in late afternoon, around 4:00, french women go out and get coffee and a little “pick-me-up†such as a small (and I mean SMALL…not american sized at all!) pastry. They sit and drink espresso and share something small.

The reason these meals keep french women satisfied a long time is because there is more fat in them. whole milk, egg yolks, butter…..its not a secret that fat keeps your tummy full. But surprisingly french women don’t get fat! how….because they WALK! everywhere! They walk for hours and hours…no one really drives in paris, everyone just walks. when I lived there I probably walked a good 5 miles every single day. And the women there do a lot of yoga. I know because there were yoga studios everywhere and the classes I attended were always completely packed. Even though they consume a lot of fat in their meals, breakfast and lunch are relatively small and dinner is much larger. But the secret is walking…trust me!

oh, and the yogurts are NOT fat free or low fat. They are full fat! I dont think anything there is low fat…but I ate a yogurt every single morning with muesli and fresh fruit from the farmers market near my apartment, as well as crepes and omelets for lunch, a sweet in the afternoon and a heavy dinner + dessert and I actually lost a couple pounds while I was there!!! amazing!

Have you ever struggled with food?

I struggled with my weight (always feeling like I had to lose 5 pounds) while I was in college and I really think it took me living in another country where the women eat for pleasure–not too much, not too little and don’t stress out over a silly couple pounds, to make me realize that its just a complete waste of time to deprive ourselves good food in order to try to be “perfectâ€. There’s no such thing as perfect! If you constantly live your life on a strict diet (when I say diet I mean depriving yourself bread, that piece of chocolate, your mom’s pasta), the joy in food is lost and food should be one of the most joyful, pleasurable things in this world!

I found Eat Without Guilt through http://blog.cooklikeyourgrandmother.com/ This is from the Eat Without Guild newsletter:

A French Secret to Keeping the Pounds Off

by Dinneen Diette

When I lived in France, it was almost a ritual - eat the Sunday afternoon meal, then take a leisurely walk. During the meal itself, conversations between family members and guests would flow back and forth. When dinner was over, the entire family (and any guests) would continue their conversations strolling around the neighborhood.

I would often see groups of people walking around. Elderly ladies in their skirts and heels (LOW heels, mind you) men in their crisp pants with walking sticks, their sons, daughters, and grandchildren alongside. It was truly a family affair. Even the family dog would tag along!

In THIS Outfit?

I remember one of my first Sunday dinners in France (the dinner itself will be another story - what an experience!). The dinner plates had been cleared, coffee and dessert served and eaten, the cleaning up was done, and everyone got ready for the afternoon stroll.

As it was the first Sunday meal I was invited to, I had worn a nice outfit, with my good shoes. I thought to myself, “Walking, now? Can’t I go home, maybe lie down for an hour, then I’ll get my sweatpants and sneakers? I mean, these people are crazy?†Yup, that's exactly what I was thinking.

I was a newbie to the country and didn’t want to offend anyone, so I sucked it up and went along.

However, not only was it lots of fun, but boy did I feel good afterwards! Just getting up and moving for a while really kept my energy up. I couldn’t believe it. And my feet (and shoes) were fine!

Have you ever felt really lethargic, especially after a big meal?

Walking can help. It’s been shown that walking after eating improves digestion, keeps blood sugar under control, and helps the muscles in the lower part of your body return blood back to the heart, which in-turn keep at bay that sluggish feeling.

Now, this doesn't mean you can stuff yourself and just think you can "stroll it off"! It also doesn’t mean you should walk at a really brisk pace (after all, you've just eaten). No big exertion is needed, but get your body moving.

Not only is it healthy, but the he added benefit of walking with family or friends is a way to spend more time with them (REAL time, not watching TV time).

You should wait about 30 minutes after eating before strolling. And it really should be more of regularly-paced WALK, not a turtle-like crawl!

Though I originally thought the French were crazy for taking these walks, I came to enjoy them myself. It became automatic and part of my lifestyle. I didn’t have to consciously think, “now go walk after that big meal.†It was just second-nature. And it can be the same for you too.

YOUR ACTION PLAN

Next time you have a meal and just want to hit the sofa and TV remote (hey, we ALL do it) - instead, have the family go for a walk, or just go alone if needed. You’ll feel better, you'll get some fresh air, and maybe one day it will be a part of your lifestyle too.

