A little under a year ago, I wrote an article titled, “The Paleo Diet: Losing Weight the Caveman Way” about my experience with the most effective “diet” I’ve ever tried. (http://www.hercampus.com/school/bucknell/paleo-diet-losing-weight-caveman-way) Since then, I’ve lived by the mantra: more volume, less calories.
Like many students at Bucknell, I made the choice to study abroad in my junior year, and I chose to go to France. What you may have heard about French food is probably true. The French pride themselves in the amount of cream and butter they layer into their delicacies, which is what makes them so great! However, French people are also known for having a relatively low obesity rate, especially in comparison to the United States. So how does this make sense? To put it simply, the French did not take the advice I put out there in my Paleo article. This was a bit shocking to me at first because I was surrounded by breads and pastries so naturally I gave into temptation and stopped eating only salads. Zoom forward a few months, and I am back in the United States, stepping on a scale for the first time in a while. To my surprise, I lost weight on what I thought was a disaster of a diet. How does that work?
Portions
The biggest plus about Paleo is that you can eat huge amounts of food at one time, which is very filling, but can cause many people to become even more tempted when it comes to sweets. If you go 3 weeks without any dessert, it will be tough to resist a slice of cake. In France, they eat much smaller portions than in the US, but of much richer food. A common lunch would be a sandwich on a baguette with ham and cheese. To someone who swears by Paleo, this is just short of catastrophic. But, the idea that your entire lunch is just that sandwich makes for a balanced meal. A big upside to this (versus Paleo) is that when you’re out eating with friends, you don’t have to be a buzzkill and order a salad with no cheese, dressing or croutons. Just eat what you want – but in moderation. When it comes to sweets, the French believe that less (but fancier) equals more. Wouldn’t you rather have a tiny yet perfectly crafted macaron than a cake from Costco?
Social Aspect
Europeans spend much more time sitting down with family and friends eating than Americans do, and this might be part of the reason for their food choices. Bucknell students are busy. Often, we find ourselves eating mindlessly on the way to class, or scarfing down a meal while typing a paper. This puts the focus on something other than the food. Our brain is distracted and can’t fully enjoy what we are consuming, especially if we’re eating something like an ice cream sundae or a big bowl of Panera mac and cheese. Remember to truly enjoy your food – preferably with a friend! Believe it or not, this will help you slow down and eat less.
Purpose
Eating sugar and fat isn’t necessarily bad, but often times these ingredients are hidden in what we eat, so we unknowingly overindulge. For example, there are 215 calories in a Snickers bar, and there are around 230 calories in a standard croissant. The difference? In France, a croissant would be the single item in a complete breakfast. In the United States, a Snickers bar may be considered just a meaningless snack that “doesn’t really count” because it is so small. If you’re going to eat something so calorie-dense, make it high quality, and think it through! Pro tip: better to splurge on your favorite Ard’s fudge than to make a habit of caf ice cream “just ‘cause”. Also be sure to try to avoid eating when you’re bored or tired, because that usually makes for unwise nutritional decisions.
Of course, there are many factors that go into weight-loss as well as food appreciation. There are countless approaches to what makes your body “healthy”, and how you can maximize your food satisfaction while maintaining a balanced diet. In my experience, whether it be Paleo or eating like the French do, the most important aspect about healthy eating is doing it for you, and your own happiness.