If you were to find yourself strolling into any Parisian café or bistro, there would certainly be a few things you would notice, might even be taken aback by. First of all, there’s the inattentive French wait staff, but you’d also notice the wood burning stoves, cheese left out, and maybe the owner’s cat roaming around freely. Sure, by American standards, this might seem appalling, but if you give in to the French lifestyle, you’d find it relaxing, relieving even. You’d also have to take notice of the foods being served: rich, fatty meals with foie gras, the finest wines in the world, creamy and oozy cheeses like brie, lots and lots of bread, and no shortage of chocolates and cakes.
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But one other jarring fact that any observant traveler would pick up: despite the plethora of fatty foods, from which the French do not abstain, very few of these people are obese. Why is it that some 22% of British adults and a whopping 33% of American adults, despite our apparent fitness fanaticism, are obese, yet only 10% of French adults weigh in as obese? With this diet? Well, that’s part of the key: they don’t embrace each new fad diet as it comes through the pipe, as we do. They take time to enjoy, to indulge in their food, savoring every bite. And those “rude” waiters and all that wine with meals? It’s all a part of the French lifestyle: sit back, relax, have a glass of wine, and enjoy your meal—your waiter will insist on not bothering you while you enjoy a good conversation as well.
But let’s look even deeper into the French diet and lifestyle. We’ve already mentioned the savoring of their food. Americans want fast, cheap, and easy to fit their on-the-go lifestyle. The French, on the other hand, make most meals a social event. They insist on slowing the pace and sit down for every meal. They talk—really talk, not just wait for their turn to speak—and also chew their food, enjoying the mingling and interplay of flavors, rather than shoveling it into their mouth.
They also practice portion control. We want big gulps, super-sized burgers, and extra-large pizzas. An item in the French entrée is roughly the same size as an apple. Their croissants weigh about an ounce (15 inches around), while ours weigh about two ounces (18.5 inches). Smaller portions, teamed with slower-paced eating, train French tummies to expect less food per sitting. Also, they flavor their foods with non-processed oils and use olive oil with garlic and black pepper, which adds a richness to the flavor without cheating with too much salt; this leaves their hunger satisfied with less food.
Keep in mind when they eat the most: lunch is the biggest French meal, as opposed to dinner here in the States. Many of us skip lunch and then shovel as much food as we can at dinner, though it will leave us empty and cause us night time food cravings. The French avoid those late night cravings by sitting down and enjoying a full meal for lunch, maybe with some brie and definitely with coffee and espresso to boost that mid-day metabolism. By the time they reach dinner, they are less hungry, which allows them to control their hunger and portion sizes. Another thing the French tend not to do is snack incessantly. We have our Fritos and Snickers two, three times a day, which do nothing but add excess calories. The French train themselves to eat at meal times.
When we take in extra calories from snacking, we then have to somehow burn those calories off, otherwise we gain weight. Most Americans aren’t overly excited to exercise, unlike the French. They tend to spend much of their day exercising in one way or another, though they never go to a gym. Instead, the French, walk—a lot—and the women even walk miles and miles in heels! One tactic to ensure maximizing walking is to park farther away from where we need to go. We will drive around a lot for a half hour looking for the closest spot to our chosen entryway into the mall, the science building on campus, or the office. Our French counterparts will gladly take that farther space and then enjoy the walk, which burns those extra calories we might pack on. And when they aren’t walking, they are usually riding bicycles. They have an active lifestyle that allows them to indulge in decadent foods
So if you want to slim down to that French girl size, try to embrace the French lifestyle. Remember to slow down the pace of a meal by sitting down, treating it like a social event, and actually savoring the flavor; remember to watch those portion sizes; remember to try to make lunch the day’s biggest meal and to avoid snacking; and try to integrate more physical activity aside from your workouts into your daily routine.
