Comments on: The Sweets, The Fat And The Scale http://correresmidestino.com/the-sweets-the-fat-and-the-scale/ Snowed under since 2004! Thu, 24 May 2012 15:10:05 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: 5 Things My Mum Observed in Canada | Correr Es Mi Destino http://correresmidestino.com/the-sweets-the-fat-and-the-scale/comment-page-6/#comment-30092 5 Things My Mum Observed in Canada | Correr Es Mi Destino Wed, 03 Aug 2011 10:31:11 +0000 http://correresmidestino.com/?p=4152#comment-30092 [...] Portions are huge! — After we picked them up at Montreal airport, we stopped at Tim Horton’s on the way to Ottawa. My mother asked me to get her a coffee. I ordered the smallest one, yet she looked at it with wide eyes: “it’s huge!” “Yep”, I agreed. “And believe it or not, this is the smallest size.” A far cry from French coffee, which is usually three drops of espresso in a thimble-size cup. Fortunately, I remembered there was a size smaller than “tall” at Starbucks (“short”) and my mother got used to a lot of caffeine. Like most French, she doesn’t put milk in her coffee—Canadians usually throw away half of the coffee to make room for tons of milk and sugar. [...] […] Portions are huge! — After we picked them up at Montreal airport, we stopped at Tim Horton’s on the way to Ottawa. My mother asked me to get her a coffee. I ordered the smallest one, yet she looked at it with wide eyes: “it’s huge!” “Yep”, I agreed. “And believe it or not, this is the smallest size.” A far cry from French coffee, which is usually three drops of espresso in a thimble-size cup. Fortunately, I remembered there was a size smaller than “tall” at Starbucks (“short”) and my mother got used to a lot of caffeine. Like most French, she doesn’t put milk in her coffee—Canadians usually throw away half of the coffee to make room for tons of milk and sugar. […]

]]> By: Zhu http://correresmidestino.com/the-sweets-the-fat-and-the-scale/comment-page-6/#comment-17845 Zhu Wed, 09 Dec 2009 03:01:51 +0000 http://correresmidestino.com/?p=4152#comment-17845 I can totally see why North Americans would gain weight in France. I mean, good food (viennoiseries, fromage...) is cheaper and food is a huge part of life over there. yet, for some reason, I don't gain weight when I go to France. Must be a metabolism thing. And my friends are all skinny, despite eating Nutella tartines! French don't go to the gym. The first time I went to the gym was in Canada, and I hated it. I'm not an outdoor sport kind of person, although I like yoga. That said, you do walk a lot in France, which could explain why people aren't fat. French don't understand running. If you run, they expect to see the police after you :lol: I can totally see why North Americans would gain weight in France. I mean, good food (viennoiseries, fromage…) is cheaper and food is a huge part of life over there. yet, for some reason, I don’t gain weight when I go to France. Must be a metabolism thing. And my friends are all skinny, despite eating Nutella tartines!

French don’t go to the gym. The first time I went to the gym was in Canada, and I hated it. I’m not an outdoor sport kind of person, although I like yoga. That said, you do walk a lot in France, which could explain why people aren’t fat.

French don’t understand running. If you run, they expect to see the police after you :lol:

]]> By: Kim http://correresmidestino.com/the-sweets-the-fat-and-the-scale/comment-page-6/#comment-17795 Kim Mon, 07 Dec 2009 09:47:50 +0000 http://correresmidestino.com/?p=4152#comment-17795 When I moved to France I put on 10kgs! I couldn't believe the large lunches (3 courses for €2.80 at uni), the thick butter in the sandwiches and creamy mayonnaise... oh and of course the pain au chocolat. Everything I learnt about healthy eating, i.e. no butter, low fat sauces, diet and low-fat substitutes went out the window. In France you eat everything with full fat and with pleasure. Not to mention finding it so difficult to find really brown rye bread. Plus in NZ it was normal for girls to exercise (here if the girls go to the gym once a week its great) - I'd go to the gym 5-6 days a week, in France I found it difficult to find a gym to cater to my needs. Girls are meant to do aerobics classes or any type of group exercise classes... that is not for me! 2.5 years on I've lost about 12 kgs thanks to getting used to the French food, I think my body has developed a way to metabolise French food and I enjoy it. Also I run 4-5 days per week at night when no one can see me ;) and I just have to ignore the snide comments from people on the street. By running I can enjoy lots of cheese, creamy mayonnaise in my baguette and not put on weight. I spent 2 months in the UK over the summer and I was so sick of cheddar cheese!! I'm going to miss st.nectaire, cantal and comté! .-= Kim´s last blog ..Noël =-. When I moved to France I put on 10kgs! I couldn’t believe the large lunches (3 courses for €2.80 at uni), the thick butter in the sandwiches and creamy mayonnaise… oh and of course the pain au chocolat. Everything I learnt about healthy eating, i.e. no butter, low fat sauces, diet and low-fat substitutes went out the window. In France you eat everything with full fat and with pleasure. Not to mention finding it so difficult to find really brown rye bread. Plus in NZ it was normal for girls to exercise (here if the girls go to the gym once a week its great) — I’d go to the gym 5–6 days a week, in France I found it difficult to find a gym to cater to my needs. Girls are meant to do aerobics classes or any type of group exercise classes… that is not for me!

