I Lost 20lbs While Living Abroad In France

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food, connect with the people there, and also learn to cook myself. So, why did I still lose weight even after growing an appreciation for all of this glorious food?</p><figure id="33b2"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/0*2ZMewPwaSZntCfw8"><figcaption>Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@victoriano?utm_source=medium&utm_medium=referral">Victoriano Izquierdo</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com?utm_source=medium&utm_medium=referral">Unsplash</a></figcaption></figure><h1 id="ad93">No snacking in France</h1><p id="31c0">One of the main reasons why I think it is easier to stay in shape in France is because there isn’t a “snacking culture” in France like there is in the U.S. Somehow, snacking has even been proclaimed at times as a healthy thing to do in the U.S. I remember being told by fitness influencers that it was an excellent way to keep our metabolism up and running at all times. The thing is, though, it can lead us to feel very unsatisfied with our meals if we’re having six <b>tiny</b> meals a day. At least, this is what I found. I was so much more satisfied with my eating habits when I decided to adopt a more frenchified eating schedule. Sure, French people snack, but not like Americans. There is a snack time known as “l’heure de goûter” in France, but it is a specific time usually set aside for children to have a snack on their way home from school. It’s not a habit built out of boredom or a diet constraint. It’s a set time to enjoy food.</p><figure id="4c13"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/0*8D9zp32KDLFQv6_R"><figcaption>Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@somijaiswal_fotografia?utm_source=medium&utm_medium=referral">Somi Jaiswal</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com?utm_source=medium&utm_medium=referral">Unsplash</a></figcaption></figure><h1 id="d89f">Fresh ingredients</h1><p id="ddfa">The last reason why I believe it was easier to stay healthy in France is

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that, ironically, I started to appreciate cooking much more. I was getting excited about all the foods my French friends were cooking and wanted to be a part of the process. It felt like I was putting much more time and energy into seriously thinking about what I would eat that day. So, I was daydreaming more about food, and it even felt like I was eating more… but it was all with fresh ingredients! There are not as many fast-food restaurants in France as there are in the U.S, so it was harder to make this into a habit as well. So home-cooked meals it was! Plus, food is so appreciated here in France that the enthusiasm of it all really started to rub off on me. I don’t consider myself to be the best cook yet, but I’m trying to get better with every meal I make. The journey is so much fun.</p><figure id="d6bf"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/0*mae6DkObVlU6dXYa"><figcaption>Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@jacksondavid?utm_source=medium&utm_medium=referral">Jackson David</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com?utm_source=medium&utm_medium=referral">Unsplash</a></figcaption></figure><h1 id="d298">Self-love</h1><p id="b058">These are the reasons why I believe it was easy for me to lose weight and feel healthy while simultaneously being passionate about good food and eating lots of it! Luckily, habits can be applied anywhere! Even if you live in another country that has less-than-great food habits, you can choose your own. I recommend celebrating food instead of avoiding and demonizing it. Just make sure your ingredients are fresh, and you’re nourishing your body!</p><p id="4643">I feel healthier now after having learned these lessons, but the important thing is to always appreciate who we are in the moment. Losing a certain number of pounds won’t change a thing if we’re not treating ourselves with self-love and care. So don’t starve yourself — enjoy food, and enjoy life like the French!</p></article></body>

I Lost 20lbs While Living Abroad In France

When I moved to France, I wasn’t counting on losing a significant amount of weight. After all, I was eating baguettes, croissants, and pain au chocolat whenever my heart desired it (FYI, my heart desires these things quite often ). So you can imagine my surprise when I started noticing that all of my clothes were becoming too big for me. I stepped on the scale, and it wasn’t just my imagination or wishful thinking. I lost 20lbs while living abroad in France. I was almost swimming in the clothes I had brought with me and had to buy almost an entirely new wardrobe. After analyzing the situation, here are the reasons why I believe this happened to me!

French food

One of my favorite thing about living in France is how devoted the french are to cooking good food. Some, if not most, of the best food I’ve had has been in France. While living in France, I couldn’t bear to refuse a snack, sample, or meal someone would offer me because I knew it would be good! In the US, I had the habit of avoiding food when I could. I’m not sure where this awful habit came from. Probably the diet industry. Either way, I knew I didn’t want to have this habit in France. I wanted to celebrate food, connect with the people there, and also learn to cook myself. So, why did I still lose weight even after growing an appreciation for all of this glorious food?

No snacking in France

One of the main reasons why I think it is easier to stay in shape in France is because there isn’t a “snacking culture” in France like there is in the U.S. Somehow, snacking has even been proclaimed at times as a healthy thing to do in the U.S. I remember being told by fitness influencers that it was an excellent way to keep our metabolism up and running at all times. The thing is, though, it can lead us to feel very unsatisfied with our meals if we’re having six tiny meals a day. At least, this is what I found. I was so much more satisfied with my eating habits when I decided to adopt a more frenchified eating schedule. Sure, French people snack, but not like Americans. There is a snack time known as “l’heure de goûter” in France, but it is a specific time usually set aside for children to have a snack on their way home from school. It’s not a habit built out of boredom or a diet constraint. It’s a set time to enjoy food.

Fresh ingredients

The last reason why I believe it was easier to stay healthy in France is that, ironically, I started to appreciate cooking much more. I was getting excited about all the foods my French friends were cooking and wanted to be a part of the process. It felt like I was putting much more time and energy into seriously thinking about what I would eat that day. So, I was daydreaming more about food, and it even felt like I was eating more… but it was all with fresh ingredients! There are not as many fast-food restaurants in France as there are in the U.S, so it was harder to make this into a habit as well. So home-cooked meals it was! Plus, food is so appreciated here in France that the enthusiasm of it all really started to rub off on me. I don’t consider myself to be the best cook yet, but I’m trying to get better with every meal I make. The journey is so much fun.

Self-love

These are the reasons why I believe it was easy for me to lose weight and feel healthy while simultaneously being passionate about good food and eating lots of it! Luckily, habits can be applied anywhere! Even if you live in another country that has less-than-great food habits, you can choose your own. I recommend celebrating food instead of avoiding and demonizing it. Just make sure your ingredients are fresh, and you’re nourishing your body!

I feel healthier now after having learned these lessons, but the important thing is to always appreciate who we are in the moment. Losing a certain number of pounds won’t change a thing if we’re not treating ourselves with self-love and care. So don’t starve yourself — enjoy food, and enjoy life like the French!