4 Simple Ways European Women Manage To Stay Impossibly Thin

As American women, we’re constantly dieting, exercising, and wondering when the next “secret” to losing belly fat is finally going to come our way.

After all, women in Europe manage to stay impossibly thin while snacking on pastries, smoking cigarettes, and drinking wine all day, so there must be some big secret…right?

It’s safe to say that our intrigue of rail-thin European women began when Mireille Guiliano debuted “French Women Don’t Get Fat,” her popular book dedicated to the French diet and lifestyle.

Just about every tell-all secret about the mysterious French diet agrees on two big concepts—French women don’t diet and they don’t care about working out.

If you’ve ever even glanced at the cover of one of these books, you’ve probably just rolled your eyes and walked away.

That doesn’t exactly tell us the secret to achieving a flatter tummy, like European women.

While it is true that European women care less about dieting and exercising than we do, there are plenty of scientifically-proven lifestyle changes you can make to lose weight like a true Parisian:

1. Pay attention to portions: You’ve probably heard that Americans eat much larger portions of food than most Europeans. But the truth is that American portions are nearly twice the size of those in France. While most French women don’t deny themselves indulgences, they also pay attention to just how much they’re actually eating. Cutting your portions is the easiest—but hardest—way to lose weight fast. Start by using simple portion guidelines—like protein the size of a deck of cards—and see how your body adjusts over time. You might find that you actually do feel full after eating half as much food. This truly is a lifestyle change in the sense that you’ll never really have to cut anything from your diet again!
2. Don’t put fitness in another “box”: In the U.S., we tend to think about exercise as something we do after Like sleeping and eating, working out has its own “box.” But in Europe, fitness is just part of everyday life. It’s important to remember that maneuvering around cities—even countries—in Europe is easier than in the U.S. It’s hard to even find good public transportation around here, let alone actually walk everywhere! Most Europeans do walk as often as they can, but there are plenty of ways we can also adopt that same kind of moving lifestyle. Make it a point to walk each time you talk on the phone, contract your abs whenever you walk through a doorway, or squat when you pee instead of sitting. These small movements will add up at the end of the day, helping you to burn more calories—without budgeting for extra time at the gym!
3. Stop relying on supplements: There is no magic pill to help you lose weight faster—and European women know it. Many health experts agree that opting for “whole” foods will help you lose more weight in the long-run. Make it your personal goal to avoid all processed “diet” foods. Instead of grabbing a protein bar for breakfast, wake up 10 minutes earlier and cook yourself some eggs! Not only are whole foods more delicious, but they also provide you with sustainable nutrition.
4. Relax after work: Americans are known for taking their work home with them—even if that “work” just happens to be nothing more than stressful thoughts. In France, especially, leaving the office really means leaving the office. When we’re stressed, our cortisol levels increase, which causes our bodies to hold onto fat around the abdomen. If you really want to get serious about losing weight, turn off your cell phone, step away from your laptop, and actually do something relaxing after work.

Do you have any great weight loss tips? If so, let us know in the comments!

Photo Copyright © 2015 ho visto nina volare/Flickr