My French diet challenge (warning, high carbs)
jtboner
Posts: 59 Member
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
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
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Replies
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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.0 -
Eh, I'd rather track calories and know how much I'm eating, and just eat when I feel like eating.0
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My thoughts... if you like it that's fine with me. I'd rather just do CICO and still enjoy my food.0
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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.0 -
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.0
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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.0
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Down with arbitrary rules!0
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I thought you hated the taste of carbs and had problems consuming them?0
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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.0
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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!0 -
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!
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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!
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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!
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Where's the high carbs here?
My time in France wasn't particularly "high carb"...0 -
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.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.
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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.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.
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?
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UltimateRBF wrote: »I thought the French diet consisted solely of baguettes, cigarettes, and wine.
Oh and cheese.
I am so down with that.
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WinoGelato wrote: »
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.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.
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 diet0 -
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.0
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Lourdesong wrote: »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.
I am not an expert on this diet but I can give you slight more details about the breakfast. And it is supposed to be smaller and more carb focused compared to our encouraged big breakfast with fats, carbs and protein.
Breakfast can include:
croissant
cereal
pain au chocolat
yogurt
fruit (not too much)
bread/toast with jam
Here is some basic info on the breakfast, I am not an expert on this diet but I only want to see what other people think if they try it
http://thebaguettediet.com/what-french-people-eat-for-breakfast/0 -
Other than the high-carb breakfast, this is pretty much how I eat.
I think of it as kind of generally Spanish (minus the white rice) but whatever. High quality, tasty foods in smaller portions are more satisfying to me than eating a lot of junk.
To each his or her own.0 -
Lourdesong wrote: »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.
I am not an expert on this diet but I can give you slight more details about the breakfast. And it is supposed to be smaller and more carb focused compared to our encouraged big breakfast with fats, carbs and protein.
Breakfast can include:
croissant
cereal
pain au chocolat
yogurt
fruit (not too much)
bread/toast with jam
Here is some basic info on the breakfast, I am not an expert on this diet but I only want to see what other people think if they try it
http://thebaguettediet.com/what-french-people-eat-for-breakfast/
It really does sound like you have no idea what this diet entails. Why over complicate things? Set a calorie goal, stick to it.0 -
Unless the "diet" is based on French food, it makes no sense. And even if it is French food, which part of France? Southern and Northern part of the country have significant differences in basic ingredients.0
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Thanks for reminding me...I think I'll have some sliced baguette and butter tomorrow night if I'm good all day (which I always am). #yum0
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What about the "Italian" diet?
When we were visiting Italy, we did as numerous Italians did and ate a big delicious cornetto every morning! That's a huge croissant filled with cream or Nutella! Oh, and a large cup of cappuccino!
And yet, I stilled managed to maintain! Gotta love that diet!0 -
I have lived in France, and you have forgotten the mandatory pre-dinner snacking at 'aperitif' time. This is when you have loads nuts, chips or other savoury snacks and a glass of wine or kir somewhere between 5-7pm. Keeps you going till your late dinner. 0
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healthygreek wrote: »What about the "Italian" diet?
When we were visiting Italy, we did as numerous Italians did and ate a big delicious cornetto every morning! That's a huge croissant filled with cream or Nutella! Oh, and a large cup of cappuccino!
And yet, I stilled managed to maintain! Gotta love that diet!
Don't forget the gelato!
We were in Florence for a month last summer and I had that exact breakfast you described as well as gelato every single day. I essentially maintained during that trip. Best trip ever!
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5-6 hours without eating doesn't seem like a big deal to me, since I typically don't eat anything for 7-8 hours after I wake up and I rarely snack. But I don't see where you would be not eating for 5-6 hours if you are eating 3 meals a day (other than while sleeping, which is true of most everyone). But, your post doesn't give much details of the diet like meal times or what you eat, other than high carb.
I do agree with high fiber though. I think that is the single most helpful thing to me when dieting.0
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