2.5 years on I’ve lost about 12 kgs thanks to getting used to the French food, I think my body has developed a way to metabolise French food and I enjoy it. Also I run 4–5 days per week at night when no one can see me ;) and I just have to ignore the snide comments from people on the street. By running I can enjoy lots of cheese, creamy mayonnaise in my baguette and not put on weight. I spent 2 months in the UK over the summer and I was so sick of cheddar cheese!! I’m going to miss st.nectaire, cantal and comté!
.-= Kim´s last blog ..Noël =-.

]]> By: fly in the web http://correresmidestino.com/the-sweets-the-fat-and-the-scale/comment-page-5/#comment-15570 fly in the web Sun, 13 Sep 2009 16:50:17 +0000 http://correresmidestino.com/?p=4152#comment-15570 When I was a child in the U.K., food was three meals a day, meat, vegetables, no fizzy drinks and no snacks. Then I discovered Indian and Dhinese food at university....and became interested in what I was eating, so went back to the British basics and started to cook and enjoy them. Going to France was odd...lots of home cooking with beans as the filler, cafes which were worse than the U.K. had ever been...in my experience...and no ethnic food. This is, to be fair, out in the wilds. Then I met the ladies who cook, and that started me off again. None of these ladies had ever been slim...they were built for work! In the last few years, the supermarket trolleys are full of convenience food and biscuits and the McDonalds' franchises just keep multiplying. With you on the cheese, though. .-= fly in the web´s last blog ..<a href="http://real-france.blogspot.com/2009/09/strip-willow-in-cheese-queue.html" rel="nofollow">Strip the willow in the cheese queue.</a> =-. When I was a child in the U.K., food was three meals a day, meat, vegetables, no fizzy drinks and no snacks.
Then I discovered Indian and Dhinese food at university.…and became interested in what I was eating, so went back to the British basics and started to cook and enjoy them.
Going to France was odd…lots of home cooking with beans as the filler, cafes which were worse than the U.K. had ever been…in my experience…and no ethnic food. This is, to be fair, out in the wilds. Then I met the ladies who cook, and that started me off again. None of these ladies had ever been slim…they were built for work!
In the last few years, the supermarket trolleys are full of convenience food and biscuits and the McDonalds’ franchises just keep multiplying.

With you on the cheese, though.
.-= fly in the web´s last blog ..Strip the willow in the cheese queue. =-.

]]> By: Final_Transit http://correresmidestino.com/the-sweets-the-fat-and-the-scale/comment-page-5/#comment-15551 Final_Transit Sat, 12 Sep 2009 01:19:48 +0000 http://correresmidestino.com/?p=4152#comment-15551 Hi Zhu, Very funny to hear your stories. You can understand when I was telling my friend in India that I made a chart of all food I eat and calories because suddenly I find it hard to fit in my regular pants... he thought I have become 'American'. LOL but its true!! Also, junk food is heavily subsidised here, for example a bag of chips and coke costs half of three oranges and a box of tofu. I have now 'opened my eyes' really while shopping (it took me 2 years to understand that), and I've learnt to avoid junk food although the deals are unbelievable! Oh no, you don't eat snails or elaborate cooking? Damn it. Oh I know 4 kinds of cheese - yellow, white, american and mixed... :P .-= Final_Transit´s last blog ..<a href="http://priyank.com/weblog/2009/08/27/small-town-boys/" rel="nofollow">Small town boys</a> =-. Hi Zhu,

Very funny to hear your stories. You can understand when I was telling my friend in India that I made a chart of all food I eat and calories because suddenly I find it hard to fit in my regular pants… he thought I have become ‘American’. LOL but its true!! Also, junk food is heavily subsidised here, for example a bag of chips and coke costs half of three oranges and a box of tofu. I have now ‘opened my eyes’ really while shopping (it took me 2 years to understand that), and I’ve learnt to avoid junk food although the deals are unbelievable!

