Well, maybe I am a bit harsh, but the truth of the matter is, when you live in Paris it’s really hard to be fat! Why? Because Paris is a city where you walk for miles and no matter if you eat butter or cream, or all those other fattening things, you just burn up all those calories by walking! If you take the Metro you still end up walking through long corridors and up and down stairs and if you live in a 5th, 6th, or 7th floor walk-up to your flat, you go up and down hundreds of stairs several times a day! Who needs a StairMaster?!

The only difference (and it’s a big difference) between the French and Americans (I can’t speak for the Australians, Canadians, British, etc.) is the French in general do not snack. Americans, on the other hand, are eating all the time. Even if the French are hungry, they’ll wait until it’s time to eat. Americans will eat anytime, even when they’re not hungry!

That said, and I’ve talked about this a number of times, I say put a Parisian woman in the States, let her continue eating as she does in Paris, (no snacking, but using butter, cream, wine, etc.) and live the American lifestyle of jumping into a car even if it’s only to go a few hundred yards, never climbing stairs, but taking elevators instead and within a couple of months those pounds will start creeping up.

Put an American in Paris, let her continue snacking all the time, eating junk food more often than not, but give her the Parisian lifestyle of walking for miles everyday and I guarantee the pounds will start melting away. So as far as Guiliano’s book of savouring your food, taking your time to eat, creating an ambiance, eating her healthy recipes, etc. That’s all fine and dandy, but it’s burning those calories that makes a real difference.

The nice thing about Paris, it’s such a joy strolling the streets of this beautiful city that you do it for the pleasure, not the exercise. It’s the best of both worlds….eating great food and staying thin!

Photo Credits: Flickr

Post from: The Paris Traveler