French Women Don't Get Fat | The First 35 Pages

[dchoneyb916]

French Women Don't Get Fat | The First 35 Pages

This past weekend while darting in and out of Walmart at top speeds--because can't stand the crowds --I slowed down for a momentary glance at the book stand. What can I say, I have substituted my addiction to food for other vices--including an ever expanding book collection.

After glazing over all the diet manuals, a ray of sunshine in the form of a little yellow book called French Women Don't Get Fat jumped out at me. I had heard of the book before, but never got around to reading it. And seeing as how it was only $4.97, I added it to my cart and smiled to myself about the big bargain I had picked up inside of such a tiny price tag.

Last night, after planning and cooking my meals for the week I picked up the book. SIDEBAR: not that you asked, but I thought I would share my menu for the week: I sauteed some zucchini and white onions and made a crustless, Monterey Jack/cheddar cheese spinach and sweet potato quiche. As a vegetarian, I am learning to be quite creative, so it might sound weird but it actually tastes really good. And I have some wonderful salad--(Planning is the key to healthful eating!) Anyway, as I was saying, while the quiche was in the oven I cracked open my little ray of sunshine from Walmart.

I read about 35 pages before I passed out from exhaustion. But in those 35 pages, I learned a lot about French women and how they regard food. I studied French in school and have visited France twice. I love Paris! Between their relaxed way of life, beautiful architecture, and beautiful men--definitely had a Parisian Romance, but that's another story for another blog--I can't think of a city I would rather live in if I had to leave DC! Je ne sais quoi...

So in my quest to be a bon vivant (one who enjoys life to the fullest) I took to heart what Mireille Guiliano's doctor told her about weight after she returned to France from spending 1 year in America on a student exchange program, 20 pounds heavier. He said, "'il y a poids et poids' (there is weight and then there is weight): there's the "ideal" body weight that shows up on insurance company charts, based on nothing but height; there is "fashion weight," an ideal much less natural, in which commerce plays a big, sometimes insidious part; and then there's "well-being" weight, the one at which a particular individual feels bien dans sa peau (comfortable in his or her skin)."

After pondering Guiliano's doctor's wisdom, I asked myself, "where do I fall in this weight spectrum?" At 5'9" and 175 lbs., I am not quite at an acceptable BMI according to the charts in our office. And I don't feel comfortable in my skin either. I'm an exaggerated pear, extremely small up top and "thick" from the waist down aka bottom heavy . I want to be a size 8. I want to slide into single digit sized jeans. My friends and family think I am crazy. They say, "don't you lose any more weight--you won't look right." But they also thought I was--and to quote my sister "frivolous and flighty" for even considering weight loss surgery. So who do I trust? Myself or other people? I don't want to get too skinny--never thought I would say that about myself....But I want what I want. AND I want some size 8 jeans--PERIOD.

Consequently, I am still on the fence about the whole thing, but excited about reading my new book...I will ponder the goal weight issue some more and get back to you.

~Bericka T. Wilkins
a busy dchoneybee
thanks for reading my thoughts! LOVE YOU!
287 (size 22) ---> 176 (size 10) in 515 days of hard work!

Check me out on meetup.com.

Until next time, c estla vie.
PS - LOVING THE SPRING WEATHER!!!