Here are some photos from today’s London photocall for Spectre. The photos of Monica Bellucci are kind of… unfortunate. Like, I love her and I think she’s gorgeous, but these photos will be used as an example in years to come for “When bad bangs and satin shirts happen to beautiful women.” I’m also including photos of Lea Seydoux, Naomie Harris and Daniel Craig, of course. I like that the promotion seems to involve the Bond Ladies!
Meanwhile, Monica recently gave an interview to the Daily Mirror and she really doesn’t give a crap about any of this. She’d rather be in Paris with her two daughters (10-year-old Deva and 5-year-old Leonie). Monica is 51 years old – the oldest “Bond Girl” on record and four years older than Daniel Craig – and she has some thoughts on aging, motherhood and being single for the first time in decades. FYI: Monica and Vincent Cassel split a few years ago and she hasn’t been in a high-profile relationship since then. You can read the full Mirror piece here. Highlights:
Her priorities: “It’s all about making sure that your children have a good breakfast, that they dress warmly when it’s cold outside, and pay attention to their studies.”
She had mixed feelings about motherhood at first: “When I was in my 20s and early thirties I wasn’t ready to take on such a responsibility, I wasn’t ready to be a mother. Maybe that’s because I was an only child and that tends to make you more selfish and you worry that you aren’t able to make time and devote yourself to raising a child. But when I had Deva, it was the perfect moment for me to start a family and it changed my life in every way imaginable.
She studied to be a lawyer: “I wanted to pursue a serious occupation because there is a lot of pressure being considered an attractive woman in Italy”
Being James Bond’s love interest at 51: “We should not be worried about age when it comes to love and attraction. Just as younger women are attracted to older men, it shouldn’t be considered strange that men in their 20s and 30s are drawn to older women. It’s the chemistry and energy between men and women that counts…True sexiness is in the mind, the imagination, not in the age of the body…It’s important to show that a woman at 50 can be just as interesting and attractive as a woman who is 30.”
Being single at 51: “It’s something I’d really never experienced before. I feel very alive. The single woman is a free woman, and being single does not mean being alone – it means being free to have a relationship or not. This can be scary, but it’s also very interesting. Remember it’s not that long ago that women only existed in terms of their relationships to men.”
Maintaining her looks: “I’m just too lazy. I never go to the gym. And I love to eat chocolate and pasta. I’m not obsessed with being skinny. I don’t stress myself about my looks. I love to laugh. I like being able to lead an interesting life.”
She sounds very grounded. I honestly forgot that she had her daughters later than most women – Monica was 45 when she gave birth to Leonie. As for how little she cares about maintaining her beauty… she’s my spirit animal. “I love to eat chocolate and pasta.” AMEN. “I’m not obsessed with being skinny.” Bless. And yes, I hope she’s banging a 30-year-old.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
Maybe she exercises at home though. I don’t think she’s obsessed with being skinny, but she has a figure that appears to be maintained well for her age. Past a certain age, I don’t think even the most genetically gifted person can just eat pasta and chocolate and not do some physical movement afterwards to work off what they ate. I’m not criticizing her for what she said though — I get it.
Agree.
I think she still swims. She once said she swims in the morning and that’s all the exercise she does. She enjoys it so I think it’s more that she isn’t a gym bunny like most Hollywood celebs.
She used to model and was always slender and curvy. She has a very good fashion sense too, she dresses in a way that complements her body. All that helps to look so good.
Most older models who are naturally thin (like Carla Bruni) work out so I don’t believe she doesn’t do anything. Even walking a lot helps to maintain her type of figure.
Europeans walk everywhere. That is more exercise than we Americans get with 30 min on a treadmill. And they don’t think they “”worked out” and not deserve and extra cookie.
I noticed that slippery slop with myself – work out, but then I eat more, so it is a wash. But I guess I am slightly healthier.
European lifestyle is just more healthier in general, even though it is not as comfortable.
That’s true. The European lifestyle has always struck me as much healthier.