The Health Benefits of Walking


I could list a hundred reasons to love walking - but here are just a few (of the many) health benefits of WALKING:

Reduces your risk of Cancer. According to the Mayo Clinic: walking keeps your heart healthy by lowering the "bad" cholesterol and raising the "good" cholesterol.

Reduces your risk of developing high blood pressure, a factor that also contributes to heart disease.

If you have Type II Diabetes, it helps you manage it. Walking on a regular basis can improve your body's ability to process sugar and also lowers your blood sugar.

Helps reduce stress. Stress is a big factor in many illnesses and diseases. It is much more harmful than people realize. Walking can help you clear your head, breath some fresh air, and wind-down after a long day.

Its good for your brain. In a study on walking and cognitive function (which just means the ability to process info - basically, memory), researchers found that women who walked the equivalent of an easy pace at least 1.5 hours per week had significantly better cognitive function (and less cognitive decline) than women who walked less than 40 minutes per week. Think about that!

Dinneen Diette is founder of Eat Without Guilt.com, a speaker, and contributor to various online health & wellness magazines, newsletters and websites. She helps and guides you to attain the dream of a slimmer, sexier and healthier you! To receive her easy tips, action steps, how-to articles and Special Report for FREE, visit www.EatWithoutGuilt.com

[ams09]

Fantastic post! I've read the book "French Women Don't Get Fat" by Mireille Guiliano and she writes of much the same things. Years ago I tried the low fat and nonfat foods and I just didn't like them. And you know that they have things like extra sugar and/or artificial flavorings just to make them more palatable. People up until 2 or 3 decades ago always ate real food and were thinner and less obsessed than we are!

Everything tastes better with "real" food - real butter, real whole milk, whole cheese, and recipes which include these ingredients.

And the book also emphasizes walking, ALOT of it. That's my favorite exercise! After all, the human body is perfectly suited and designed for it.

We need to get back to basics - real food and plenty of walking!

[wosnes]

People up until 2 or 3 decades ago always ate real food and were thinner and less obsessed than we are!

Everything tastes better with "real" food - real butter, real whole milk, whole cheese, and recipes which include these ingredients.

And the book also emphasizes walking, ALOT of it. That's my favorite exercise! After all, the human body is perfectly suited and designed for it.

We need to get back to basics - real food and plenty of walking!

I agree! Except for the timeline. I think it's been more like 50-60 years -- or at least that's when it started. My mother died in 1965 and when I was going through her recipes (some years later), I was amazed at how many of them called for processed foods. I think it really started right after WWII and has increased significantly as time has gone by.
There's a direct correlation between the increase in consumption of these foods and our problems with weight and health.

http://frenchwomendontgetfat.com/

[Betty]

But the real reason French women don't get fat is because they are obsessed with being thin. Don't let the studies fool you--I have three or four French girlfriends who are absolutely manical about what and how much they eat. They enjoy their full-fat meals with a lot less guilt than many of us Americans, it's true, but I think the real difference between the French woman's way of eating (not always true for French men, by the way ) is that they fully expect to be and stay thin and are taught to be strict, very strict, about their eating from an early age.

Ok, I'm writing this after knowing a total of maybe 6 French women in my life, so of course who am I to say? But honestly, I am just not comfortable with the level of strictness that French women have about food. To me, it's going a bit too far.

But they ARE thin, that's for sure.

[ams09]

wosnes, that's true, processed food consumption shot up in those years. And thanks for that website, I didn't know it existed.

Concerning what Betty wrote, that may be true that French women are obsessed with being thin but I did take away some good points from the book, namely that the more wholesome food you can eat, the better and also portion control, although Murielle doesn't like to call it that.

[Cassie]

I think both points are probably true... I do agree that on the whole eating habits in France (and probably in other european countries too, and now that i think of it, some asian countries as well) are a bit healthier. So there's a lot to learn there.

But it's also true that in France being 'chic'- i.e. nicely dressed, fashionable, stylish- and being thin are both considered important, and so I'm in agreement with Betty that probably there's a lot of effort being made to be & stay thin. I simply don't buy it that French women gorge themselves on croissants or full-fat meals (not that that was the original argument, but still).

[Boa Vista]

Check out this link:
http://library.thinkquest.org/06aug/018 ... rance.html

Clearly, the French who snack and eat a lot of fast food are susceptible to becoming overweight or obese, just as Americans are. Check out the average BMI of several European populations, including the French, here:

[/url]http://www.iotf.org/media/euobesity3.pdf[url]

I think the French traditional habits of daily living resemble the NoS diet. Specifically: no snacking; not eating sugary sweets often; indulging a bit more at a family-centered Sunday dinner; sitting down to the table with a limited amount of food. Also, French home-cooked meals aren't all rich with cream-sauces, croissants, and huge slabs of meat. Vegetables are a big part of the French diet.

