We'll soon be seeing the sea...
It is swimsuit season, but you’d never know it to look out the window these days. Even when its hot, the skies are grey and menacing. Which means the summer holidays have kind of snuck up on me and, well, according to the doctor I saw for my annual check-up last week, I’d be happier if I shed 4 kilos. 4 kilos. Doesn’t sound too bad until you convert into pounds, which is 8.8 pounds, which is frighteningly close to ten. And all this just 2 weeks before we leave on holidays. To the beach. A French beach, where women of a certain age, in fact women of all ages wear bikinis. Lord help me, I need a drink.
But NON! Because that is the first thing I am meant to do. Stop consuming alcohol. Which is not terrific timing given the grey, cloudy weather we’ve been having. This weekend the bookies were taking bets… friends, family and the guy who runs the superette were all betting against me. Well HA to them, because I didn’t so much as take a single sip of the evil brew and I immediately shed 600 grams as my just (and calorie-free) desserts.
All those kilos and pounds make for some interesting cultural differences when dieting. Well, not so much cultural, as just plain math. When a Parisenne gains 100 grams, she takes notice. 200 grams and the red flags start going off. It is time to skip a meal and back on track. Try that with an American scale. I don’t think I’ve ever even read 3,5 ounces on a US scale. By the time I reach 200 grams (7ounces) I am completely clueless. Yes, my jeans feel slightly tighter, but that is just because they were accidentally thrown into the drier, non? With pounds, it takes much longer to realize one has put any weight on, and instead of loosing six HUNDRED grams, I lost a pound. One measly little pound. Not very encouraging, so I’m keeping to the metric system.
Besides forsaking all things alcohol, the doctor gave me a list with 20 do’s and dont’s. The basics, really; light dinners, avoid starches, especially at night (did I mention non booze?), smaller portions and no dessert. Oops. that is not right, we’re in Paris. They can forbid baguettes after sunset, but desserts are part of a balanced diet. They recommend sticking to fruits or dairy products. I think they say one OR the other because they know we’d all be dipping our strawberries in crème fraîche if they hadn’t made it clear that that was a non. But I am ignoring them and will be allowing myself 4 tiny squares of some extraordinary chocolate bar every day.
keep your brie, I want a real dessert, diet be damned!!!
Another non is mixing meats and cheeses. Steaks are in, Philly steaks are out. However, they are probably referring to the incredibly odd (to this sweet tooth) habit the French have of considering cheeses to be a dessert course. No camembert for you missie, unless you go veg with the main course.
Today was the true test; working from home with a kitchen within easy range as moments of boredom or fatigue sweep in and give me the munchies. So far, so good.
Caught up w/Mme S’s blog just now, at least July to date. Plenty of sass in evidence. Will you be reporting from he road or taking a break? Later, cara. xxxx
I’ll be reporting from the road…. some sand, some surf and too much eating coming your way!
This the one big thing New York has on Paris, the transition of the seasons.
This year, I was up in NY during the crux of the transition and got a good six weeks heads up to shape up where I’m somewhat comfortable wearing a bathing suit. Unlike last year in Paris where one day I was in wellies and cashmere, and the next thing I know I’m packing to go to the Bahamas and having to stuff myself in a bathing suit after months of copious amounts of red wine, cheese, bread!
So I hear you. It’s no fun.
How I shed quick lbs is cardio and water! I do a 5k run in the morning, a power walk at night, and drink about a gallon of lemon water per day. I don’t eliminate wine (I am incapable of such) but I cut back to 1.5 glasses and eat a raw dinner. This has always done the trick for me. Perhaps give it a try, even though when I met you, I didn’t see ANY poundage! We’re our own worst critic though…
Most importantly, have fun and I look forward to reading about your trip in future posts!
Oh Sylvia, how I sympathise with you! Of course I don’t drink wine, but the food!!! Oh la la!. But FOUR squares of chocolate per day?…..Oh non! I couldn’t stop at that, the first square of chocolate does the damage. Like alcohol, it’s all or nothing!
Having taken 6 months to loose 20lbs I dread to get on the scales now I am back from Paris. The food there is just too tempting. I have not eaten bread, or chocolate for six months and of course they bring bread with meals as a matter of course.
Before I went to Paris I would’ve liked to lose another 5lbs but small amounts are SO difficult to shift. Before I went to Paris I was just loosing 1lb or less a week despite being very “good”..
Having said that, you look great to me!
Love Denise… Off on the bike today to try and undo some of the damage!