It’s true. I alway lose weight when I spend any amount of time in European cities. So much walking, even to get to a Metro station. And the Tube in London, just transferring trains can sometimes feel like a workout.
In fairness, when I lived in Manhattan, I walked everywhere and to my third floor walk up and was a lot thinner too. I think America’s problem is that we eat out a lot with very large portions or we eat a lot of processed food and our suburbs are not as walker friendly as they should be.
I don’t think it is the satin shirt and the bang trauma going on that is the big problem with this outfit. I think it is mainly the high waisted pants, or maybe its just the combination with that shirt and pants. She is still beautiful though.
And they sit down to eat around the table, not in front of the TV. They eat slowly and really enjoy their food. Portions are smaller but the food is fresh and of high quality. I like Monica and I like reading about her talking about her love of food. She doesn’t do it in an obnoxious way to say she’s thin despite all that. I’ll never understand why she got with Cassel. That guy cheated on her constantly and she pretty much said they had an open marriage.
@Kalelt – Thank you for calling out Cassel. He often gets praise for being good-looking but I think he’s a major douche. I never got the impression from Monica’s remarks that their open marriage was her decision and that she was, in particular, reaping the benefits from that arrangement.
I vacationed in Disneyworld once for seven days, eating Disneyworld food in excess (the way Americans do), and lost weight.
Lived in several places in Europe and can’t recall people going to the gym. IT was one of the things that stuck out. they don’t just say hey lets go workout! They just move a lot all the time. they walk a lot, ride bikes homes aren’t filled with gadgets, leave the cars at home more than driving, ours, eat more natural foods. Their life is more set up to move versus relaxing. Think as Americans we set up our lives up to relax vs being active.
That’s what I’ve experienced, too. Not to be precious about it, but in Europe I find myself buying groceries at smaller stores to prepare for one day or so (fresher, unpasteurized, usually nicer ingredients), almost always taking the time to enjoy a customary stroll after a meal, choosing walking or any other transportation vs. a car, visiting parks more with friends, and not snacking between meals or going to the gym. Scheduling seems looser & stress lower.
NYC is a different critter, but at least I still walk a lot (if not as pleasant) and climb stairs and don’t seem to stop moving during the day. Probably way too much stress to be healthy long-term, though. It’s hard to escape people stress-eating all over the place, on the go, all the time; and I’ve never really fit into an A-type gym or yoga studio culture here.
Some of it is as much traditional culture and social mores as anything else, I suppose; but I also think it has a lot to do with layout and priorities. I’m currently stuck in the suburbs helping to resolve a family situation, and have been absolutely shocked at the almost universal dependence upon a car to go anywhere, as well as the lack of safe walking and biking paths, and the overwhelming proportion of awful places tarting themselves up as restaurants serving high-calorie/low-nutrition proportions that should basically come in a trough, and the humongous big box warehouse stores selling huge supplies of things.
I don’t have an army to feed, house or clothe, so I realize this is a viable (or even attractive) solution for some people. But the difference in emphasis and accessibility makes me better understand why some people may feel they are living out of human scale – either in their own bodies, or where they live, or what they’re faced confronting as a lifestyle on a day-to-day basis.
All the talk about European lifestyle vs. American made me remember how embarrassed I was to wear sneakers around Paris. The Parisian women do NOT run around in sneakers, and only tourists look so gauche! But my husband is so energetic, that on vacations, we walk from early morning to late at night; sneakers are the only way I can survive!
If she eats chocolate and pasta all the time and never works out and still looks like that she’s either lying or genetically lucky and should be grateful that she can be lazy.
What I was thinking lol. I suppose it is true she doesn’t work out (at the gym, at least) but I seriously doubt she stuffs herself full of chocolate and pasta everday. She isn’t a stick but she is still thin with curves. So either she is stretching the truth or she is the top 1 percent in genetics lol.
I do like seeing a beautiful lady who wears her age gracefully.
Why? Everything in moderation. If you eat small portions, you can basically eat anything.
