Chic & Slim: How Those Chic French Women Eat All That Rich Food And Still Stay Slim [Paperback]

Anne Barone (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 28, 1997

CHIC & SLIM takes a lighthearted look at how French women eat rich French cuisine and stay slim. And how American women eat diet food, yet struggle endlessly in their battle against fat.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Anne Barone takes a savvy, sophisticated look at how French culture, personal style, decor, cuisine, fashion, even relationships between men and women allow French women to enjoy pastries, chocolate, cheese, and that wonderful French wine. Yet none of that good food seems to put a bulge in their Chanel suits. She supplies an American translation for how American women can eat well, yet stay slim in America.

From the Author

Bonjour! I could have called this book How Those Chic French Women Eat All That Rich Food And Still Stay SlimAnd How I Used To Eat Diet Food And Count Calories And Stayed Fat. But a 28-word title seemed a bit much. De trop, the French would say. What you need to know about how chic French women stay slimand some of the sneaky little ways life in America is making people fatteris here in Chic & Slim.
Yet I must tell you that I am neither physician, exercise physiologist, nutritionist, nor psychologist. I am merely an American woman who grew up fat and miserable. In my mid-twenties, I successfully lost weight using techniques I learned from French women. With my American translation of those techniques, I have kept the weight off more than 25 years. No small accomplishment since I live deep in the heart of barbecue and enchilada territory.
The information on these pages is not only for women who want to lose weight. It is for any woman who wants to be chic and slim and in control of her life. Any woman who wants to avoid weight gain provoked by stress or mid-life.
Forget diets. They are no fun and don't work. What I learned from French women is that ultimately staying slim is NOT about counting calories or fat grams. It is NOT about exercise exhaustion. It IS really about personal style.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 116 pages
• Publisher: Nouvelles Editions; 1 edition (August 28, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0965894304
• ISBN-13: 978-0965894302
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,339,790 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

77 of 80 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars J'adore Chic & Slim!, March 8, 2002

By 

Lee Mellott "Skin Care For Wrinkles" (Frederick, Maryland) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Chic & Slim: How Those Chic French Women Eat All That Rich Food And Still Stay Slim (Paperback)

Anne Barone's book "Chic & Slim Encore" is a favorite on my bookshelf, so I was delighted to discover her earlier work "Chic & Slim" has been reprinted.

"Chic & Slim" is the original book written by Anne Barone to share the secrets of how the French women eat rich foods, drink wine, are rarely seen at the gym and still manage to wear size SMALL!

The key according to Anne is the choices the French woman makes. She chooses natural unprocessed foods. Portion sizes are smaller. Exercise is fit in naturally by walking everywhere. Water not soda is the beverage of choice. Sugar is eaten in moderate quantities.

Instead of aiming for quantity, the French aim for quality. Eating a small slice of the finest pastry instead of a whole box of processed twinkies. Drinking one or two glasses of red wine instead of a number of unhealthy cocktails. Don't supersize your fries and double your burger. Instead eat a little portion of "pomme frites" with a palm size piece of grilled chicken. Forget the salad dressings with synthetic ingredients instead dress your lettuce with just a bit of heart healthy olive oil and vinegar.

Anne also goes into "ATTITUDE". The French women sees herself as a beautiful women despite her physical flaws. She is worth the effort of eating well, taking care of herself. She deserves to be slim and healthy. Many American women are unfortunately caught in a cycle of trying to look like the models we see in magazines instead of enjoying what we have and making the most of it.

The French woman does things that make her feel good about herself. She dresses to look and feel her best. No sloppy sweats and big gym shoes. Clothing that makes her feel feminine. A perfume that reflects her personality.

The book "Chic & Slim" also shares Anne's triumph of losing weight when she stopped dieting and started eating like the French. She shares more of her ideas at her website annebarone.com.

"Chic & Slim" like its sister book, ""Chic & Slim Encore" is a must read for the woman who wants to learn to enjoy and appreciate herself more. The woman who wants to get off the diet rollercoaster and learn to eat sensibly and with joy. A true treasure!

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful book - I am finally losing weight!, August 22, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Chic & Slim: How Those Chic French Women Eat All That Rich Food And Still Stay Slim (Paperback)

This book is full of little gems of information and observation. I've heard some of them before but never so many good tips on one place. This book and some others helped me realize that "Fat is NOT the enemy!" We need fat in our food. After I read this book and the Encore one, I switched to a diet without preservatives or hidden sugars, with healthy fats, and as organic as possible. I'm eating desserts and cooking french main dishes with butter, eggs, cream, and all that "high fat" stuff in them... but I am finally steadily losing weight! (After several years of gaining weight no matter how careful I was with dieting.) I lost 3 pounds the first week and total of 10 pounds after a month. No calorie counting, no worry about fat grams, no skipping dessert if I want it. Maybe this book is not perfect but at least 95% of it is pure genius as far as I'm concerned. Thank you Anne Barone!

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful tips, wonderful fun, August 17, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Chic & Slim: How Those Chic French Women Eat All That Rich Food And Still Stay Slim (Paperback)

I've read a number of books on weight loss, but none so logical nor, at the same time, so encouraging as CHIC & SLIM. Having traveled to France and witnessed for myself the many svelte French women and their ability to eat, eat, and eat some more, I was intrigued by "le systeme francaise." However, Barone goes beyond simple weight control to personal style, which encompasses all areas of life and promotes total health. While describing this connection, Barone is both humorous and refreshingly blunt -- a rare combination! If a person is happy, he or she will more than likely be healthy. If the reader follows the tips Barone offers, he or she will be able to achieve the chic and slim lifestyle. This is a book I will not only reread several times, but one that I will always keep in my library. . .I'll buy another copy to loan out to friends. If you purchase only one book about weight loss, buy this one -- it will leave you with an incredible feeling of confidence. Thank you, Ms. Barone!