Chic & Slim Encore: More About How French Women Dress Chic Stay Slim -- and How You Can Too!

by Anne Barone

Book Overview

First there was Chic & Slim: How Those Chic French Women Eat All That Rich Food And Still Stay Slim. Now in Chic & Slim ENCORE, author Anne Barone shares more of those French secrets to dressing chic... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0965894355
• ISBN13: 9780965894357
• Release Date: September 2000
• Publisher: Nouvelles Editions
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.

Customer Reviews

This book has been a positive influence on my life

Didn't know what to expect when I bought this book and the original Chich & Slim. However I love this book (and the original too.) It's full of lots of real gems of good information. I'm a nursing mother and everyone claimed that the pregnancy weight would just "melt" off but even after 9 months I still had hardly lost more than a couple of pounds. Using just some of the ideas in Anne's books, I was shocked to find I lost 3 pounds in a week. Now after a month the weight is still dropping off and I have lost a total of 10 pounds! I am finally close to fitting into some of my pre-pregnancy clothes. I also was having sleep problems at night and when I changed my eating habits, I noticed right away that my sleep problems practically disappeared! Here is some of the advice I took from her books: No low fat food (I buy whole milk, real cream, real butter, eggs, cheese, etc.) I check the labels on all my products and try to buy organic when possible (I won't buy things with tons of chemicals in them.) I also check labels for hidden sugars in foods that aren't desserts. I bought Julia Child's French cookbook and have been slowly learning some of the easier, rich recipes in it. I shop more often so that the food I am cooking is as fresh as possible. We eat 3 meals a day and don't ever skip breakfast. We've stopped eating in front of tv and eat at the table now. We have water and a little wine with meals instead of pop. etc, etc... It may sound trite but this book has honestly changed my life!

Delightful

This is a book that goes beyond fashion or diet, focusing more on lifestyle, self-perception and a certain maturity in one's thoughts and actions that lend grace and elegance to one's everyday life. Rather than focus on any "magic bullets", the book explores various facets of shaping and prioritizing the "chic" lifestyle, through food, fashion, love, decor, and how each one can enhance or detract from living "the good life". It is a relief to see a book that stresses common sense, good food and pleasure as the cornerstones of a healthy lifestyle, rather than focusing on extremes of behavior and thought that lead to an unhealthy mental state as well as unhealthy physical state. It recognizes that any lifestyle change must be sustainable to be successful over the long term- and how sustainable are most of the "fad diets" and injury-inducing exercise trends that tout themselves as the new silver bullet? How soon after their introductions are these fads debunked as more injurous than healthful? Furthermore, when we follow such new trends, is it out of true self-concern and desire for health and wellness, or do we subconsciously use them as new forms of self-punishment, a la the Puritans? Not that the book gets too heavy or philosophical- the writing is light and delightful to read, but does gently point out some of the behaviors and thought processes that may be injurous to American women.I also recommend this book's predecessor, "Chic and Slim".

Mille mercis to Anne Barone ...

... for reminding us that quality, not quantity, is paramount to feeling satisfaction in our lives. This book is not just about losing weight -- although certainly that is a big part of it. It's about learning techniques that advocate moderation in all things, and which ultimately support our efforts to lose weight and maintain that weight loss without feeling like the quality of our lives has gone down. Indeed, in the two years I've been following Le Systeme Barone, I can only say that the quality of my life has improved, in so many ways.The role of blockbuster-sized portions of what I like to call "Frankenfood" (whole foods altered from their natural state by the use of preservatives, additives, and other inedible chemicals) in the average American diet is really pretty scary. The chapter on food in this book is quite illuminating and educational, even for someone like I, who had always eaten pretty well. It's impossible to look at food -- and indeed the typical American lifestyle -- the same ever again.Finally, I just want to add that although the book is written for women, the message is for men as well. My husband has been "boot-camping" Le Systeme Barone for the last three months and easily lost over 30 pounds. Just by eating higher-quality foods in moderate, "French-sized" portions. While I trust he will not take to wearing pretty French lingerie, as Anne advocates, my husband has taken a different point of her advice and donated all of his "fat clothes" to Goodwill and will never use them again as a safety net. The fact is, if he gains more than five pounds, he'll have nothing to wear; good incentive to stay trim, non? He also realizes that it's okay for him to spend more money on fewer, but higher-quality, pieces (ah! more of that moderation I was talking about!) in his wardrobe now that he knows his weight will never again fluctuate more than a couple of pounds.Trite to say so, but this book can change your life.

MAGNIFIQUE! Anne Barone has done it again!

For those of you who loved CHIC & SLIM, take notice of the wonderful follow-up volume! Filled with advice concerning health, relationships, fashion, and self-esteem, ENCORE is a must-have for any woman's library. Having lived in France and experienced the beauty of the French lifestyle, Ms. Barone is a proponent of moderation -- something sadly lacking in our American society. We are a culture of "overconsumers," as is apparent not only in the way we eat, but also in the way we often misuse our finances and conduct our relationships. We also go overboard trying to be "perfect" -- but generally use the media standard as our own, which has inherent problems. Ms. Barone recognizes this, and offers a refreshing solution: a sense of healthy self. It is not a matter of becoming a vegetarian or a protein powerhouse; it is not a matter of buying size four jeans in the hopes of starving your way into them; it is not a matter of applying a mask of cosmetics to make others think you were born with a certain "look"; nor is it a matter of building a draining career only to procure wealth. Instead, it is about appreciating the beauty with which one is born, as well as savoring the beauty of one's surroundings. It is about establishing one's femininity and being so confident as to not need to become involved in a relationship to avoid being alone. It is about using money wisely, and controlling finances rather than having debt control you. In essence, it is about finding and expressing true joy - enjoying solitude, savoring art, making one's home a haven, taking pride in goals achieved, understanding the elegance of simplicity, and cherishing each age (one needn't be young to be a spectacular woman!). Filled with sensible and savvy advice, delectable recipes, and an abundance of encouragement, CHIC & SLIM ENCORE is a wonderful gift to give to a mother, daughter, sister, friend -- or yourself! Its lessons will be treasured by any woman. Sit back, sip your coffee drink of choice, and indulge yourself in one of the best ways possible -- enjoy ENCORE and take it to heart!