That’s what I’m was going for, she is moderate in what she eats. Which is great, I just tend to believe she is concious of her health and weight without obsessing over it. Which is good for her.
Yep, my best friend lost a lot of weight over the past 6 months by eating everything she likes, just smaller portions. She says it’s the first time she feels confident not to gain back all the lost weight…
Yup it’s a calories in, calories out formula.
Nope. Different people really do have different metabolisms, and as we age, our metabolisms slow at different rates. Said my doctor the other day when I asked WTF is up with this weight gain — I exercise 4 times a week and eat less than the RDA calories for my body!
@A That’s why you adjust to your body’s specific needs. Of course it changes as you age. A child in their pre teens and teens needs way more calories because they’re still growing.
A~ Different metabolism does not change the calories in calories out formula. It changes the calories out, so the calories in has to be adjusted.
moderation — she isn’t eating super American size portions, is my guess.
Exactly my thought as well. She eats real food, and not a ton of it. Plus, she no doubt walks everywhere as the European she is.
Well I eat chocolate and pasta and I am not fat by a stretch- I have shape, like she does. So, its not about good r bad foods, its about not eating an entire box of pasta with junk on it or a whole bag of m&ms. A medium bowl of pasta with olive oil and fresh basil and some spices is much better 🙂
Tell that to my metabolism…I swear I can look at a treat and gain weight. 😂
Ugh? We eat a block or two of chocolate and a 250 grams prepared pasta per portion, you know? We walk kilometres every day, bike, and climb stairs. In the US I can’t eat a third of a regular portion, we get one for our family plus two salads without all the mayo and similar dressing. And what is that with the bread with pasta? Pasta is dough. How can one eat pasta and with bread? No wonder people get obesed. And the sauces? Terrible. Heavy fatty oily. Nothing fresh in them. What I like about Toronto is that it’s very much European in its walking/biking culture and it also has sidewalks to walk on! First time I went to the US I was amazed there were no sidewalks outside the city, not in New York, a smaller town. Overall, we eat everything, fresh, homemade, by little, and move a lot. I was an athlete and of course did gym but I never do gym now. Nor any of the women in my family. We are all slim. In my now Canadian family only homemade food is served although I also work. I hate processed, frozen, precooked, etc. And things like chips or anything of that kind never enters my house. Ever.
Ok, I’m coming back as this woman, without the bangs and shiny shirt. I don’t know whether to hug her or slap her for eating pasta and chocolate and looking like that.
I am in love with those pants though. And her, obviously
That cut of her trousers is incredibly flattering to almost all body types, I don’t know why it ever went out. These awful things that only come up to ones hip bones do almost nothing for most woman, except for those with long legs and very slim frames. I think the fashion world has been laughing at those who ever thought the low rise was a good idea. This woman’s attitude is very refreshing, if slightly disingenuous, I kill myself at the gym, and still end up putting on weight, she is obviously genetically blessed, though of course portion size is key.
Also, Daniel, are those blue suede shoes I see?
I had pants like that in the late 802/early 90s. Except they had suspenders as well. I loved them.
I’m loving those pants as well. If only the blouse was a different type of fabric that outfit would be perfect. As for Monica herself, I think she’s one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen.
That blue pantsuit on Lea is also stush as hell.
Those pants are awesome.
I think she’s awesome (the styling is not) but it’s all in the phrasing. I don’t believe for a second she looks like that while sitting on the sofa and stuffing herself. No, she didn’t say that of course but all these celebrities pretending they do? I’m so over it. I’m sure she eats a balanced diet with the occasional dessert and I’m sure she is very active if not a gym bunny. That would have been a more honest answer than “I don’t care, I love chocolate.” Plus, it is most likely genetic as well.
I always get so irrationally angry when I sense a hint of Blake Lively’s brand of “I hate exercise. CUPCAKES FOR EVERYONE.” Or Jennifer Lawrence’s fast food narrative. Girl, you work out. Just say so.
