WANNA HAVE A FRENCH-CHIC-BOD?

Second cousin Becky is here for a visit. Actually, we got acquainted just last year through the net, thanks to an uncle who keeps in touch during the holidays. She came with a gorgeous friend from Milan, Vittoria. She’s every girls dream of ever becoming to be. A French chic that talks with the sensual accent, and have a body of a ramp model you see in f-channel.

We met up and did some shopping with another cousin. They were especially thrilled with the prices here…though designer items. As we had coffee to rest a while, I can’t help but ask her of her “stay slim regimen”.

And these are basically what she shared…forgive my interpretation of them, but I’ll try to break it down as a list since I just tried to store them in my memory.

First: She claims to dine for pleasure, and not hurry on with it. She does not gulp it all down and fills her tummy to the point of fullness so as to go to another endeavor like TV watching. Says, she always start with an appetizer and soup, so by the time she’s on her main meal, she’s not so hungry anymore. I believe this to be a good advice!

Second: She’s used to eating small portions of food. Maybe because it runs in the family; traditions that have been passed on through the years. Thinking about it, it can be a habit one gotten used to since childhood. Like my being a rice eater…i think it’s because I grew up with my grandmother looking after me who encourages me to eat rice all the time (even during snack..you better believe it! Haha!) Vittoria on the other hand eat just a little. She put just a small portion of food in her plate, a little less than how much she thinks she want. And that she includes good fat in it. Yep, not fat-free meals! Since fat sets off a hormone (okay, I looked it up—its called cholecystokinin) that tells your brain that you’re already full, she does not run off from fats. But she readily agrees with me when I commented that we also have to make sure that it’s a good fat (like olive oil, nuts), and that it is still within our fat allowances for the day. Not too much…just in moderate amounts.

Third: Another is her “lunch-biggest-meal idea”. More than half of her daily calorie was consumed by lunch, followed by a small supper. I noticed also that she takes caffeinated drink every after she partook a meal…and when I mentioned it once, she reveals that she believes it is an appetite suppressant and it helps boosts metabolism. (I’ve been doing this ever since I learned this from her!) Then again, we should also put into consideration caffeine hinders calcium absorption, and so limit coffee to 3 cups per day.

Fourth: Vittoria was amazed how Filipinos eat almost every hour with snacks in between the big meals, and some even munches on chips while not doing anything (my sister for one is addicted to chips!) She claims that she (and those she knows) were not used to taking snacks. She thinks that she still eat the same amount with or without it.

Fifth: She also admits to do exercises everyday. Not at the gym, not yoga and the likes…not something that she has to push herself into. She just have the routine walking in the sun, either during sunrise or sunset actually. Says, she love sight seeing, and so burns energy without being obliged to follow a program.

Sixth: and last but definitely the least, being passionately in love. This, I like most! Who wouldn’t want that?!