My French diet challenge (warning, high carbs)

jtboner

As you know, the French are relatively slim compared to their western counterparts. I recently started this new diet. I'd say this diet is more of a lifestyle change so I recommend this near the end of your weight loss journey.
Guidelines:
- NO SNACKING
- SMALL (petite) breakfast, consisting of a LOW SUGARY carb (toast with Jam, croissant, cereal, etc.)
- Large lunch and/or dinner
- Make EACH MEAL (except breakfast) count for your calories, make sure you savour and enjoy each meal
- ENJOY YOUR MEAL, this is the most important part of this diet. The french LOVE food and can have meals that go on for a few hours (not a requirement)

What I found:
- No snacking may be a problem for the first day, but after you could go hours without eating (On a usual basis I can go about 5-6 hours without eating)
- There is no tight scientific evidence that snacking keeps your metabolism at bay
- LESS CRAVINGS
- you actually get to ENJOY your meals
- When you include snacking, you have to compensate by sacrificing the quality of your meals
- MORE IN CONTROL
- a lot more fibre.... = a lot more poopy :P
- More happy!

Let me know what you think! I know there is going to be a large amount of carb and snacking debate but at least try it and then feel free to argue with what went wrong with this diet

Francl27

Eh... whatever works. I don't see how this is high carb necessarily though. Also, for what it's worth, I'm French, and toast with jam or a croissant NEVER filled me up longer than 2 hours. My sister still eats bread and jam for breakfast but it's like 600 calories worth of it... Also I'm confused about how cereal and jam are low in sugar, and I put croissants in the worst fullness per calorie ratio category (meaning they are like 350 calories of air, as far as I'm concerned, even if they are delicious). And cereal, toast, and croissants don't necessarily have a lot of fiber either...

But I guess some people are happy with a small breakfast.

For the snacking, most people I know had a snack around 10am with coffee in the breakroom or between classes... But we tended to have a bigger lunch so less snacking in the afternoon (although kids typically get something around 4-4.30pm). And my lunches had actually less carbs than most lunches here - sure, I had baguette sandwiches occasionally, but otherwise it was pretty much the same kind of stuff that people eat for dinner here.

Anyway, whatever works for you. I just don't really see what's French about it.

mccindy72

Eh, I'd rather track calories and know how much I'm eating, and just eat when I feel like eating.

strong_curves

My thoughts... if you like it that's fine with me. I'd rather just do CICO and still enjoy my food.

erigann

I just spent a few weeks in France, 1 was with my cousin who has lived in Paris 30 years.
I ate like a French person, plus a little extra for the really good ice cream & I did lose a few pounds,
I didn't eat super high carbs.
I had yogurt, hard boiled eggs & fruit for breakfast. The yogurt was full fat, but much smaller portions
Lunch was pretty normal & baguette sandwiches made with real French butter, a thin slice of meat & cheese are pretty popular.
Dinners were longer, more courses with smaller portions, dinners were also significantly later.
French women also do a lot of walking, a real lot.
Drink real juices & don't have as much added sugar or corn syrup in everything, like ketchup.
French fries were real potatoes, not frozen with added dextrose or other things.
I miss the food so much. I've only been back a week and a half.

jemhh

So the whole challenge boils down to eating jam and bread for breakfast and then big lunches/suppers? I feel like I must be missing something.

Alatariel75

I eat an english muffin for breakfast, then larger lunches and dinners. I'm not really a snacker. I had no idea I was French, I thought I lost 60+lbs because I ate less calories than I burned. Huh. The more you know.

cityruss

Down with arbitrary rules!

auddii

I thought you hated the taste of carbs and had problems consuming them?

AnikaTownsend

The only 2 cereals i have eaten and felt full and lost weight is Multigrain or honey nut cheerios (with almond milk) and kashi go lean crunch.

TnTWalter

Alatariel75 wrote: »

I eat an english muffin for breakfast, then larger lunches and dinners. I'm not really a snacker. I had no idea I was French, I thought I lost 60+lbs because I ate less calories than I burned. Huh. The more you know.

congrats on the 60+ pounds. c'est bien!

Alatariel75

TnTWalter wrote: »

Alatariel75 wrote: »

I eat an english muffin for breakfast, then larger lunches and dinners. I'm not really a snacker. I had no idea I was French, I thought I lost 60+lbs because I ate less calories than I burned. Huh. The more you know.

congrats on the 60+ pounds. c'est bien!

Merci beaucoup!

WinoGelato

Alatariel75 wrote: »

I eat an english muffin for breakfast, then larger lunches and dinners. I'm not really a snacker. I had no idea I was French, I thought I lost 60+lbs because I ate less calories than I burned. Huh. The more you know.

Viva La France!

erigann

Alatariel75 wrote: »

I eat an english muffin for breakfast, then larger lunches and dinners. I'm not really a snacker. I had no idea I was French, I thought I lost 60+lbs because I ate less calories than I burned. Huh. The more you know.