Oh no, you don’t eat snails or elaborate cooking? Damn it. Oh I know 4 kinds of cheese — yellow, white, american and mixed… :P
.-= Final_Transit´s last blog ..Small town boys =-.

]]> By: Max Coutinho http://correresmidestino.com/the-sweets-the-fat-and-the-scale/comment-page-5/#comment-15517 Max Coutinho Wed, 09 Sep 2009 16:12:34 +0000 http://correresmidestino.com/?p=4152#comment-15517 Zhu, Yes, Lu cookies (only now I noticed I wrote Hu lol) - they are quite famous here in Portugal (as well as St Michel's). I have never been in St Michel - is it beautiful? Cheers .-= Max Coutinho´s last blog ..<a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/maxcouti/~3/fonpl7pyoXw/my-biggest-disappointment-africa.html" rel="nofollow">My biggest disappointment: Africa</a> =-. Zhu,

Yes, Lu cookies (only now I noticed I wrote Hu lol) — they are quite famous here in Portugal (as well as St Michel’s).

I have never been in St Michel — is it beautiful?

Cheers
.-= Max Coutinho´s last blog ..My biggest disappointment: Africa =-.

]]> By: Zhu http://correresmidestino.com/the-sweets-the-fat-and-the-scale/comment-page-5/#comment-15516 Zhu Wed, 09 Sep 2009 02:04:44 +0000 http://correresmidestino.com/?p=4152#comment-15516 @Max Coutinho - Ah, the Lu cookies from Nantes... I actually spent all my summers as a kid at St Michel, where are produced the galettes set Michel, about an hour from my hometown ;-) As for the scale... I'm like you, as long as my clothes fit, I'm fine! :lol: @Tanya - Have you found any new food in Belgium? Just curious! French don't eat much healthier actually, considering the butter etc. yet, less processed food I guess... and smaller portions, more exercise etc. I agree with you, French people's diet is changing - I noticed it too over the years. No country is totally healthy anyway... I mean, China has a lot of oily food, and Latin America's diet is based on beans, rice and chicken :lol: @Max Coutinho — Ah, the Lu cookies from Nantes… I actually spent all my summers as a kid at St Michel, where are produced the galettes set Michel, about an hour from my hometown ;-)

As for the scale… I’m like you, as long as my clothes fit, I’m fine! :lol:

@Tanya — Have you found any new food in Belgium? Just curious!

French don’t eat much healthier actually, considering the butter etc. yet, less processed food I guess… and smaller portions, more exercise etc. I agree with you, French people’s diet is changing — I noticed it too over the years.

No country is totally healthy anyway… I mean, China has a lot of oily food, and Latin America’s diet is based on beans, rice and chicken :lol:

]]> By: Tanya http://correresmidestino.com/the-sweets-the-fat-and-the-scale/comment-page-5/#comment-15490 Tanya Mon, 07 Sep 2009 14:35:24 +0000 http://correresmidestino.com/?p=4152#comment-15490 I can totally relate to your eagerness to try everything that's new in the supermarket. I'm doing that right now in Belgium! Eating healthy in North America is definitely tricky in my opinion, but I think it comes down to eating fresh and controlling portion sizes. French people eat lots of fat and salt - when I lived in Paris is was always butter, cream sauce, croissant, etc. But they control their portions and don't eat a lot of crap. Though I think that's changing a bit... Anyways, whole foods in the U.S. helps keep me eating healthily, even if it's rough on my bank account. .-= Tanya´s last blog ..<a href="http://parisianspring.blogspot.com/2009/09/best-frites-in-brussels.html" rel="nofollow">The Best Frites in Brussels</a> =-. I can totally relate to your eagerness to try everything that’s new in the supermarket. I’m doing that right now in Belgium! Eating healthy in North America is definitely tricky in my opinion, but I think it comes down to eating fresh and controlling portion sizes. French people eat lots of fat and salt — when I lived in Paris is was always butter, cream sauce, croissant, etc. But they control their portions and don’t eat a lot of crap. Though I think that’s changing a bit…

Anyways, whole foods in the U.S. helps keep me eating healthily, even if it’s rough on my bank account.
.-= Tanya´s last blog ..The Best Frites in Brussels =-.

