Felice Shapiro
I think I could make millions on my new croissant diet. Aren’t you just a little intrigued with the croissant angle?
If you knew you could eat a croissant each morning for breakfast and not gain weight – and even better, lose a few pounds – wouldn’t you run to the nearest patisserie? Well – put on your running shoes because it’s true!
Here’s how I discovered this gem of a diet.
I live in a little village just outside New York City, which has a French American school, and the most wonderful French pastry shops and restaurants.
I never eat pastries and actually am convinced I don’t even like them. Dark chocolate is my thing and, since I’m weight conscious, that seems to be working for me – although bizarrely my cravings for chocolate have subsided since I finished with menopause.
So, one morning I was walking with my doggy Jazz and we entered a new coffee/French bakery on the corner near my house, Cafe La Parisienne. The local sub shop had gone out of business and this was its replacement.
There were 2 lovely ladies chatting in French by the entrance and the smells coming from the kitchen were toasty bakery crusty baguette-like kind of smells if you catch my drift.
I was coming in for my new drink of a “skinny cappuccino” which I had decided just a month ago was way better than coffee and milk. (What took me so long?)
I had already gone to what I thought would be the dark side giving myself permission to drink a caloric cappuccino (despite it’s “skinny” label) each morning. I had seen no weight gain over the past month from my new foamy concoction so I stuck with it.
Well, Jazzy seemed to be very excited about this new bakery. Suddenly she stood on her back legs like a ferret when a little boy in front of me was handed his freshly baked slightly crusty croissant.
“Oh Jazz, that is adorable I thought” and I asked the barista for one croissant for my sweet Jazzy. She inhaled it with delight and was clearly beyond…….
I have never given Jazz more than kibble before and a bit of wet canned dog stuff – after all she’s 10 now and I am concerned her teeth aren’t what they used to be. Jazz has never had bread – doesn’t that give dogs worms? Nevertheless, Jazz was delirious and wagging her entire tush. I nibbled on a corner of HER croissant and chased it with a quick sip of my cappuccino.
LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!
My taste buds were dancing. Jazz and I just looked at one another and we knew – this was it – our new breakfast routine was launched.
Admittedly, I was a tad fearful that one croissant would beget another but I was pleasantly thrilled at how sated I was by this single morning delight. In fact, I was not the slightest bit hungry for the next 4 hours. Surprisingly, I had no carb high or low. I felt great.
As the week wore on, I noticed my appetite throughout the day had diminished.
How could this be?
After a week my new routine was officially a habit. Jazz didn’t seem to be expanding and I had dropped 2 pounds. By week 2, I had dropped 4 pounds. I had settled into my new French weight – just in time for summer.
I know none of this makes sense. I’ve been on enough diets to know better. I do not pretend that there is even a smidge of science in this food choice. I’m sure to be lambasted by nutritionists and Paleo’s, by Vegans and Juicers but I can’t tell a lie because…
I dropped 4 pounds in 2 weeks from my croissant diet!
I don’t believe the scale is broken am I’m not just wearing stretched out jeans. The oddest thing is my skinny clothes are fitting quite nicely.
So—I’m sticking with my new croissant diet.
Please if you see me in a few months and I look vastly larger – I’d prefer you keep it to yourself.
I’m feeling remarkably Better After 50.