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35th out of 470 books
—
986 voters
French Women Don't Get Fat: The Secret of Eating for Pleasure
The million copy, ultimate #1 bestseller that is changing the way Americans eat and live
Don’t Diet
Eat Chocolate
Drink Wine
Take Long Walks
Enjoy Life
Stay Slim
the French way Experience the joie de vivre
of French Women Don’t Get Fat
by Mireille Guiliano
Hardcover, Large Print, 263 pages
Published
December 28th 2005
by Random House Large Print Publishing
(first published December 28th 2004)
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Old posts are in spoiler tags below, so you don't have to see them every time I write something new. But, don't worry, I'm not spoilering the outcome of the book. YOU'LL NEVER GUESS WHAT HAPPENS! Okay, if you want to know: (view spoiler).
(view spoiler)...more
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19 likes · like · see review
view all 65 comments
So, two winters ago when I started to put on a little weight, I didn't sweat it at first. I figured "hey, it's normal to put on a few pounds when it's cold out." But when one morning I had difficulty zipping up my pants, I decided to get serious and apply the ideas from this book.
Confession: in the past, whenever I gained weight, I would call up my closest friend and moan "Omigawd! I'm so faaaat!" Inspired by this book, I decided not to go into hysterics. Instead, I decided to remain calm, love...more
Confession: in the past, whenever I gained weight, I would call up my closest friend and moan "Omigawd! I'm so faaaat!" Inspired by this book, I decided not to go into hysterics. Instead, I decided to remain calm, love...more
May 02, 2007
Kristl
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
women who want to view food differently
Shelves:
food
While I don't believe that French women don't ever get fat, I have to say I was enticed by the tiny woman toting her tiny dog and her wine and baguettes on the cover. Yeah, I admit it. I'm all about the marketing.
I reread this diet book that's a self-proclaimed "not diet book" after the New Year, just to check back in with some concepts that had been blurred by post-wedding gluttony and holiday stretchy pants.
Based on her own experiences, Mireille Guiliano offers a very French answer to a very A...more
I reread this diet book that's a self-proclaimed "not diet book" after the New Year, just to check back in with some concepts that had been blurred by post-wedding gluttony and holiday stretchy pants.
Based on her own experiences, Mireille Guiliano offers a very French answer to a very A...more
24 likes · like · see review
Mar 30, 2009
Oceana2602
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
people who know nothing about food and try to lose weight with wonder diets
This is the kind of book your mother gives you for christmas along with the question if it's the new fashion to wear those jeans so tight.
And why, yes, my mother gaves this to me (which is why I read the german version, here. Thanks so much, mom.
Still, I have to give it to Mrs Guiliano (who is not my mother, but the author of the book), she knows about food. And eating. And when and what not to eat.
Her "secret" is that you can eat whatever you want, as long as you never eat too much of anything....more
And why, yes, my mother gaves this to me (which is why I read the german version, here. Thanks so much, mom.
Still, I have to give it to Mrs Guiliano (who is not my mother, but the author of the book), she knows about food. And eating. And when and what not to eat.
Her "secret" is that you can eat whatever you want, as long as you never eat too much of anything....more
14 likes · like · see review
Read in a moment of desperation at my parents' over Xmas vacation. (Picked up from the book exchange in the basement of their NYC building.)
The basic message is that French women don't get fat because they move more than American women, eat good food but in moderation, and enjoy life. I disliked the generalization that American women don't to cook at home, cook what's in season, use good quality ingredients, and to eat in moderation and to try to move more. I disliked her assumption that anyone...more
The basic message is that French women don't get fat because they move more than American women, eat good food but in moderation, and enjoy life. I disliked the generalization that American women don't to cook at home, cook what's in season, use good quality ingredients, and to eat in moderation and to try to move more. I disliked her assumption that anyone...more
19 likes · like · see review
Well, that was a pleasant surprise. I avoided this book when it was so immensely popular the way I try to avoid all NYT Best Sellers. How it ended up in my library bag 7 years later is a mystery for the ages.
