French Women: Eating pleasure and portion control (Part II)
Guiliano also recommends eating a wide variety of healthy foods to be more satisfied without feeling deprived. "Eating the same foods is a bad habit," the author maintains, and she suggest trying new recipes, flavors, and herbs. There are no forbidden foods in the French Women Don't Get Fat plan, as long as the portions are kept in check.
Have a sweets craving? Satisfy it with a few bites or a small portion of the food you crave. Love wine? Enjoy it, Guiliano tells WebMD, but keep it to one glass. Slowly reduce portion sizes over time so you won't realize you are eating less.
It is inevitable that there will be splurges and when that happens, Guiliano recommends eating yogurt. "Yogurt is the perfect food, full of calcium, and French women eat 1-2 servings a day, especially after a night of too much, it is the perfect breakfast," she says. Guiliano includes a recipe for homemade yogurt and also recommends it as a great snack.
How It Works
The fundamental premise of the French Women Don't Get Fat non-diet plan is learning to enjoy the pleasure of eating delicious food in a relaxed environment.
Guiliano believes that American women would benefit if they slowed down, stopped speed eating and eating on the run, and took more pleasure in the dining experience, much like French women.
Eat with all of your senses and be more mindful of every bite so you taste and savor the food and recognize when you are full. "Three bites of food are all you need to really enjoy it," Guiliano says. Sit down, slow down, chew thoroughly, and eat without distractions – turn off the television, put down the book, and focus on eating.
With French Women Don't Get Fat, the aim is to forget our food guilt and substitute it with pleasure.
First of all, let's get one thing straight, French women do get fat and the obesity rate in France is growing quickly, says ADA spokeswoman Katherine Tallmadge. "French Women Don't Get Fat, like many other diet books, is a frustrating blend of real insight, shaky science, and sheer speculation."
Tallmadge, a weight loss counselor in Washington, D.C., points out that Guiliano is not a nutrition or weight loss professional and even though she doesn't claim to be, bases her advice on personal experiences and observations of life in France.
Some recommendations in French Women Don't Get Fat are right on target, like walking for exercise, weight training for women over 40, and eating vegetable soup. "Eating soup with lots of vegetables has been found to help reduce calorie intake naturally," says Tallmadge, author of the diet book Diet Simple. However, Tallmadge notes scientific evidence does not support the author's claim that leeks have a magical quality to cause weight loss, nor does chocolate contain serotonin, the feel-good neurotransmitter.
"I disagree with the recommendation to start dieting through a semi-fast of primarily leek soup because, while it will cause weight loss, it is not nutritionally adequate and it is not a solution to help people learn about habits that can be sustained long term," Tallmadge says.
Additionally, some experts suggest that the real reason many French women may be thin is because they smoke cigarettes to curb their appetite.
Food for Thought
French Women Don't Get Fat could be a helpful weight loss approach for women who love fine food, wine, and chocolate and want the flexibility and options to eat what they like.
With this plan, knowing that no food is off-limits could be very empowering to some as long as they can control portion sizes and the majority of food they choose is nutritionally sound, like vegetable soup and low-fat yogurt.
"People get bored on diets and go back to their eating habits, which are why diets don't work" says Guiliano. Her approach is simple: don't deny yourself favorite foods; simply learn -- over time -- to enjoy smaller portions.
Assuming that eating slower and more mindfully really will lead to recognition of satiety, weight loss with the French Women Don't Get Fat plan should occur slowly but surely. Becoming satisfied with smaller portions is the trick to making this plan work.
Have a sweets craving? Satisfy it with a few bites or a small portion of the food you crave. Love wine? Enjoy it, Guiliano tells WebMD, but keep it to one glass. Slowly reduce portion sizes over time so you won't realize you are eating less.
It is inevitable that there will be splurges and when that happens, Guiliano recommends eating yogurt. "Yogurt is the perfect food, full of calcium, and French women eat 1-2 servings a day, especially after a night of too much, it is the perfect breakfast," she says. Guiliano includes a recipe for homemade yogurt and also recommends it as a great snack.
How It Works
The fundamental premise of the French Women Don't Get Fat non-diet plan is learning to enjoy the pleasure of eating delicious food in a relaxed environment.
Guiliano believes that American women would benefit if they slowed down, stopped speed eating and eating on the run, and took more pleasure in the dining experience, much like French women.
Eat with all of your senses and be more mindful of every bite so you taste and savor the food and recognize when you are full. "Three bites of food are all you need to really enjoy it," Guiliano says. Sit down, slow down, chew thoroughly, and eat without distractions – turn off the television, put down the book, and focus on eating.
With French Women Don't Get Fat, the aim is to forget our food guilt and substitute it with pleasure.
First of all, let's get one thing straight, French women do get fat and the obesity rate in France is growing quickly, says ADA spokeswoman Katherine Tallmadge. "French Women Don't Get Fat, like many other diet books, is a frustrating blend of real insight, shaky science, and sheer speculation."
Tallmadge, a weight loss counselor in Washington, D.C., points out that Guiliano is not a nutrition or weight loss professional and even though she doesn't claim to be, bases her advice on personal experiences and observations of life in France.
Some recommendations in French Women Don't Get Fat are right on target, like walking for exercise, weight training for women over 40, and eating vegetable soup. "Eating soup with lots of vegetables has been found to help reduce calorie intake naturally," says Tallmadge, author of the diet book Diet Simple. However, Tallmadge notes scientific evidence does not support the author's claim that leeks have a magical quality to cause weight loss, nor does chocolate contain serotonin, the feel-good neurotransmitter.
"I disagree with the recommendation to start dieting through a semi-fast of primarily leek soup because, while it will cause weight loss, it is not nutritionally adequate and it is not a solution to help people learn about habits that can be sustained long term," Tallmadge says.
Additionally, some experts suggest that the real reason many French women may be thin is because they smoke cigarettes to curb their appetite.
Food for Thought
French Women Don't Get Fat could be a helpful weight loss approach for women who love fine food, wine, and chocolate and want the flexibility and options to eat what they like.
With this plan, knowing that no food is off-limits could be very empowering to some as long as they can control portion sizes and the majority of food they choose is nutritionally sound, like vegetable soup and low-fat yogurt.
"People get bored on diets and go back to their eating habits, which are why diets don't work" says Guiliano. Her approach is simple: don't deny yourself favorite foods; simply learn -- over time -- to enjoy smaller portions.
Assuming that eating slower and more mindfully really will lead to recognition of satiety, weight loss with the French Women Don't Get Fat plan should occur slowly but surely. Becoming satisfied with smaller portions is the trick to making this plan work.
posted by Jacques Girard, Ph.D. at 9:48 AM
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