Day 140 from France: Let's Rewind

Shaboom writes to us from Paris, France...

When I first moved to Paris (2 years ago,) I went from a high-octane Hollywood lifestyle where each night was spent partying (drinking) at movie premiers, magazine parties, awards ceremonies and after-parties to a completely different low-key lifestyle in France where I knew no one, had no job and no real way to meet anyone.

I was excited about my new adventure, as I have wanted to move to France since I went to university here many moons ago, but I was scared and I missed my boyfriend, friends and my source of income. So, I was brave and didn't cry (most of the time.) But I also couldn't really invest in my life here because I kept thinking, "What's the point?" I knew I would just have to move back to LA sooner or later and go back to my real life with SwimSwim and our future marriage, starting a family, etc. Consequently, I was just sort of floating...

But I lived with a French couple who spoke French to me 24/7, who served me French food and watched French tv. I drove a French car which I had to put gas into at French gas stations (I'll save my first fueling experience for another post.) I went on French job interviews at French companies conducted in French (and once in Russian - another post, I swear.) I paid for things with Euros and even found myself dreaming in French and speaking French with the dog, Petit Con.

Then one day, I went into my French bathroom and got on my French scale. Even though it was in kilos (which always makes you feel skinnier,) I was in shock. I had gone from 90 to 60 kilos in what seemed like no time! Three months? Six months? I can't really remember now. What's funny is that I didn't feel any different. I didn't feel like I looked any different. But then, all of a sudden, my clothes didn't fit anymore between months 6-12, I dropped a butt-load of dress sizes. I went from a 14 to a 2. I'm 5'9". That's a big change.

We get questions here at the FSE all the time about the portion sizes, the amount of exercises, the vegetable quotient, etc. I'm going to try to take this week to address some of those questions. Feel free to remind me in the comments section whatever it is that you're dying to know.