I have a love/hate relationship with France in which I hate that I love it and I love to hate it. I try to keep my past Francophile leanings on the down low. Sure, I took 4 years of French in college, won the university's French poetry competition (for a dirty limerick I scratched out in 15...more
I have a love/hate relationship with France in which I hate that I love it and I love to hate it. I try to keep my past Francophile leanings on the down low. Sure, I took 4 years of French in college, won the university's French poetry competition (for a dirty limerick I scratched out in 15...more
7 likes · like · see review
Really the secret: eating sensibly. And this is not a diet book, more a lifestyle guide. Sensible things and sensible portions; I’d cut out the meat, being a vegetarian, but most of the recipes were absolutely delectable sounding, especially the pastries. Start with a three week inventory of everything you eat: Guiliano insists that you’ll notice your offenders and be ready for a change before the time is up. Follow that with a weekend of nothing but magical leek soup, which will drain the water...more
ok... a chocolate croissant for breakfast?! That is a certainty that I would put a kilo or two on before 9:30am! But I've read so much hype for/against this book so can't wait to read it!
Mar 8 - started this last night and am already halfway through. Que horror!! Ze woman gained 10 kilos in zee visit in zee States! *raise eyebrows* It's not the end of the world honey. Have another glass of bubbly.
Mar 10 - as I continued reading the book, the more annoyed I become. It sounded more and more like...more
Mar 8 - started this last night and am already halfway through. Que horror!! Ze woman gained 10 kilos in zee visit in zee States! *raise eyebrows* It's not the end of the world honey. Have another glass of bubbly.
Mar 10 - as I continued reading the book, the more annoyed I become. It sounded more and more like...more
An interesting story of a french woman (the author) who studies abroad in Boston when 18 and got quite fat off of brownies and cookies- and her weight-re-awakening once she got back in France. She shares the "secrets" that "all French women know" to keep a healthy weight. Which, when we read them, though enlightening, are things we already know. Drink more water. Sit down and enjoy your food rather than scarf it on the run. Eat higher quality foods in smaller amounts, rather than large amounts o...more
This book is a mostly common sense based "guide" by someone with no background in nutrition. Many ideas are great- starting the day with a glass of water instead of sugary juices, for example, make a lot of sense and are great for one's skin. Walking more and taking the stairs? Also good. Some of the recipes are SUPER delicious (ie Ratatouille). Not sure if advising an entire weekend of nothing but "magical" leek soup is sound advice- there's not much magical about boiling leeks, even if tastes...more
Aug 02, 2012
Khaya
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
readablenonfiction,
audiobooks
Well, first off, this was not a great choice for audio. Guiliano's narrative (if that's the word) frequently degenerated into menus and recipes. Although I like cookbooks as much as the next gal, and probably more than many, it did get tedious to listen to the reader intone one recipe after another (especially as I was hoping the audiobook would engage me in something more interesting as I did my own cooking).
Having said that, I appreciated Guiliano's approach (although Guiliano claims it's rea...more
Having said that, I appreciated Guiliano's approach (although Guiliano claims it's rea...more
Um, yes they do. In all seriousness though, this book provides good advice to living well: walk everywhere, eat healthy, eat locally and with the seasons, and treasure your food. If you want to move to Paris to do that, I'll meet you there. The author does provide some staggering, and personal, comparisons between her lifestyle in Europe and her lifestyle while living in America, and how it impacted her body. But she confesses that, while living in America, she stopped at the pastry shop every m...more
2 likes · like · see review
All the advice she gives is spot-on (drink more water, eat smaller portions, eat more fruit) but Giuliano was so damn smug that I spent most of this book wanting to smack her, not wanting to listen to her advice. Alas.
8 likes · like · see review
Aug 13, 2008
Sarah
added it
I LOVED this book and the author's point of view on eating. Here it is in a nutshell:
-It's all about a balance between indulgence and self control.
-Don't buy "diet foods" like skim milk and fake butter. They aren't satisfying so you just end up eating more. Certainly avoid chemically-altered "nonfoods."
-Don't give up the things you love; do give up the things that you can live without. Never eat something just because it's there. If you put it in your mouth it should be for one of two reasons:...more
-It's all about a balance between indulgence and self control.
-Don't buy "diet foods" like skim milk and fake butter. They aren't satisfying so you just end up eating more. Certainly avoid chemically-altered "nonfoods."
