A Friend Stopped By | 09/21/2009 3:00 am

Hate the Gym? How Very French, by Mireille Guiliano

The bestselling author of French Women Don’t Get Fat explains how French women exercise — no spandex required.

By Mireille Guiliano

Photo: Andrew French

Editor’s Note: Mireille Guiliano is the internationally bestselling author of French Women Don’t Get Fat. Her latest book, Women, Work and the Art of Savoir Faire: Business Sense & Sensibility will appear in October. She can be reached at mireilleguiliano.com and frenchwomendontgetfat.com.

From the 15th floor windows of my New York City apartment, I have a clear view of a big and many windowed "health center," (aka a four-story gym complex). September is one of the gym’s busiest months. Right after Labor Day, active women, who I hope are incorporating daily outdoor activities with a seasonal summer flavor into their daily routines, flock indoors to the gym and an artificial routine of treadmills, exercise bikes and medieval torture devices. I see them sweating early mornings and late at night from my windows. I see them going and coming from my daily walk as I pass the gym.

You don’t have to torture yourself on those metal contraptions or run a marathon to stay trim. French women reject the notion of 'no pain, no gain.'

It is a sign of the times — but also our American culture — that many women seem to have only two modes: sitting or spinning. They’re either avoiding even the slightest heart rate increase (like those women in my apartment building who take the elevator to the second floor) or they’re sentencing themselves to hours at the gym as punishment for their indulgences throughout the day. So often I see the begrudging look on women’s faces and hear the phrase, "I don’t want to go to the gym, but I have to." Pourquoi? If you are eating mindfully, and eating the correct portion sizes, you don’t have to torture yourself on those metal contraptions or run a marathon to stay trim. French women reject the notion of "no pain, no gain," opting for a more pleasurable notion of mild, sustained exertion. We prefer all-day movement, what I like to call "the slow burn," and we practice it as second nature instead of attacking it like boot camp.

Exercise requires the same sense of balance we require in other aspects of our life. We know by now that most dieting has a yo-yo effect and fails; we must recognize that too little and too much exercise meet the same fate. Overexertion at the gym may actually sabotage your weight loss goals. Too many women I know go overboard on the treadmill, and then eat more as either mental or hunger compensation. Eating a protein bar loaded with chemicals and calories just to burn them off seems silly. Or is it just to moi? The overheated workout also often leads to defeatism (I give up!). My window survey confirms those overcrowded gyms in January are half as crowded in February and March. Those New Year’s resolutions may provide us with the motivation, but after a few weeks of killing ourselves on the elliptical, we burn out.

French women see exertion as an integral part of the day. I encourage you to look at everyday movement (what you do in street clothes, not spandex) as essential to your overall wellness, and not to see exertion as something assigned to the gym. Here are a few French tips on how to stay fit without ever setting foot in la gym.

1.) Don’t save your steps, multiply them! Instead of driving your car around in circles to find a close spot, purposefully park far away and walk the couple extra feet. Do you know burning a mere 50 extra calories a day equates to five pounds a year?! Burn those calories creatively; think thrice about using interoffice mail, walk that memo to your coworker’s office. Take an extra few laps around the block at lunchtime, take the long way home when walking your dog at night. The principle is to squeeze as much physical exertion as possible during a few intervals a day into what were once routine tasks tied to avoiding any physical efforts.

131 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment

To see the reason that most French women are not fat, you need only to look at the portions in French restaurants (in France, that is) and at those in most restaurants in the USA. Or look at the size of a croissant in France and one in the USA, etc. etc. At a French meal, the French enjoy a few mouthfuls of each course. A steak in a US restaurant would feed a French family.

The interesting thing about US restaurants is the more you pay, the less food you get. One of the smallest (and one of the most expensive) meals I’ve ever eaten in the USA was at the Four Seasons in NYC. It was very very elegant, the ingredients were exquisite, and there was, by US standards, barely any food.

Walking, climbing stairs and other daily exercise help but it is the entire French approach to eating that helps them stay slim.

The only people who imitate the French way of eating are the wealthy here. For the less wealthy, MORE FOOD and LARGER PORTIONS are the norm and provide a welcome sense of abundance and security - until they see their waistlines balloon, of course…

By Sam Mirando on 09/21/2009 5:52 am

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Sam, I totally agree with your observations. But I also have a psychological block about spending a lot of money in an American restaurant for barely any food; I want to leave the table satisfied! My solution to the gargantuan portions here is to eat only what I want and take home the rest, which makes for one or two more meals.

