You just KNOW when you’ve found the one – The French Twist

My diets have been like love affairs…some are torrid and end quickly, while others slowly simmer until I get bored. Looking back over the past ten to fifteen years (which is when I gained  my weight – thank you menopause), I notice that my most successful weight loss was when I DOVE from a size 12/14 down to a size 6 – QUICKLY. Not only did I lose all of the weight in a short period of time, but I kept it off for a good five years. What diet made this amazing transformation happen?

STRESS (mixed with a little aqua aerobics for good measure).

Yes, good old stress helped me to lose lots and lots of weight.  After carefully scrutinizing what I’ve been doing wrong, I realized that what I did RIGHT was that I ATE differently during this difficult time. I never counted calories, carbs or fats. I didn’t cut out the good stuff, I ate what I wanted in the quantities that my body craved. Still, I quickly lost pounds quickly off of this 5’1″ body and without depriving myself of ANYTHING.

As I read Carol Cottrill’s The French Twist while sitting on my flights this week (I spent almost 24 hours in the air over a nine day period), I had an epiphany (along with a hunk of chocolate). The times in my life that I’ve been the thinnest were:

1. BB – before Ben. I was a dancer/dance teacher, actress, and worked at hubby’s restaurant on the side
2. When I lived in Paris – odd that I ate everything that I wanted and stayed slim
3. When I was so stressed that food didn’t interest me

They all have the same thing in common. I ATE NATURALLY. Oh, I’m not talking about organic foods here, I’m talking about only eating WHAT I wanted and stopping when I was full. I’m talking about savoring every bite of my food with an intense focus (vs. mindless munching). I walked everywhere, and was naturally active (rather than forcing myself to the gym each day). In other words – I was elevating the QUALITY of my food/exercise (just the way that I live the rest of my life now). The French Twist made me realize how I’ve gotten away from my natural tendency to eat this way.

For those who’ve never given themselves the OPPORTUNITY to eat the “French” way, or those (like me) who seemed to have veered off into the abyss of mindless eating, this is the book that will inspire you back to the way you’re supposed to eat. Much like Champagne Living, The French Twist allows you to enjoy life to the fullest, and even offers the how-to’s of life’s simple pleasures like:

• How to buy the PERFECT French baguette
• Why you should ALWAYS have chocolate in your life
• You deserve quality!
• Why you should FORGET about going to the gym, and enjoy walking in the city instead

In fact – she offers TWELVE secrets of “decadent dining and natural weight management” in an easy to digest format that not only tells HOW to do it, but WHY you should. Yes, much of what Ms. Cottrill writes, I already knew – but I had stopped doing. I’m back to “practicing my French” now and will keep you posted.

While I’ll continue to REVIEW diet books here, this is the ONE that I’ll be following….or rather LIVING (in true Champagne style).

Author of The French Twist: Carol Cottrill

You can pick up a copy of The French Twist: Twelve Secrets of Decadent Dining and Natural Weight Management on Amazon.com, or at whatever bookstore you happen to WALK IN TO.

I received a copy of this book to facilitate this post. I’m so grateful to Ms. Cottrill for having written it and sending it to me. I don’t know how or why I forgot the way that I enjoy eating, but she lit the spark to begin again. All opinions are strictly my own.