French Women Don't Get Fat

The Secret of Eating for Pleasure

By: Mireille Guiliano

Narrated by: Kathe Mazur

Length: 7 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

Stylish, convincing, wise, funny - and just in time: the ultimate non-diet book, which could radically change the way you think and live.

French women don’t get fat, but they do eat bread and pastry, drink wine, and regularly enjoy three-course meals. In her delightful tale, Mireille Guiliano unlocks the simple secrets of this “French paradox” - how to enjoy food and stay slim and healthy. Hers is a charming, sensible, and powerfully life-affirming view of health and eating for our times.

As a typically slender French girl, Mireille (Meer-ray) went to America as an exchange student and came back fat. That shock sent her into an adolescent tailspin, until her kindly family physician, “Dr. Miracle,” came to the rescue. Reintroducing her to classic principles of French gastronomy plus time-honored secrets of the local women, he helped her restore her shape and gave her a whole new understanding of food, drink, and life. The key? Not guilt or deprivation but learning to get the most from the things you most enjoy.

Following her own version of this traditional wisdom, she has ever since relished a life of indulgence without bulge, satisfying yen without yo-yo on three meals a day. Now in simple but potent strategies and dozens of recipes you’d swear were fattening, Mireille reveals the ingredients for a lifetime of weight control - from the emergency weekend remedy of Magical Leek Soup to everyday tricks like fooling yourself into contentment and painless new physical exertions to save you from the StairMaster.

Emphasizing the virtues of freshness, variety, balance, and always pleasure, Mireille shows how virtually anyone can learn to eat, drink, and move like a French woman. A natural raconteur, Mireille illustrates her philosophy through the experiences that have shaped her life - a 6-year-old’s first taste of Champagne, treks in search of tiny blueberries (called myrtilles) in the woods near her grandmother’s house, a near-spiritual rendezvous with oysters at a seaside restaurant in Brittany, to name but a few. She also shows us other women discovering the wonders of “French in action,” drawing examples from dozens of friends and associates she has advised over the years to eat and drink smarter and more joyfully.

Here are a culture’s most cherished and time-honored secrets recast for the 21st century. For anyone who has slipped out of her zone, missed the flight to South Beach, or accidentally let a carb pass her lips, here is a buoyant, positive way to stay trim. A life of wine, bread - even chocolate - without girth or guilt? Pourquoi pas?

Download the accompanying reference guide.

©2004 Mireille Guiliano (P)2005 Books on Tape

Critic reviews

"It's hard not to be enlivened by a [weight-control] book that celebrates both chocolate and bread, and espouses such wisdom as 'Life without pasta? Perish the thought'. (The Washington Post Book World)

“The perfect book for the more literate dieter...A blueprint for building a healthy attitude toward food and exercise...Full of down-to earth advice...We’d all be thinner (and happier) if we followed it.” (Miriam Wolf, San Francisco Chronicle)

"A common sense diet based on both restraint and simple exercise, Guiliano's diet stresses that food consumption ought to be deliberate and pleasurable and done always sitting at table with appropriate napery." (Booklist)

Perfect, loved it!

The US ruins it's citizens, the history of long standing slavery dynamics turned consumerism and capitalism is so ingrained that it is so difficult to follow these principles in 2022, especially if you don't have the money to support it. I plan on moving to France however and this book will be revisited many times. I am encouraged to try my best to uphold these french values as best I can before getting there. The French are so lucky to have their system that supports the balance of discipline and pleasure. I can't wait to be there.

A balanced view of life

I loved this book so much, in fact it became one of my favorites.

I recommend this book to women specifically and man who want or are interested in having a healthy balanced life with a stress free eating lifestyle created and designed by each one. It’s a DYI life changing project.

Besides the story telling is fantastic. I couldn’t stop listening and learned so much. I will definitely listen to it again and again and try all the recipes.

A bientôt ✨

Refreshing & inspirational for a good life

I loved the recipes. The healthy habits can be easily incorporated daily! Joie de Vivre!

Not just about weight management

What I like about this book is that it is not just about weight management. Rather, it is more about the the joy of living and how as Americans, we do not necessarily share in the values that result in jeux de vivre mostly as a result of not taking the time to.

The author does not waver in her opinions at any time. This confidence may come off as a bit preachy or judgy to many. That being said, there are a lot of great tips and common sense in this book. Overall, I really enjoyed it.

Don't Get This Version

The narrator was awful! What was she reading, the phone book? To really enjoy this book, you must get the abridged version, read by Mireille Guiliano. Even when I am not thinking about a lifestyle change, I love to listen to her insights on life and food. She speaks about food the way most people talk about a lover, but it is impossible to enjoy when read by Kathe. Get the abridged and be happy!

Wish I had this book pre-college!

I wish I had read this book before going to college where, in the throws of constant stress and laziness, I developed bad eating habits! Mom's, this is a great book for a teenage daughter leaving home for college/returning home from college/living on her own for the first time.

This isn't a diet book. This is a grown-up girl's guide to eating. Most of us aren't as lucky as Mireille Guiliano, who found a kind family doctor to help her reprogram her eating habits when she found herself over her ideal weight. Instead, most of us turn to the gym and dieting to quickly fix weeks/months/years of transgressions. This book offers a holistic approach to well-being and will help you form a new relationship with food.

Loving French and Food!

Would you listen to French Women Don't Get Fat again? Why?

Yes, a matter of fact, after I listened, I had to own a copy (and I bought the cookbook too).

What was one of the most memorable moments of French Women Don't Get Fat?

The most memorable moment was when the writer returned from America (20 lbs overweight) and her father said she looked like a sack of potatoes.

Which character – as performed by Kathe Mazur – was your favorite?

The main character

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The love of food... that it's ok to enjoy and celebrate natural foods. You can strike a harmony with your food intake and daily activity level that is nearly effortless and sustainable for a lifetime.

Any additional comments?

I just love the french language and I can appreciate how it's sprinkled into this book.

Fantastic!

Great recipes, that are also available on the author's website, and excellent information that's easy to apply to your everyday life to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Life changing!

There was a before and after reading this book. Not only about diet but mostly about living life to the fullest! And being gorgeous along the way!

Excellent detailed advice for living well

Would you try another book from Mireille Guiliano and/or Kathe Mazur?

Yes, I thought her perspective was unique, as she is French but experienced with American culture. It was highly detailed, including recipes and charming anecdotes. It was somewhat hard to follow the recipies via audio, so it made me want to buy the book to have them in a more accessible format.

Do you think French Women Don't Get Fat needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

Yes, I believe she has already written some follow-up books. Anything having to do with French living such as style or home design would be appropriate.