The portion sizes in Europe were much more reasonable, both in size and price, in my experience. The other thing the Europeans do well is walkable or bikable cities. Where I live, there is too much sprawl, not enough sidewalks or bike lanes, and the public transportation system leaves large areas underserved…. so of course everyone hops in their cars.

By Lila Kuh on 09/21/2009 8:05 am

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Lila, you’ve made a good point about walkable and bikeable cities. Often, the bike lines on streets are just too small, or there is a bike path that stops abruptly, ending at a high-traffic street. This will take many years to fix.

By Rita@ Goldivas on 09/21/2009 9:23 am

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I am a grandmother and was told years ago after the birth of my 3rd son that I did not have a metabolism and my doctor told me that I was going to have to watch everything I put in my mouth or either move alot! My mother was over weight and there were six children and all of us have had a struggle with our weight except for one of my older sisters. I have been on every diet in the world and still in my older years decided to watch my portions and start walking and moving! It works and I am on this long journey plus I just want to be healthy! We, Americans eat too much and I am in the South, which is worse when I was growing up, my mother had to cook these great big meals with cornbread or biscuits at every meal and now there is the fast food places which is making American children lazy and over weight!! The Europeans do everything better when it comes to food and walking! We are so lazy over here!!

By Lynn Colado on 09/30/2009 11:41 am

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The portions here are not only ridiculous, but also not all that healthy frequently. I am thin and I think it is because I use only olive oil for everything that requires some sort of fat and do not like carbs very much. In addition, I have been doing a very short simple routine of yoga, pilates, and calisthenics three times a week minimum since I was in my twenties. It really does work.

By Juliana Lightle on 09/30/2009 9:18 am

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Well, I’m not all French, just about 1/4, and I don’t live in New York City; I live in the desert. Everything is rather far away and it’s very hot in the summer, so walking everywhere is pretty much out. The article was amusing, but not really applicable for a ‘how to’ book. Besides, I’m not interested in ‘how to’ be French, or how not to be American. Some good advice here, eat smaller portions, something the American Heart Association has been suggesting for years. All in all, cute article, but other than a few suggestions definitely not a ‘one size fits all’. Who cares where you exercise as long as you do? Eat portions based on what you need. If you need someone to tell you what is best for you, personally, and look to an article like this to do it, than perhaps you need something longer. It’s a fluff article, read, enjoy, take what might be interesting or helpful and discard the rest!

By joanne nakaya on 09/30/2009 9:27 am

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Lila, The French leave the table "satisfied" because they take time to savor their meals (do you think that they walk around hungry all the time ;) ?). By the time they get up from the table, their blood sugar levels have risen. By contrast, we gobble down our food, huge quantities, in a hurry, without giving our bodies time to feel full.

The French also don’t snack all the time nor to they eat or drink in the street. Food is for mealtimes, to be savored and enjoyed.

By Sam Mirando on 09/21/2009 8:23 am

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Ha, of course they don’t leave the table hungry, and I have never left a European restaurant table hungry, either. But I have left more than one fancy-pants American restaurant hungry, and a lot lighter in the wallet, too. That is also not a pleasant dining experience.

Good point about "food is for mealtimes." When I was a kid, the US was more like that, too. Seems like this constant smorgasboard that we have now is really a fairly recent development.

By Lila Kuh on 09/21/2009 10:42 am

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I agree. I’m appalled at how often people eat in movies, make rude sounds wrapping and unwrapping food, and I wonder how many meals they require. Eating in the street is abominable! Wherever I go, someone is eating. However, because I live in NYC, I can walk everywhere; when I visit suburbs, I’m aware that walking is a alien enterprise. Except for dog walking or getting in and out of cars, the population does not walk. Parents drive their children to all their activities.Some young people rely on their bicycles, bt it doesn’t seem American to do it.

I do envy those who learned to ride a bicycle when young, and in Manhattan, men and women try to use bicycle lanes, but drivers are not respectful of the traffic boundaries.That is why Amsterdam is such a charming place; the buses accommodate baby strollers (I was so impressed that I took photos of the interiors when I visited family there), and portions of food overseas are moderate. What I enjoy the most is the walking in Europe.

In the US, I call walking "the virtuous endeavor," because most people speak of it as though it is a duty, not a pleasure. I don’t dress in gym clothes to take walks; walking is part of my daily existence, and whenever I am housebound, I feel antsy.

