Why french women don't get fat

[Heswall]

Please somebody tell me the leek soup thing works, I may throw up soon and am starving.
TIA

[LaurieFairyCake]

It's a con my dear, one of the reasons SOME don't get fat is they're sucking on fags all day. Not sure that has much to do with soup, though it generally fills you up by volume.

Eat more soup?

Any chance you're fabulous the way you are?

[MooncupandPizza]

I didn't try the leek soup thing but I did once do a few days of just juice and soups and lost about 7lb - probably mostly water weight, I never checked to see if it went back on!

I read the book despite being intensely annoyed by the title (I have seen plenty of fat French women in my time and also feel there is a huge diet/slimness industry there so this whole "it's just their lifestyle keeps them thin naturally is bollocks IMHO! There is even a bottled water advertised as the slimmer's water - water FFS!! )

Hope you take the other tips on too - being active in daily life, savouring and enjoying food, balancing treats out with smaller portions or whatever the next day, water in the mornings!

Also hope you do not throw up your leek soup and that you eat somethign soon. It's meant as a quick fix/boost to start with, isn't it? Don't keep it up too long!

[cyb]

Dont do soup diets

Whats going to happen when you go back to normal food?

[EmmaNicole]

LOL...I'm reading the book at the moment...though I don't think I'll be indulging in the leek soup. I don't even need to do the write-everything-you-eat-down thing..I'm sat here with a cup of coffee and 2 cakes - I'm pretty sure that's what I need to cut back on!! Good luck. I'm enjoying the book.

[brandysoakedbitch]

French women do get fat

and don't do soup diets, it is as daft as fuck

[Heswall]

God I'd love a fag .....

The leeks are vile, I've literally just started today .... need to lose 10lb's and have zero willpower.

[MooncupandPizza]

even if you lose 10lb with teh soup diet, you probably won't keep it off - do it slow and steady and change your eating habits to be more aware of the what goes in and you can lose it.

I think, if you feel you have zero willpower, then allowing the treats but balancing them out by cutting portion sizes and so on could be a good solution for you.

[cocolepew]

My Dad lived in Paris and I reckon the slim stylish Parisenne women is a myth. Obviously it's city and there are people who dress nice etc. But that's the same everywhere.

[Heswall]

True I did the silk cut diet and have put that back on again

I must get more active but hoped the directic effect of the leeks might loosen the waistbands a bit and motivate me to keep going.

[BendyBob]

I'm not sure about Paris, but the women I've seen in towns elsewhere in France look well...ordinary. All shapes and sizes and not esp chic either, that I noticed.

[frankie3]

I haven't read the book. What is in the leek soup? Is it just leeks??

[shaketheshame]

I'm French, I was very slim until.....I came to England !Go figure, it must the "mal-bouffe"..also I have been warned before I went to England I was told that I'll defo put on weight there and it was true. I did as soon as the beginning.

[Heswall]

It's leeks and water.

I do think that some of the advice is very good in the book, small treats, put down cutlery between mouthfuls, stop eating when full.

[drywhiteplease]

I have French mother. Not all French women are thin but....their diet is generally better than ours....

They don't snack as much as we do
There isn't the variety of chocolates,sweets and crisps
To eat until you are "stuffed" is very bad manners
They don't eat as much processed food
They don't eat as many carbs as we do
A lot smoke,it's true

However, a lot of French women (a few in my family and apologies to shake )are a bit high maintenance and sometimes need a bit of our Brit 'sod it' attitude!

[zumm]

They also seem to eat a lot of good cheese.

[zumm]

As does Helena Christiansen - not French, but very good looking.
Eat cheese, OP.

[BigBoobiedBertha]

Eat slowly, putting down your cutlery between mouthfuls, stop when you are full are good. Add to that only eat when you are hungry and eat what you like and you have the basis of the Paul McKenna plan which requires no will power to speak of because you aren't deprived of anything. Not faddy in the slightest and certainly not restrictive in any way - there is a thread of people following this way of losing weight if you are interested.

Soup is more filling than ordinary food, it is true but if it makes you want to throw up then surely as soon as you have lost those 10lbs you will be going back to your old way of eating and put it all back on again? And why just leek soup? Why not any other vegetable? It isn't something that is sustainable which is why 90% of diets fail I suppose.

I agree that French women outside of Paris are pretty ordinary really and they do smoke an awful lot too. It isn't looked down on the way it is here. And whilst being slim obviously has its benefits I can't see that they would be that great if all you ate was leek soup all the time. That surely messes with your head and your health? Who wants to be slim but ill?!

[MrsSchadenfreude]

The reason Parisian women aren't fat is because they don't eat. I live and work in Paris, and a normal lunch for a Parisian woman, judging from the queue in front of me at the office resto, consists of a 0% fromage frais, a coffee, and possibly a small dish of broccoli. And about 15 fags. Oh, one woman had a small carton of grated carrot today instead of the broccoli, and another had two small lettuce leaves.

Women outside of Paris seem to be more normal, and those in the north of France seem to slob about in fleeces and tracky bottoms with trainers. As I said, normal people.

[Heswall]

The leek thing is supposed to kick start weight loss, I am having chilli con carne and rice though, cannot stomach the soup.

[sunshineoutdoors]

Can you link to the Paul McKenna thread please? Sounds interesting..

[thenightsky]

Not sure I'd know where to go to purchase a 'small carton of grated carrot' in the UK Mrs S.

I have actually lived on ryvita and fruit for 2 weeks and lost a mere 3lbs. I'm buggered if I can keep this up and have purchased cava to sooth me tonight.

Not prepared to start smoking at my age either.

[Snakeonaplane]

I've lost 11lb in 4 weeks using myfitnesspal app, I would highly recommend it, it's just calorie counting, similar to weight watchers. my friend has lost similar and my dh has lost nearly a stone and a half. Stupid diets mean as soon as you stop it all goes back on again.

[emsyj]

I've lost 10.5lb in 4 weeks on WeightWatchers without excessive suffering or starvation.... Just sayin'.

[BigBoobiedBertha]

sunshine - Here is the Paul McKenna thread You are very welcome to join in at any time.