They eat a large variety of unprocessed meat, dairy, bread, vegetables and fruit, and the key to all of this is portion size.

It is important to change your food choices for every meal because they all have different vitamins and minerals for a well rounded diet.

The protein you choose should never exceed a third of a pound, you should include veggies and a salad.

Most local diners at a French restaurant will order and share one dessert for the whole table, this is quite traditional. So yes, you can have cheese cake, but just a very small piece. If you are going to have a lot of this you are going to struggle to lose weight. The key is having the smallest portion size possible.

What would we do if we didn't have croissants? French breads are great, but croissants in France are only about 1 ounce, so having that with your meal would be in order.

A French diet without cheese, never. Yes, real cheese. Eating processed cheese would definitely not be included in a French diet, but eating small portions of real cheese helps you limit cravings for snacks because you'll feel full.

Red wine has also always been part of French tradition, and it's healthy for you because it's full of antioxidants and fights free radicals in your body. Once again, a small portion, 1 to 2 glasses a day, not a bottle.

When eating, French women are very choosy, they like large portions of fresh fruit and vegetables; these are high in nutritional value and low in calories.

The French women have always eaten a fraction of the portions at their meals that most people in the US consume. When you consider the large portions we are served at restaurants in the US, it's no wonder we have a habit of consuming a lot more food.

When the French women sit down for a meal, it is a ritual that does not include watching the TV or having other distractions going on. It's a time to savor the food and eat slowly instead of inhaling the plate. When was the last time you remember savoring a meal?

French women are used to drinking more water during the day, it's not only good for you but helps to keep your metabolic rate in high gear which is great for burning calories.

French women can easily forgive themselves if they have eaten too much. There will come a time when you just don't have the willpower and you overindulge. All you do is cut back a little on your next meal - if we continue copying them it will help us with our fat loss efforts.