French Women Don't Get Fat
by Mireille Guiliano
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Read in October, 2007
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.
Stil, I have to give it to Mrs Guiliano (Who is not my mother, but the author...more
And why, yes, my mother gaves this to me (which is why I read the german version, here. Thanks so much, mom.
Stil, I have to give it to Mrs Guiliano (Who is not my mother, but the author...more
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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...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...more
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Read in January, 2007
recommends it for:
women who want to view food differently
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 Frenc...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 Frenc...more
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2 comments
Read in October, 2005
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 t...more
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Read in June, 2007
Yes, yes I have lost weight. Please do not "compliment" me by saying "Wow, you were obese before." That's rude. Your mother should have taught you better. A simple "You look great," is always appreciated. Anyway this book is what I followed, and it worked. It's not strict, which is why it works, but it's not easy. It is always easier to eat pre-packaged crap than to actually think about the food you eat. But the idea of really focusing on the pleasure I get ...more
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Read in May, 2005
I can see why Jenn loved this book. It is the way she has always naturally done things, so this was an affirmation, along with a few extra tips.
Food – I always wanted to just take a pill and take care of all my nutrition needs. It would save so much time: planning, shopping, preparing, eating, cleaning up, and exercising! There is no such pill, so I think if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. I have to retrain myself to enjoy the journey, and food is the necessary fuel.
Stop and smell th...more
Food – I always wanted to just take a pill and take care of all my nutrition needs. It would save so much time: planning, shopping, preparing, eating, cleaning up, and exercising! There is no such pill, so I think if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. I have to retrain myself to enjoy the journey, and food is the necessary fuel.
Stop and smell th...more
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Read in December, 2007
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
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I had to get to page 261 to be won over completely.
'For while exerting oneself physically is completely essential to Montaigne's ideal of the healthy mind in a healthy body, dressing to break a sweat doesn't go with being French. Partly, it all seems such a great, joyless effort: cutting two hours out of the precious day - the travel, changing, learning to use machines, waiting to use them, showering, drying your hair, and so on. And you have to pay for it!'
Add to that this French woma...more
'For while exerting oneself physically is completely essential to Montaigne's ideal of the healthy mind in a healthy body, dressing to break a sweat doesn't go with being French. Partly, it all seems such a great, joyless effort: cutting two hours out of the precious day - the travel, changing, learning to use machines, waiting to use them, showering, drying your hair, and so on. And you have to pay for it!'
Add to that this French woma...more
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Read in January, 2007
recommends it for:
everybody
Bought this book when I was 7 months pregnant and planning to read it when my Baby is out to the world, didn't realize that I won't have any time to sleep or eat properly let alone to read a book!!! So, when Ariel was 6 months old I started to read it slowly, trying some of her recipe (The Leek Soup is a must try, everyone !!!!). Apparently the essence of French gastronomy is to have a little of several things rather than a lot of one or two.
Must say I didn't follow her practical advice righ...more
Must say I didn't follow her practical advice righ...more
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Read in August, 2007
recommends it for:
foodies
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 ...more
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Read in October, 2007
recommends it for:
yes
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 m...more
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recommends it for:
Anyone
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...more
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Has a copy to sell/swap
I liked this book. It's sort of a non-cuss-word-filled counterpart to Skinny Bitch.
The author is a classy lady who grew up in France and developed a (surprising) weight issue when she visited the U.S. and began eating like an American. When she returned to France, her mother referred her to the family doctor (Dr. Miracle, as she calls him), who taught her "a few French tricks" that have not only served her well for decades but...more
The author is a classy lady who grew up in France and developed a (surprising) weight issue when she visited the U.S. and began eating like an American. When she returned to France, her mother referred her to the family doctor (Dr. Miracle, as she calls him), who taught her "a few French tricks" that have not only served her well for decades but...more
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A friend of mine was purging her bookshelves, so I got this (and the follow-up, French Women for All Seasons) for free. I'd always been a little put off by the title, as it sounded more like schtick than substance. However, I'm enjoying it so far. It's written as woman's personal story/experience with tips on how to adapt this approach for yourself; it's highly readable, as opposed to being a really dry how-to book. And let's face it: the idea of eating incredibly rich, indulgent, high-quality f...more
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Read in June, 2008
Booo. I can't really say I enjoy reading books that tell me how awful my whole life is for the simple fact that I wasn't born in France. The author is a freaking wealthy woman who is the CEO of a luxury goods company who drinks champagne like there's no tomorrow! Maybe that's where I'm going wrong. Maybe I should just 'get rich' and solve all my problems?!
She made some good statements and some of the recipes were alright, but I tried the apple on cabbage leaves and that earned a big 2 th...more
She made some good statements and some of the recipes were alright, but I tried the apple on cabbage leaves and that earned a big 2 th...more
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Read in January, 2005
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 jus...more
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Read in June, 2008
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 ...more
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Read in January, 2008
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
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Read in June, 2008
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...more
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Read in December, 2007
recommends it for:
foodies, francophiles, diet slackers
So this book isn't so much a diet as an attempt to get you to change your view of eating and be more French. While I usually have no problem emulating the French, this book assumes the world has access to GOOD fresh fruits and veggies, water, and everyone has some level of self-control. BUT, this "diet" encourages eating cheese, carbs, dessert, and wine (though everything in moderation bien sur) so how horrible can it be? And the chapters on different seasonal veggies and foods were...more
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