Or maybe journalists could stop asking. Like I want to know!
I am her age. I do go to the gym because I am concerned about staying strong. Strong muscles and bones keep you alive longer and give you a better quality of life. So I take exception at her assumption that gym goers at her age are obsessed with being thin. I do LOVE that she played Daniel Craig’s love interest, and will see that move just for that reason. 😀
“I do go to the gym because I am concerned about staying strong. Strong muscles and bones keep you alive longer and give you a better quality of life.”
This exactly. I really don’t know why people always assume someone works out for the mere reason of being skinny. Work – outs are good for the health IN GENERAL. I go to the gym 3 – 4 times a week, I feel good and if I cannot go due to some reasons, something is missing in my life. By the way, in my gym most people have a normal figure and are obviously not there to loose weight…. 😉
I love excercise and I don’t get the actresses that diss it. If I can do it outside, that has my preference, but when the weather is terrible (like today) I go to the gym. And as a European I can tell you we are fast approaching the American way of eating , though most of our food contains less sugar and salt. The times I visited the US I had some very healthy and fresh food and managed to lose weight on each visit (without trying). The US is a great country to get active in. Lots of hiking/walking possibilities.
I love this woman.I love her more than sharks love blood haha.
I have had a crush on Vinz Cassel for years.He is the hottest man on the planet IMO.The way he looks at her in that scene in Irreversible when they are in bed…ahhh 🙁
She is my forever girl crush.
Oh, me too. She is absolutely gorgeous and I love her attitude.
I with her. I’m 29 and an only child, and I don’t feel like having kids any time soon, or ever. Maybe I’ll change my mind in 10 years like her, or maybe not. But yes to chocolate and pasta, two things I had for lunch today.
Going to the gym (or working out in any capacity … at home, running, treadmill, weights, walking regularly etc) isn’t (AND SHOULDN’T!) be about being skinny. Its about being healthy, fit and strong. She might start to regret that as she ages.
She didn’t say she never walked. Just said she didn’t go to the gym.
Well there are other ways to stay healthy. She may be doing some form of excercise like yoga or outdoorsy stuff.
That’s what I assume she’s doing — but when actors say they never go to the gym, they seem to omit that they may be exercising in other ways to make up for the fact that they don’t go to the gym. As if going to they gym is the only means of obsessing over one’s skinniness…(I’m not saying she in particular obsesses over her skinniness while hiking — I’m just saying that I don’t think the idea that not going to the gym necessarily proves that someone else might not be skinny- or-figure-obsessed to some degree).
I read somewhere years ago that she liked to go swimming 3-4x week. It certainly is a rigorous, full-body workout — if you are doing laps and not just wadding around.
I think when people downplay exercising and going to the gym, they think only in terms of lunkhead culture with lifting weights and drinking protein shakes.
I do not believe you need to workout to lose weight or be thin. I am not a big exerciser and I can maintain a healthy weight but I cannot under any circumstance eat what I want to eat.
With that said I do feel better when I workout, I feel stronger and have more energy.
Yeah that whole “I don’t go to the gym” comment was poorly worded – at best. I don’t go to the gym to be “skinny” I go to build & maintain muscle mass, improve my cardiovascular health, and to fight off the effects of RA and MS. Yes, I also maintain a healthy body weight, but the gym is important for much more than just ‘skinny’.
I understand she may very well participate in other forms of exercise outside the gym, but to act like going to the gym is a bad thing is NOT what our society needs right now, not with the explosion in obesity rates & obesity related diseases.
Heh, of she does swim regularly, that’s a far far better exercise than any gym visit will ever be. Swimming is the ultimate sport for the whole body. I never go to gym. It’s so boring. There are hundreds of other things to do outside in any season.
I remember her from the second Matrix movie in that latex dress wondering how the heck was she able to walk in that and look so good. She’s still beautiful, hope I look that good at 51.
Gorgeous woman but Lea Seydoux’s pantsuit is TO DIE FOR!
funny that, because I thought lea looks almost plain next to bellucci. And I usually find her very beautiful.