]]> By: Max Coutinho http://correresmidestino.com/the-sweets-the-fat-and-the-scale/comment-page-4/#comment-15464 Max Coutinho Sun, 06 Sep 2009 18:53:09 +0000 http://correresmidestino.com/?p=4152#comment-15464 Hi Zhu :D! Don't even speak to me about scales...I don't weigh myself for a year now (as long as I look good, that's all that matters lol). "Then, I realized it wasn’t kilos but pounds." - LOL LOL LOL LOL you kill me! I remember when I lived in France, and went to the supermarket, I used to think "oh my God, there's not peanut butter here! Oh my God, there's only St Michel butter and Hu cookies: what am I supposed to do?" LOL LOL...but then the cheese section healed everything lol. "People say that French women don’t get fat: I beg to differ. I was French and I got fat." - ROFL ROFL ROFL...but do you know why they say that? Because the world believes that French women are always having sex (thus not getting fat, capisci?)... Ok, now I know why my mom cooked a lot when we lived in Canada: the food there is terribly caloric!! I left Canada when I was 6 years old, but now (after reading your post) I am scared to go back LOL...joking! Girl, cook away! By the way: have you tried doing the "Pão de Queijo" already? Have a great week ahead, Zhu :D! Cheers .-= Max Coutinho´s last blog ..<a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/maxcouti/~3/HCUMnEtJmXo/musical-video-depois-de-ter-voce-by.html" rel="nofollow">Musical Video: "Depois de ter você" by Maria Bethânia & Adriana Calcanhoto</a> =-. Hi Zhu :D !

Don’t even speak to me about scales…I don’t weigh myself for a year now (as long as I look good, that’s all that matters lol).

“Then, I realized it wasn’t kilos but pounds.” — LOL LOL LOL LOL you kill me!

I remember when I lived in France, and went to the supermarket, I used to think “oh my God, there’s not peanut butter here! Oh my God, there’s only St Michel butter and Hu cookies: what am I supposed to do?” LOL LOL…but then the cheese section healed everything lol.

“People say that French women don’t get fat: I beg to differ. I was French and I got fat.” — ROFL ROFL ROFL…but do you know why they say that? Because the world believes that French women are always having sex (thus not getting fat, capisci?)…

Ok, now I know why my mom cooked a lot when we lived in Canada: the food there is terribly caloric!! I left Canada when I was 6 years old, but now (after reading your post) I am scared to go back LOL…joking!

Girl, cook away! By the way: have you tried doing the “Pão de Queijo” already?

Have a great week ahead, Zhu :D !

Cheers
.-= Max Coutinho´s last blog ..Musical Video: “Depois de ter você” by Maria Bethânia & Adriana Calcanhoto =-.

]]> By: Zhu http://correresmidestino.com/the-sweets-the-fat-and-the-scale/comment-page-4/#comment-15455 Zhu Sat, 05 Sep 2009 16:08:46 +0000 http://correresmidestino.com/?p=4152#comment-15455 @Seb - Thank you for the link! I love kale, used it on soups... I guess at 7 you already had French taste. And I would have love being your friend... croissants in the morning, wow! Did your mum found them easily or was she baking? @beaverboosh - That's true too :lol: @Bluefish - It is a headache sometimes to find something to eat. I found that I tend to eat/ cook always the same stuffs. I bought for recipes books last time I was in France and haven't really used them yet! I should. @Scarlet - Not necessarily actually! Maybe for the first two months because you'd OD on cheese and pastries, but after that you will be back to your true self ;-) @Baoru - Amen! These are words I like to hear. @Linguist-in-Waiting - That kind of thing happened to me so many times! You pick something up, thinking it's relatively healthy (or at least the lesser of the two devils) only to find out the nutritional contents are awful. @Lizz - But I'm guessing food in Manilla is still less fatty than in Canada... right? Actually, come to think of it, I'm really not familiar with the food there - you should write a post about it! @kyh - Ah, university... this is a time of eating/ sleeping at odd hours :lol: @Seb — Thank you for the link! I love kale, used it on soups…

I guess at 7 you already had French taste. And I would have love being your friend… croissants in the morning, wow! Did your mum found them easily or was she baking?

@beaverboosh — That’s true too :lol:

@Bluefish — It is a headache sometimes to find something to eat. I found that I tend to eat/ cook always the same stuffs. I bought for recipes books last time I was in France and haven’t really used them yet! I should.

@Scarlet — Not necessarily actually! Maybe for the first two months because you’d OD on cheese and pastries, but after that you will be back to your true self ;-)

@Baoru — Amen! These are words I like to hear.

@Linguist-in-Waiting — That kind of thing happened to me so many times! You pick something up, thinking it’s relatively healthy (or at least the lesser of the two devils) only to find out the nutritional contents are awful.

@Lizz — But I’m guessing food in Manilla is still less fatty than in Canada… right? Actually, come to think of it, I’m really not familiar with the food there — you should write a post about it!

@kyh — Ah, university… this is a time of eating/ sleeping at odd hours :lol:

]]>