French Women Don't Get Fat
by Mireille Guiliano
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Book Reviews of French Women Don't Get Fat
Book Review: Easier than you think
Summary: 5 Stars
My mother recommended this book to me. I'm an extremely busy law student who had zero time to cooking or eat healthy. The first month of law school I gained ten pounds and panicked. I ordered this book online, read it in a weekend, and was thrilled. I've lost the weight I gained moving here, plus a few more pounds. Yes, the weight loss is slow, but it's not deprivation at all! It doesn't take much time to plan meals anymore, and it only takes me 30 seconds in the morning to grab whatever I'm having for dinner out of the freezer. (I buy fresh meat and fish on weekends and freeze it.)
Yes, it's all absurdly simple, it's all common sense, but it's nice to be reminded how easy it can be to eat well. It's not expensive to eat well either. I'm on a limited budget - I can only spend $30/week on groceries so it does take some thought when you go shopping but with a little planning it's well worth it.
This book is not for anyone who wants a quick fix but if you want to learn how to eat whatever you want without getting fat, I recommend this book. It's amazing how little food will leave you satisfied, as opposed to how much you need to feel "full".
Book Review: Good sense.
Summary: 4 Stars
This book echos my views, and it's good to read them when I need a tuneup of how I'm doing with my nutrition and life. It just makes sense. Diets don't work. Well maybe except Weight Watchers, but that is also a lifetime change.
I love the idea of enjoying all great food, but changing how it's enjoyed and in what amounts. I really agree with not making a habit of sugar free and fat free.
I don't feel this book is condescending to Americans and a snooty idea of French is better either. We have bad eating habits and not enough moving. It's just a fact. Maybe some sweeping generalizations are made, but they make good sense.
I totally disagree however with 48 hours of leek soup only. Just not healthy. So, when I did it I did the alternative soup with more veggies and I had eggs, fish, chicken in the amounts needed to meet protein requirements of 48 hours. I can't do veggie only for that long and not get dizzy and too weak.
Doing this I'm down 10 pounds from where I started these changes, or rather got back to it, and find I can keep it up (mostly, who doesn't have more indulgent days) and enjoy food and life!
Book Review: Everyone should read this book
Summary: 5 Stars
Yes, some French women are fat, just like everywhere else. But this book is not about the French being better, it's about our mindsets and attitudes towards food.
Guiliano begins her book with the story of how her eating habits changed when she came to the U.S. on an exchange program, and how she had to reprogram herself when she returned.
Aside from preaching about a few general healthy habits (drink lots of water, eat balanced meals and plenty of vegetables, etc), Guiliano is message is basically moderation, portion control, and enjoyment of life. Maintaining your weight should not be about denying yourself sweets or carbs (you should enjoy foods that you love!), but it is important to think about how much we are eating! Enjoy that chocolate, but don't eat the whole bar. Enjoy bread, but don't eat 8 servings of it a day.
It's a good read, and she definitely brings up many points worth thinking about. I would recommend this book to women and men who are interested in maintaining their weight and/or general healthy attitudes towards food.
Book Review: Wonderful Book - truly delightful
Summary: 5 Stars
I love this book. It has a really good philosophy behind it - basically it's to eat purposefully, and really taste your food. It's about indulging your cravings in a healthy way, and avoiding compulsive, unsatisfying eating. Some of the recipes are painfully easy (she actually tells you to put sliced apples in a frying pan, dot with butter, cook, then add a sprinkle of cinnamon - really? that's considered a recipe?!). However, other recipes she has are simple in a good way - a few ingredients, a few steps, and you actually bake something sophisticated, like champagne chicken. This book is great for inspiring A) people who would like to live healthier/eat healthier, and B) people who don't know a lot about cooking. If you don't fit into categories A or B, then you might not like this book. I fit into both categories. I will say that I disagree with her whole attitude towards gyms - you should go to the gym if you want to be toned, not just skinny (the author thinks gyms are kind of silly). To summarize, I highly recommend this book for most women.Book Review: Romanticizes French women somewhat
Summary: 3 Stars
The advice shared in this book is fine. I have no quarrel with it. I will agree with some of the other reviewers that some of the strategies the author suggests come much easier if one lives in a city than if one lives in a rural area. However, adjustments can be made.
However, her point about French women effortlessly controlling their weight is a myth from what I've observed. I lived on a French island, and believe you me, those French women watched every morsel they put into their mouth. Oftentimes, I would see women nibbling on a few slices of cataloupe and ham for lunch and that's it (far different from the indulgent lunches that the author describes). I knew of plenty of French people who went to the gym (and this is on an island, where they could have the choice of swimming or some other water sport).
I'm not saying that the author's advice is wrong. I think many of her strategies are on target. However, what she's describing may be the France of old, not the France of today.