-Don't give up the things you love; do give up the things that you can live without. Never eat something just because it's there. If you put it in your mouth it should be for one of two reasons:...more
9 likes · like · see review
I found this book through a Google search for "leek soup" (don't ask!) and have been thoroughly delighted in my find! Written by an American/French ex-pat, it delves into the wide gap between American and French perspectives on food and weight (among other things.) Dotted with stories from her childhood in France and corporate life in America as the CEO of Cliquot, Inc., it is both an easy and practical read, full of recipes and tried-and-true practices for obtaining and maintaining a healthy we...more
I really enjoyed this book. I love the way this woman thinks and describes life from a French woman's perspective about food and life. This isn't a diet book. In fact, she's opposed to all the diets out there, especially the big ones that say no to all carbs. Something a French person would not even consider for a second. Okay, I admit, I'm probably a bit biased because the author is CEO of Veuve Cliquot in NYC. She loves champagne bien sur, and considers wine as a food. This book talks of pract...more
This is part of a larger program to feel better and live healthier.
Other than Guiliano's fascination with leeks, a lot of what she's saying we've heard before. Eat smaller portions. Eat fresh and seasonal. Sit down and savor your food. If you splurge, compensate. However, Guiliano relates all of this with continual references to Champagne (always capitalized), a scattering of bon mots, and a rather lovely sense of enthusiasm for good food and good living. The moral - stop being a lazy fatass and...more
Other than Guiliano's fascination with leeks, a lot of what she's saying we've heard before. Eat smaller portions. Eat fresh and seasonal. Sit down and savor your food. If you splurge, compensate. However, Guiliano relates all of this with continual references to Champagne (always capitalized), a scattering of bon mots, and a rather lovely sense of enthusiasm for good food and good living. The moral - stop being a lazy fatass and...more
Well written, and fun--I loved much of what the author had to say, and feel that I'm a little closer to understanding that mysterious French psyche. I picked up several useful tips for staying healthy, and much of what she had to say is a confirmation as to how our family goes about food (with the exception of our fasting) but what I'm really excited about are the many recipes. Can't wait to try the vegetable soups!
French women don't diet but they don't get fat. Know from this book how. Actually, most of the things the author said here I already know. I already know that drinking lots of water, walking regularly, breathing consciously are good for the body...all those simple things that usually just common sense. But I must admit I take them for granted and not do it consciously. What I like about this book is that it's not imposing and it doesn't say that chocolates are bad. It made me realize how bad my...more
I really enjoyed this book ... although most of the tips are just common sense practices. What I liked most about it were the anecdotes from Mireille Guiliano's childhood and youth as she grew up in France. Enchanting. It reads like a culinary autobiography. Well paced and fluid. Not exactly a diet book or a cookbook ... but there are some recipes for shedding pounds. Most of them sound good. It is really more of an outline of "French" lifestyles. The basics: French women eat to please the palat...more
May 29, 2007
Lyndsey Warner
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
everyone who loves to eat as much as i do!
Yum!!! This is a really cool idea for a book, not that it's the first of it's kind or anything, but i love books that are a cookbook and dialogue all at once! Combining food and reading? Brilliant. It's refreshing, funny, and not the kind of book that needs to be read all at once or in any particular order... although I guess it does help if you're seriously looking to go on a diet and lose weight without working too hard. Otherwise for people who are just looking to stay healthy it really just...more
1 like · like · see review
I found this book absolutely charming. It's not a diet book, in the traditional sense, but really a missive about how French women see life differently than American women, and eating is a huge part of that life. They eat with pleasure, which we all admit is something we rarely do (and I say that being unable to put down the second jelly-filled dunkin donut at my conference yesterday...*sigh*) and they eat logically. I try to take care of myself, eat right, exercise, but I suffer from bouts of t...more
Some have said that this is a book of things we've all heard from our mothers over and over. In a way they're correct. But here the information is presented with all le charme et l'exotisme of la France. Plus it shows what I've known about the French/American differences since I lived in France in 1999-2000: that French people don't exercise (the way we do), they eat wonderful food, and they are healthy and beautiful. I like how she blames our Puritan heritage for our behavior. I've been blaming...more
a slightly less scientific version of "The Fat Fallacy" By Will Clower.
Which isn't saying much, because I don't think Clower's book was particularly scientific. However, the principles in it did help me lose 30 pounds or thereabouts.
Anyway, "French Women" was ok. Not great. Her basic principles - don't eat crap, watch portion size, don't deprive yourself - are sound, except for maybe the leek soup miracle cure (only eat leek soup for an entire weekend to kickstart your new eating habits).
I didn'...more
Which isn't saying much, because I don't think Clower's book was particularly scientific. However, the principles in it did help me lose 30 pounds or thereabouts.
