genevieve.malarkey In my last post, I talked about the eating habits in France, and how the French stay skinny. By being more mindful of meal time, and knowing when to say “assez,” the French allow themselves to enjoy their meals without unnecessary guilt. By eating fresh, seasonal produce (alongside their baguettes, of course), they maintain a healthy lifestyle that promotes the notion that they “don’t get fat.”
So what are the other reasons the French can eat what they want and stay skinny? You will be surprised to see that these last reasons are just as pragmatic as the first, meaning they are no big mystery. So without further adieu, read on to complete your education on how the French mysteriously eat bread and stay thin (unlike me, that
4. Make each meal, especially dinner, a celebration. Meals in France are rituals where one takes a break from the stresses of their day to do something purely enjoyable: eat. Your meal time should be a ‘time-out’ where you are not working or rushing through in order to continue working. You take the time you are given, you set your place setting or the table, and you take your meal. The easiest way to make a meal feel like a ritual is to set up a nice table setting, even if it’s just for you. This is most easily done at dinner or on weekends, but even a small effort goes a long way. Place some flowers on your table, layout a tablecloth, set up your place setting and fill your glass with water. Sit down (without distractions), place a napkin on your lap, and dig in. You will feel more centered by the ritual of setting the table, happier with your surroundings, and more present with your meal.
5. Allow yourself one treat per day. Here is the mystifying reason France is synonymous with both skinny people and pastries: they don’t deny themselves these delicacies. While my approach was to eat all the things during my time in France, a native French person would eat mindfully throughout the day, choosing what, how much, when, and where they take their meals, which allows them to feel free to enjoy a pastry or slice of gateau for dessert. It is usually a small enough portion to be enjoyed without over-indulging, and they don’t feel guilty about it afterward. Denying oneself something they love (which for me is anything sweet) can only last so long, and that’s when people begin to over-indulge. Knowing you will have dessert at the end of your dinner may just get you through the day without partaking in other sweet temptations.
6. No snacking, except at goûter. This one is tough for Americans: French people don’t really snack. I, on the other hand, am a grazer who can nibble on things all day long. It was so difficult for me to not eat snacks in France that I would keep a stash of sweet and salty snacks in my room at my host family’s house (not my proudest moment). Truly though, the French only allow themselves a snack halfway through the afternoon, and even then it is often reserved for children. This of course is not a hard and fast rule, and you will see people eating at all hours of the day, yet under normal circumstances you are expected to wait the long 6-7 hours (or longer) between lunch and dinner. The French so love their meals, and dîner in particular, that they see the long stretch between these two meals as great anticipation for a hearty and satisfying dinner, and all the more pleasurable for having waited to enjoy it.
And lastly, know this:
7. Yes, French women do watch what they eat. While eating mindfully and following these six guidelines will indeed get you to a place of control over your diet, you should still know this: French women still make sacrifices to achieve their reputation for skinniness. I was at a restaurant in Paris with my husband while inconspicuously observing a French family at the table next to us. The father and two sons all ordered large entrées as well as a dessert, but the mother? She only ordered a salad.
“And for dessert?” asked the waiter.
“Rien pour moi.” she replied (nothing for me).
Whether your motivation is to slow down and be more present to enjoy life’s traditions that we often miss in our busy lives, or to moderate your eating habits to be more constrained, we can all take a leaf out of the French book of eating. It is no secret that the French know how to truly enjoy the petits plaisirs of life, and eating is one of the most pleasurable activities we can enjoy, if we slow down and allow ourselves this moment of enjoyment. But do know that it is not some magic genetic combination that allow the French to enjoy food and not gain weight; while practicing a regime of moderation everyday, they too must cut back sometimes in order to drop a few pounds.
Alors, go forth and eat: enjoy the moment, revel in the taste of your food, set yourself a nice table, and treat yourself a little each day.
A la prochaine-
genevieve