Their food culture has eroded a bit in this last decade or two with decidedly bad effects (such as rising rates of obesity, particularly in kids), but it sounds like they are trying to encourage people to adopt the old ways. One way I greatly respect is their school lunch program which limits the kids access to junk food, and doesn't aim to feed the kids a limited menu of 'kid-friendly' foods.

[wosnes]

One way I greatly respect is their school lunch program which limits the kids access to junk food, and doesn't aim to feed the kids a limited menu of 'kid-friendly' foods.

When I was reading about the French and Italian school lunches, I realized how much we've "dumbed down" food for kids in schools, restaurants and many times at home. I think it was in French Women Don't Get Fat that I read that they expect kids will have to develop a taste for some foods, but they're offered (at least in small amounts) anyway. You can't develop a taste for something you never taste!

[Blondie]

But the real reason French women don't get fat is because they are obsessed with being thin.

This was my experience in Italy, too.

[ams09]

Not condoning the obsession but my impression is that they're healthy in spite of it. At least they (as far as we can tell) eat real foods and don't go on crazy diets. There's some lessons in there somewhere!

[StrawberryRoan]

I guess they might consider it taking pride in their appearance rather than an "obsession".

But, I dunno.

[Betty]

Rereading my last post, I think my tone was a bit off. Maybe using the word "obsessed" was a bit strong.

Nevertheless, when I visit friends in France I always feel uncomfortable with the way my friends eat and think about food. Maybe my reluctance to take the hows and whats of eating to the extreme they do is why I'm overweight (duh!), nevertheless, I don't think I could ever manage to eat the way my French friends do.

BUT, the principles (Walk a lot, eat good, real food but not too much of it, make meals a celebration) is all right on. I just need my S days too!

[reinhard]

These "secrets" are pretty obvious! (and no so particularly French -- all traditional cultures ate this way, more or less, until quite recently).

As Boa Vista points out:

I think the French traditional habits of daily living resemble the NoS diet. Specifically: no snacking; not eating sugary sweets often; indulging a bit more at a family-centered Sunday dinner; sitting down to the table with a limited amount of food.

ams09 wrote:

I simply don't buy it that French women gorge themselves on croissants or full-fat meals

You're right. They don't. They eat croissants and full fat meals in moderation.

Betty wrote:

portion control, although Murielle doesn't like to call it that.

Nor do I -- it sounds dreadful. "Moderating excess" has a nicer ring to it, I think. How you express things makes a difference.

I love French culture and French cuisine, but I think concentrating on the particular "Frenchness" of moderation can be distracting. If you're a francophile to the core and this would help, great. But if sushi or bratwurst or lasagna are more your thing, you can practice moderation just as well with the food cultures they represent.

Reinhard

[Gayla]

Don't forget that many French women smoke like crazy to stay thin. I think many people struggle with weight gain after quitting smoking and don't get enough support from their doctors and !Celebration! for quitting.

[vmelo]

But the real reason French women don't get fat is because they are obsessed with being thin. Don't let the studies fool you--I have three or four French girlfriends who are absolutely manical about what and how much they eat. They enjoy their full-fat meals with a lot less guilt than many of us Americans, it's true, but I think the real difference between the French woman's way of eating (not always true for French men, by the way ) is that they fully expect to be and stay thin and are taught to be strict, very strict, about their eating from an early age.

Ok, I'm writing this after knowing a total of maybe 6 French women in my life, so of course who am I to say? But honestly, I am just not comfortable with the level of strictness that French women have about food. To me, it's going a bit too far.

But they ARE thin, that's for sure.

I lived on a French island for six months, and my experience is that what you wrote above is true. The women I knew and observed there did not effortlessly maintain their weight as some would have us believe. I remember observing this ultra-slim French woman eating a couple of slices of cantaloupe with a couple of slices of prosciutto for lunch---and that's it. Also, even though this was an island, plenty of French women went to the local gym to work out.

I do think that the French culture has historically had a different attitude toward food (and life) than Americans do, but unfortunately, I think many aspects of American society are filtering into their society (e.g., eating on the run, eating fast foods, etc.).