Anyway, "French Women" was ok. Not great. Her basic principles - don't eat crap, watch portion size, don't deprive yourself - are sound, except for maybe the leek soup miracle cure (only eat leek soup for an entire weekend to kickstart your new eating habits).
I didn'...more
I was not as impressed by this book as I should have been, given all the hype and popularity. Still worth reading, though, for the French perspective and a few good tips. I like her philosophy of self and life and food.
American women would do well to learn from her about temperate indulgence.
"One thing French women know is that the pleasure of most foods is in the first few bites; we rarely have seconds. The things we enjoy we don't enjoy as a matter of routine. Consider all the things you cons...more
American women would do well to learn from her about temperate indulgence.
"One thing French women know is that the pleasure of most foods is in the first few bites; we rarely have seconds. The things we enjoy we don't enjoy as a matter of routine. Consider all the things you cons...more
I liked and disliked this book in equal measure. It was interesting to read a book from a thin person's perspective on diet but I thought some of it was laughably silly. The key points of the book is about eating for pleasure, eating good quality ingredients in small quantities and adapting recipes to make them low fat and low calorie. I tried one of the recipes (champagne chicken) which was delicious but declined to try a suggestion for apple tart which was essentially apple compote in a cabbag...more
Listened to on my daily commute ...
I had no intention of starting a diet while pregnant, but I picked this up from the library out of curiosity. Setting aside the diet advice, recipes and foodie comments (yes, I know these could be considered the point of the work) - it was an interesting cultural study. I enjoyed peaking into another culture. The author repeatedly states that pleasure is the point of life for the French and criticizes American “puritism” and focus on discipline. (I’ll stick wit...more
I had no intention of starting a diet while pregnant, but I picked this up from the library out of curiosity. Setting aside the diet advice, recipes and foodie comments (yes, I know these could be considered the point of the work) - it was an interesting cultural study. I enjoyed peaking into another culture. The author repeatedly states that pleasure is the point of life for the French and criticizes American “puritism” and focus on discipline. (I’ll stick wit...more
So this was a book that made the O list (recommended reads by Oprah). She really recommended the book, noting how fabulous it was. It looked interesting enough and sounded like it could be a fun read, so I thought I'd give it a shot.
The writing quality was just fine - it was all clear and understandable.
The book actually is a bit of a mix of things - the first part is of the author retelling her tale of how she went on exchange to the USA (she is from France) via school for a year or so, and t...more
The writing quality was just fine - it was all clear and understandable.
The book actually is a bit of a mix of things - the first part is of the author retelling her tale of how she went on exchange to the USA (she is from France) via school for a year or so, and t...more
This is a fun read--one I just reread over Christmas break since my mom and I were discussing its merits over a glass of wine and some fruitcake during Christmas...but I digress.
I really, really like Guiliano's emphasis that moderation is the key, not abstinence from a particular food group or type of macronutrient. Similarly, general activity is highly desirable, more so than a particular gym-bound workout. She champions self control, savoring your food and truly enjoying what you eat, and dail...more
I really, really like Guiliano's emphasis that moderation is the key, not abstinence from a particular food group or type of macronutrient. Similarly, general activity is highly desirable, more so than a particular gym-bound workout. She champions self control, savoring your food and truly enjoying what you eat, and dail...more
Hmmm, what to say about this book? I picked it up after it had been languishing on the book pile for a couple of years unread. The first part of reading it was torture by stereotype (“French women do, French women don’t”) and, to be honest, the tone never truly picked up during the rest of the read.
Don’t get me wrong, I am a long loving Francophile (ex-resident of the beau pays, educated in the UK and France both academically and spiritually) but the stereotype of French women and culture is act...more
Don’t get me wrong, I am a long loving Francophile (ex-resident of the beau pays, educated in the UK and France both academically and spiritually) but the stereotype of French women and culture is act...more
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Internationally best-selling author Mireille Guiliano was for over 20 years the spokesperson for Champagne Veuve Clicquot and a senior executive at LVMH as well as CEO of Clicquot, Inc., the US firm she helped found in 1984 and was its first employee. Her first book, French Women Don't Get Fat: The Secret of Eating for Pleasure, became a runaway best seller around the globe in 2005. She followed u...more
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“Making choices that are meaningful to you is the essence of the French woman's secret.”
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6 people liked it
“~Garbage in, garbage out~”
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5 people liked it
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