Why French People Don’t Get Fat
I don’t see as many overweight people in France as I do in the U.S. Now, I know it sounds harsh, but I am only bringing this up because while living in France, I was both puzzled and amazed how French people can eat so many fatty foods without gaining any weight. Um, hello!? I want to eat what I want and still be able to fit into my favorite jeans too! France is the country of butter, baguettes, patisseries, and world-renowned cuisine. Everything you taste there is both so exquisite and fatty that you feel that even after one bite, you might lose a button on your pants. After the first three months of living in France, I wondered how I was going to keep up with my French friends, going out to restaurants, bakeries, and constantly cooking, all without gaining weight. I was pretty nervous, but nothing happened! I actually ended up losing weight. But how does this magic seem to occur in France and not in the U.S? What is it that the French know that we don’t?
Appreciation for food
In France food is something to be celebrated. People love to talk about, dream, cook, and of course, eat good food in France. It is such a massive part of the culture and one of the many things I love about the country. In the U.S, however, food isn’t celebrated as much. If you’re lucky, you can meet someone passionate about food, but it isn’t ingrained in our culture like in France. With fad cleanses, starvation diets, and promises on how to lose 100 pounds in a month (yes, I really saw this title on a magazine while checking out at a grocery store in the U.S) circulating and making an impact on us; it’s no wonder some of us have developed a strained relationship with food.
It’s time to change this mentality! After all, we all know that those “lose weight fast” schemes set us up for failure later. We go on a diet, hate the whole process of it, and end up binging in the end. Then we feel guilty we didn’t have enough willpower and start the entire process over again! It’s not that we’re not strong or determined enough to get through a diet; it’s that it’s not what we should be aiming for in the first place. What we should be aiming for is a healthy relationship with food! Food is meant to be appreciated, celebrated, and even seen as an art! When I came to France and saw how lovingly people talk about food… I realized I had been missing something huge for a long time.
Stop depriving yourself!
When I moved to France, I was looking forward to many things. I wanted to explore museums, learn the language, and experience the culture. The last thing I expected to appreciate and learn was exactly what came out of my experience there. I had never been that interested in food or cooking before living abroad. But I came to France and learned how to love food as the French do. I now want to become a better cook. I don’t want to waste another moment depriving myself of happy moments shared with family and friends eating good food because I’m on a cleanse or another diet. No more. Because it doesn’t work anyway! Instead, I plan to continue enjoying and cooking food for the people I love while trying to lead a healthy lifestyle. I’m still learning, but I’m a lot closer to balance than I was a couple of years ago.