Very cool! Congratulations!

Sabine_Stroehm

Where's the high carbs here?

My time in France wasn't particularly "high carb"...

jtboner

auddii wrote: »

I thought you hated the taste of carbs and had problems consuming them?

If you can sugar coat it, you can eat it XD (kind of, I still hate noodles though and the rice has to be a certain texture, long and not too moist or dry)

jtboner

Francl27 wrote: »

Eh... whatever works. I don't see how this is high carb necessarily though. Also, for what it's worth, I'm French, and toast with jam or a croissant NEVER filled me up longer than 2 hours. My sister still eats bread and jam for breakfast but it's like 600 calories worth of it... Also I'm confused about how cereal and jam are low in sugar, and I put croissants in the worst fullness per calorie ratio category (meaning they are like 350 calories of air, as far as I'm concerned, even if they are delicious). And cereal, toast, and croissants don't necessarily have a lot of fiber either...

But I guess some people are happy with a small breakfast.

For the snacking, most people I know had a snack around 10am with coffee in the breakroom or between classes... But we tended to have a bigger lunch so less snacking in the afternoon (although kids typically get something around 4-4.30pm). And my lunches had actually less carbs than most lunches here - sure, I had baguette sandwiches occasionally, but otherwise it was pretty much the same kind of stuff that people eat for dinner here.

Anyway, whatever works for you. I just don't really see what's French about it.

I see how the title can be misleading. But this type of diet is known as being the 'french diet', you can search it up. I thought that if I put that title in people would relate to the french diet diet that's been slowly going around.

WinoGelato

jtboner wrote: »

Francl27 wrote: »

Eh... whatever works. I don't see how this is high carb necessarily though. Also, for what it's worth, I'm French, and toast with jam or a croissant NEVER filled me up longer than 2 hours. My sister still eats bread and jam for breakfast but it's like 600 calories worth of it... Also I'm confused about how cereal and jam are low in sugar, and I put croissants in the worst fullness per calorie ratio category (meaning they are like 350 calories of air, as far as I'm concerned, even if they are delicious). And cereal, toast, and croissants don't necessarily have a lot of fiber either...

But I guess some people are happy with a small breakfast.

For the snacking, most people I know had a snack around 10am with coffee in the breakroom or between classes... But we tended to have a bigger lunch so less snacking in the afternoon (although kids typically get something around 4-4.30pm). And my lunches had actually less carbs than most lunches here - sure, I had baguette sandwiches occasionally, but otherwise it was pretty much the same kind of stuff that people eat for dinner here.

Anyway, whatever works for you. I just don't really see what's French about it.

I see how the title can be misleading. But this type of diet is known as being the 'french diet', you can search it up. I thought that if I put that title in people would relate to the french diet diet that's been slowly going around.

So you thought that people would assume you were talking about a fad diet circulating the Internet, and not assume you meant the diet of actual French people?

WinoGelato

UltimateRBF wrote: »

I thought the French diet consisted solely of baguettes, cigarettes, and wine.

Oh and cheese.

I am so down with that.

jtboner

WinoGelato wrote: »

jtboner wrote: »

Francl27 wrote: »

Eh... whatever works. I don't see how this is high carb necessarily though. Also, for what it's worth, I'm French, and toast with jam or a croissant NEVER filled me up longer than 2 hours. My sister still eats bread and jam for breakfast but it's like 600 calories worth of it... Also I'm confused about how cereal and jam are low in sugar, and I put croissants in the worst fullness per calorie ratio category (meaning they are like 350 calories of air, as far as I'm concerned, even if they are delicious). And cereal, toast, and croissants don't necessarily have a lot of fiber either...

But I guess some people are happy with a small breakfast.

For the snacking, most people I know had a snack around 10am with coffee in the breakroom or between classes... But we tended to have a bigger lunch so less snacking in the afternoon (although kids typically get something around 4-4.30pm). And my lunches had actually less carbs than most lunches here - sure, I had baguette sandwiches occasionally, but otherwise it was pretty much the same kind of stuff that people eat for dinner here.

Anyway, whatever works for you. I just don't really see what's French about it.

I see how the title can be misleading. But this type of diet is known as being the 'french diet', you can search it up. I thought that if I put that title in people would relate to the french diet diet that's been slowly going around.

So you thought that people would assume you were talking about a fad diet circulating the Internet, and not assume you meant the diet of actual French people?

Well this is what this diet is known as, so I put the diet name as the title. If it's actually related to the cultural French diet is to be debated. I can't confirm or have an opinion on whether this diet is actually the diet of actual French people, it's just what I found to be the title of the diet

Lourdesong

So, what's the diet? Other than your breakfast I see a list of behaviors, and your breakfast content was vague, emphasis seemed to be that your breakfast should be small. Most Americans have a carby breakfast, so I guess I'm not seeing what's so interesting about your breakfast here.