French Women Don't Get Fat! Would like to lose 15 pounds

[BChic]

I'd like to track my weight, food, & exercise so I can keep track of my long term progress and goals. I'd like to lose about a pound per week. I'm not on a "diet" because in the past I have always gained weight. Instead, I'm following the principles I learned while living in Europe (real food, small portions, no snacking) - also exemplified in "French Women Don't Get Fat".

SW: 128
GW: 115

1/10
breakfast: eggs with herb cheese
lunch: cream of mushroom soup, chocolate
dinner: wine, grilled asparagus with olive oil

[BChic]

FWDGF TIPS

Keep A Food Journal: You might not eat bread, but you may drink big cappuccinos topped with a ton of sugar everyday. Also you may realize that you ALWAYS clear your plate, even if you weren't really hungry. Guiliano says once you realize, for example, how many bagels you are consuming, it will be easy for you to cut this food out. She writes though, "but if one of them is critical to your contentment, reduce incrementally."

Savor What You Eat: Guiliano believes that guilt about eating is what really has ruined food for American women. There's so much guilt and sin associated with food, she writes, that of course eating becomes a burden for American women. French women, instead, eat with all five senses, she says. This allows them to actually eat less because they are actually paying attention to what they are tasting. The other key factor, she says, is that French women don't eat until they are full. She believes that three bites of a dish are all you really need to enjoy, and she really applies that rule personally when it comes to her weakness: pastries.

Slow And Steady: The author says that if you're looking for a quick fix, this book is not for you. This book is about a lifestyle change not a quickie lose-five-pounds diet plan. She says that a "proper recasting, resetting your body's dials, is a three-month affair. The key is to make it a pleasant three months, not a sentence in Bastille."

Variety: Eating the greatest possible variety of good foods is the KEY to losing weight. She writes that "such variety will go a long way toward compensating you for those things you miss -- you will actually find yourself not missing them so much." She compares eating the same old thing to a bad romantic rut. "Losing that spark -- and just as likely to get you in trouble," she writes. This is a good opportunity to try your hand at cooking, trying new flavors, foods, herbs, etc. And again, CHOOSE QUALITY OVER QUANTITY. PICK THINGS IN SEASON. "A final trick of variety: Since the pleasure of most foods is in the first few bites, eat one thing on your plate at a time, at least at the start of the meal when you can concentrate and enjoy the full flavors. The mouthful of melange (blend of foods) defeats the purpose of variety."

Drink Water: She believes Americans don't drink enough water. Instead of reaching for a glass of juice or a cup of coffee, drink a glass of water when you wake up. She says that French women understand that drinking water is a powerful way of controlling one's weight -virtually without sacrifice. Water helps keeps your body hydrated, but also helps flush out the toxins that can make our bodies bloated and swollen. Water is lost passively more than people think: sleeping is a good example.

Ritual Eating: Make eating a special time. Turn off the T.V. Don't read at the table. Instead, focus your attention on what you're eating. The reason why people gain more weight when they eat in front of the T.V., is that they are not paying attention and are carelessly eating for the sake of eating. So eat only at the table (even if you're single), using nice plates (no paper). And eat slowly and chew properly; practice putting down your silverware and savoring your bites.

Portion Control: Learn it slowly. Cut back gently. Eating good food is great, but do you really need to eat half a pound of salmon? No. Use a scale, and reduce ounce by ounce. You won't notice that you're eating less, but your body will.

And on a related note, if you are craving chocolate, have one bar of good quality chocolate and have one bite, that's all you really need to satisfy your craving. It's that discipline that really separates American women and French women. American women are so wrecked with guilt regarding food that they tend to go from one extreme to the other.

Walk: She writes that French women don't like sports or the gym. Instead, it's part of their culture to walk everywhere. That isn't the case in the states, but she says even walking a few blocks here and there or climbing the stairs will do wonders.

Ritual Preparations: She writes that "French women love to shop and prepare food. They love to talk about what they have bought and made. It's a deeply natural love, but one that is erased in many other cultures. Most French women learn it from their mothers, some from their fathers. But if your parents aren't French, you can still learn it yourself." She says that you should go to the market two to three times a week and buy only what you need. None of this twice-a-month grocery shopping Americans do, she writes. This way you can bring your own lunch, and make your own dinner. She says that in no time, you will find yourself doing it automatically.