I don’t think we have to emulate other nations, but we can certainly improve upon our own habits. No, my gym memberships languished, and I enjoy cooking and savoring meals, but I balance how I do it, and walking has kept me fit from childhood until now at 80, and I mean on a pleasant evening, I walk miles from Times Square theaters to my downtown home. I call myself a "tourist in my hometown," because I enjoy looking at the pedestrians, cars, neighborhoods, etc.I don’t consider it a necessary chore—-always a pleasure..

By SURA B on 09/23/2009 8:03 am

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I Agree with most of your comments Sam however the French do eat in the streets. Ever been there? You see women walking along with their baquette and tearing small pieces as they go. You can also find many Parisians grabbing a crepe and strolling through the park during mid-day.

By Kim Y on 09/29/2009 6:47 pm

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Not every American woman dreads working out at a gym. For many, it’s a way of life. I wish my city was more bikeable. Many bike lanes were eradicated two years ago so there would be more room for city buses and SUVs. Nice parks with jogging trails, though, and people enjoy them at all hours.

A friend of the family is French. She married her American husband twelve years ago. She works out but has gained weight. She is the first to say she loves American food and the various cuisine offererings. The portion sizes in the USA are huge. One of my favorite restaurants offers half orders along with full orders. I wish more restaurants did.

By Maggie W on 09/21/2009 9:12 am

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Okay, so here it is :

1)Unless you were born that way, you do not get a toned body without regular tough cardiovascular exercise.

2)Biking while great in theory, is really inadvisable in most large American cities because of the air pollution; it’s not good to do vigorous exercise in places with heavy air pollution.

3) It’s true that you are what you eat so small portions would be preferable.

4)Yoga is very nice but refer to #1.

5)That leaves us with heavy cardiovascular exercise which can be accomplished through sports, dancing, strenuous physical work or going to a gym. I would prefer to dance but a gym is far more convenient. I try to combine free weights, a couple of machines, and a Concept II rowing machine (used for practice by many Olympic rowers) with whatever classes seem good, like Pilates, light aerobics, etc. I have never, repeat never, felt as good as when I passed the collapsing barrier(which happens when you start to exercise and think you will not last and will never get anywhere) and reached the actually being able to move and use my body level. For years I was a big walker and it never did much for me.

6)So in sum I do not agree with the author but leave her to her own, French way of doing things.

7)My last piece of advice is about that initial barrier. Many trainers and others discuss it. Some women try to hard, overtrain, and feel physically bad and do not continue. Others don’t push themselves enough and are not realistic about when they will see results, and then stop also. The key if you cannot afford a trainer is to think like a trainer and to be your own trainer.So read the trainers online or buy a good training book, keep up with the advice for at least six to nine months, and see what happens. Then commit to maintenance. Or hire a topnotch trainer.

By F Fox on 09/21/2009 10:10 am

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F Fox, you make some really good points. Keeping one’s self in good physical shape is an on-going process: the only way to ‘get there’ is to always stay active in a variety of ways and eat proper quantities of the right foods. I’ve read Ms. Guilano’s book and I think the most important message for an American woman to take from it is adopting a new attitude toward food as well as life in general. Step off the ‘Gerbil Wheel’ and savor the experiences that life brings to you, whether it’s a delicious meal with family, a beautiful sunrise, or a pleasant chat with a friend. With a greater ability to enjoy your own pleasure, it becomes easier to discover physical activity that gets you into better shape and improved physical health.

By Green Tears on 09/22/2009 8:45 am

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F Fox: You say "Unless you were born that way, you do not get a toned body without regular tough cardiovascular exercise."

Hello? Who is really born fat? Our parents create our eating habits and the activity levels that stay with us for life.

I am American, but have lived all over the world., and the author is absolutely correct. Unless you have to lose the massive amount of weight your lifestyle has resulted in, more gentle physical activity and normal portions of food will leave you happy, healthy and slender.

By Jamie Mount on 09/29/2009 6:07 pm

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Actually, babies can be born "fat". I was 11lbs 9 oz and only 22 inches long. This is a very fat baby. The weight a baby gains is determined by many factors, including but not just the mothers diet. My mother was a bit over weight when she had me, (10 - 15#) but not as heavy as she was when she had my younger sister who was a more normal 8.5 lbs. Each body does have its own metabolism, which is then effected by life style. There are 6 kid in my family, all raised together, all with essentialy the same diet, and lifestyle. Yet I have to exercise much more than my siblings to maintain an acceptable weight.

By gRACE sTRIZ on 09/29/2009 10:40 pm