Book Review: French Women Don’t Get Fat

By Mireille Guiliano

I listened to 2/3rds of this book at least a year ago. Stuck on the plane back from Berlin on Saturday I finished the book. On the second go I liked the book a lot more. The author is a French woman who has lived in America for 30 years. In college she put on some weight and was sent to her doctor. Whether this really happened or not, Dr. Miracle serves the important role of explaining to the author and the reader the mysteries of how French women eat.

So the bottom line you ask? Eat anything you want, in moderation and walk a lot, and by a lot I mean three times as much as you do now.

Her tips, however practical, hit home. For instance she suggests carrying an en-cas, or emergency snack. This keeps her from splurging on some unplanned candy bar and pacifies her when she feels hungry, because she knows always has a snack.

One of my favorite chapters talks about the importance of chocolate and bread in your diet, again only eat the best, and in moderation. “French women don’t eat Wonder Bread.”

In Berlin last week I wore a pedometer. I have been wearing it in DC for four months. My daily step goal is 10,000 steps, but in DC I average 8,000. In Berlin I took at least 15,000 steps daily and one day took 25,000 steps (a.k.a. 10 miles). I loved it. I felt so good. I am going to work on walking more. The author talks about taking the stairs, parking in the furthest parking spot, and trying to incorporate movement into your daily life. She might be right in thinking the machines at the gym are vestiges of our Puritanical history, and serve only to punish us in front of our community.

After listening to the audio book, I bought the hardcover book which contains some very cute little illustrations and French recipes to try. I plan to try the yogurt recipe in the book tomorrow.

I must say I saw the book as more of a fad then anything I might really like, but I was wrong. She offers solid permanent life changing options to help us all look a little more French.