[BChic]

UPDATED 1/10 dinner: wine, pasta w/ grilled asparagus and olive oil

[desert princess]

These are really great tips and I agree with many of them. I like that she says to cut back slowly. For me dieting will not work when I cut out everything I am use to eating in one day. I have to cut things out slowly and replace them with heathy foods.

[BChic]

I'm the same way! Anything drastic will only lead back to a gain, as it can't be kept up forever

[BChic]

1/11
breakfast: baguette piece with brie
lunch: baked cauliflower with olive oil
dinner: wine, pasta with grilled asparagus and olive oil

[BChic]

See food differently
By Nanci Hellmich, USA TODAY

If American women would “recast” the way they eat, they might not struggle with their weight so much, Mireille Guiliano says. She suggests keeping a food log for three weeks and then rethinking your attitude about food. Some of her suggestions:


Look at your three-week food profile. Identify and reduce offenders, such as sugary drinks, fast food, desserts, chocolate, as much as you can without inducing shock. Whatever you can cut out completely without agony, just cut. Reduce others little by little.


Don't stock offenders at home.


Develop a list and stock food "pacifiers," or substitutes for offenders.


Eat at regular times.


Review portions of non-offender foods and trim those, too.


Have a real breakfast.


Eat slowly, sitting down. Chew well, even if it seems theatrical at first.


Prepare your own meals. Shun prepared foods, especially processed ones with artificial anything.


Diversify your foods with an eye for seasons. Increase the proportion of fresh fruits and vegetables.


Get to know the market. Shop for food several times a week (on a need-to-eat basis but never when hungry).


Introduce and experiment with a couple of new flavors.


Introduce a small but regular new physical movement, a daily walk or stair climb.

[HotCocoa]

BChic, thanks for this thread. I have a question. I didn't notice any protein in your meals, other than the eggs from yesterday's breakfast. Are you vegetarian or is that the recommendation from FWDGF?

[BChic]

Hi there! It's not the plan - my preferences. In the meal plans suggested, most meals do include protein (meat, fish, egg, yogurt/milk). I'm not a "vegetarian" but just don't like the taste of meat. I do try to eat eggs a few times a week, and whenever I eat in restaurants (usually 1-2 times a week) I will order fish - but I don't buy it in the grocery store.

[HotCocoa]

Originally Posted by BChic

Hi there! It's not the plan - my preferences. In the meal plans suggested, most meals do include protein (meat, fish, egg, yogurt/milk). I'm not a "vegetarian" but just don't like the taste of meat. I do try to eat eggs a few times a week, and whenever I eat in restaurants (usually 1-2 times a week) I will order fish - but I don't buy it in the grocery store.

Thanks!

[elle tee]

This is a great plan! It's basically how I eat naturally- I eat small meals, I eat slowly, I love cooking and planning meals and enjoy trying new recipes, plus out of preference I don't cook much meat so I get my protein from other sources, plus I live in NYC so I walk a lot. It's the kind of thing that really can become a lifestyle you enjoy, not just a lifestyle you are able to stand long-term.
One thing my mom does that has helped her is she keeps individually wrapped chocolates, like Ghiarelli squares, Lindor truffles, even Hershey kisses, and when she gets a sweet craving she has one of those, just one is enough to satisfy and she is less tempted to polish off the whole thing.

[BagLadie]

I like this plan.....I may follow it myself.

[BagAngel]

French drink a lot of wine so is that ok?

[chessmont]

Originally Posted by BagAngel

French drink a lot of wine so is that ok?

-the good news (probably) is, the small portions and lots of walking work off the calories of wine.

- bad news is, I believe I once read France has a very high rate of liver disease compared to some countries (maybe it's not true, but I could swear I read it somewhere)

I saw a woman on Oprah a few years ago who followed that book of French women's type of daily diet, and she lost 25-30 lbs (I don't remember exactly, maybe it was even more- anyone see that show?) and drank 3 glasses of wine a day!

[elle tee]

Originally Posted by BagAngel

French drink a lot of wine so is that ok?

I would say 1 glass with dinner is OK, the French do drink often but they don't drink a ton when they do drink.