The French Way to Enjoy Food and Prevent Overeating

As we move into the biggest holiday season of the year, my thoughts start wondering to eating and food. I have asked myself this question so many times: “What am I going to eat?” (I bet you have too!).

Well you don’t need to worry anymore, I have the answer (and it comes from France believe it or not)!

During these seemingly glutenous holidays we have, we usually rely on will-power to get us through. I’m here to tell you that this approach doesn’t work. But there is one that does – how French women do it (you know those happy, svelte ladies who eat desserts and drink wine but never get fat!).

First we must understand that eating is a part of who we our, our cultures, our relationships and our histories. Food and celebration has been the center of so much how can we try to erase it by not enjoying our meals & holiday gatherings anymore.

And what does deprivation do to our psyche? It adds an unbelievable amount of stress because of the psychotic way we’re told to eat (especially during the holidays).

Don’t get me wrong, I’m certainly not advocating an eat-all-fest either, but trying to get rid of the passion and pleasure of eating with the celebrations going on isn’t the answer.

And our weight issues have as much to do with our attitude towards eating as it does the food we actually eat. These 5 tips can really help.

Tip # 1 ~ Honor Meal Time

Eat breakfast, lunch and dinner at regular times. Have healthly snacks available for in between. Skipping meals depletes our energy, deflates our mood, stress our bodies and can cause us trouble later (eating way more than we want when do sit down to a meal).

Don’t worry about the bad foods not to eat, think about what good (aka healthy & fresh) foods to eat. Be positive about meals and eating.

Never eat to the point of being stuffed, and never be hungry – both are distracting and unpleasant.

Tip # 2 ~ The Pleasures Are in the First Few Bites

Deprivation is the mother of failure. In the book French Women Don’t Get Fat (where I got much of this), the author shares that it’s common for French women to have a couple bites of a dessert instead of a full serving therefore not depriving themselves the joys of a season, celebration or just a dinner out with friends. These bites allow you to still enjoy the full flavor and texture without over eating the sugar and empty calories. And it does really work!

Give it a try. First by sharing desserts with others (something I do unless it’s Key Lime Pie or Rum Cake 🙂 it’s all mine! LOL) allowing everyone to get a bite or two of one or two desserts. Better yet, if you have a large group, order two or three different ones and take a bite of each one.

Tip # 3 ~ Small Plates Are the Big Choice

Everything is bigger in America, especially our plates. I don’t know when that happened but along with it came bigger waistlines. Enjoy petite (small) and ala carte menu. The French enjoy a little of several things than alot of just one. Also, think of the French plate where everything is served small in the center of a large plate, a beautiful presentation. They are not used to having a plate full of food but are served rather in courses, one at a time. It allows for enjoyment of each serving, slows down the meal which is better for digestion, and contentment. Just think, the fast you eat, the more you need to eat. So get started serving courses and washing an extra plate or tow – it’s much better than getting fat isn’t it.

Tip # 4 ~ Enjoy, Laugh & Have lots of petits riens

Most important is to have a focus on those you are dining with, the connections, the enjoyment and the rituals of celebrations. Enjoy the ones you are with as a priority with the food be second to the reason you are there. Focusing too much on the food causes way to much stress and stress causes many bad things.

Petits riens are the daily pleasures the French do everyday. For us, we use words like pamper and decadence when it comes to our self care and love, it’s more elusive. By having lots of petits reins, we can enjoy life more from moment to moment without seeking consolations (feel-goods) from any one source, like food. Self punishment is never the path to well-being but can certainly be the path to a larger waist and bigger clothes. Food doesn’t become what we look to for comfort but rather our daily pleasures do.

Tip # 5 ~ Move Like French Women

When I was in Paris, I didn’t see gyms and fitness studios on every corner yet I saw slender and active women. In doing some research it seems that French woman don’t live in the gym or live to work out as much as they live to eat and dine. They know that if you do something you can’t keep up, like 2 hours at a gym everyday (workout, shower, dress etc) isn’t going to be sustainable and will bring failure. French women enjoy exertion but not necessarliy just assigned to the gym. They do alot in their street clothes, as with walking, which they do 3x more on average than we do here. They also know that boredom is sometimes the real enemy, not food.

Add dedicated regular walks to your days -casual, no marching alone. Start small and increase up to 20 minutes daily. Do after eating and help your digestion along and good for unwinding. Also add ‘incendental’ walks, like parking farther out in the parking lot and taking the long way around the mall. While waiting in a waiting room, walk around 100 steps or take the stairs not the elevator.

By moving more we feel better and when we feel better, we will care for our selves at a higher level and make better choices all around.

The mind of a French women is her ultimate guard against eating too much and getting fat. And the senses are the portals to the mind. Denying any one of them can take the joy out of living and that can lead to eating an over abundance of food for the sake of ‘happiness’. So eat like French women, smart and healthy, and enjoy the rewards of a leaner body.

Source: “French Women Don’t Get Fat” book.