Everyone is plain next to Belluci 🙂
Lea is just as beautiful. It’s not a competition.
Please relax it isn’t a competition.It wasn’t me who felt the need to make a comparison between the two women in the first place I simply stated my disagrement because I didn’t even notice lea ( who I normally find very beautiful) when stood next to Bellucci. My personal opnion.
I’m relaxed. Like you I was giving an opinion.
Well it was a slightly tongue in cheek comment. It was meant to be humorous, not something bad. Obliviously lea is not plain in any shape or form.
This entire post should be about Lea’s pantsuit.
What a beautiful woman.
It’s been a while since I was thirty years old but I’d love to be that thirty year old. Monica Bellucci will never not be incandescently hot.
Monica is an honorary French woman having lived in France for so long…But yeah, to people saying she can’t eat pasta and chocolate and keep a good figure, I’m really confused. Most French people my mother’s age (late 50s) I know eat everything in moderation and walk an hour a day and look great. It’s not very hard to walk an hour a day when you work in a city. Just my two cents. I think obsessing about your figure is probably a stress factor as well.
True. French cuisine is also quite rich and they don’t obsess with health fads like ‘gluten free’ and low fat etc. They enjoy food more and by not obsessing eat whatever tastes good, they don’t overeat on it. It’s a better approach then working out like crazy, depriving yourself and then pretending that the one cheat day you allow yourself isn’t the most enjoyable thing in the whole process.
Not only French. I’m not French and our eating and moving culture is the same. I’m Central European. We don’t stuff ourselves, we don’t eat like it’s our last time, and we move. A lot.
Not all French cuisine is rich, there is a huge variation between regions as to what the “traditional” cuisine is actually.
One thing I did notice is that many of the French tend to eat their large meal at lunch and much more lightly in the evening. I’m convinced this makes a difference as you actually use the calories you eat when you need them, rather than having it “stored” while you sleep.
Monica is gorgeous, but her claim not to ‘stress about her looks’ is contradicted by the fact that she’s clearly had a lot of work done to her face.
She’s not constantly worrying about her weight. That’s not a contradiction.
Well, she says ” I don’t stress myself about my looks”, which I understood to mean more than just her weight. Since she seems to have had quite a bit of work done at a relatively young age, I would say she does stress about her looks.
I don’t know what work she had when she was younger but I appreciate that she has a few lines in her face and isn’t pulled so tight she can’t show emotion.
Did she? Because she has obviously not had any work done on her neck. It makes me doubt the claims she had extensive plastic surgery in her 20s.
“It makes me doubt the claims she had extensive plastic surgery in her 20s. ”
Who made this claim?
From what I can see, she started having work done in her 40s, which is still relatively young (at least it is to me!) And it’s almost impossible to have work done on your neck, which is why it’s such a good indication of where someone has had work done. The fact that Monica’s face is so smooth, whereas her neck looks quite normal for a woman in her 50s, clearly shows that she’s been messing with her face.
Monica still looks good, but my point is that someone who doesn’t ‘stress about their looks’ wouldn’t mess with their face in the way she has done.
This interview…wow. I just love what she said.
I lived in Europe for a while and I noticed their portion sizes are considerably smaller than American portion sizes. For example in Italy when i had pasta the plate is quite small and maybe a a bit more than a handful, with some fresh bread ( dipping it in Olive oil) and salad The dessert was always a few spoonful not a massive dinner plate size. Even coffee is in small cups. And there is a alot of walking around instead of driving around. Plus snacks isn’t a thing, you don’t eat between your meals. so I believe her that she isn’t crazed about being skinny she eats pasta and chocolate. She is also someone who’d I gawk at she is stunning!!! Love her
I was in Europe for three weeks and ate everything, and drank wine everyday, and so much bread and lost about 10 lbs. I honestly think the food is just fresher and of better quality. And it wasn’t just being on vacation because I usually come back fatter when I go away.
I have heard other Americans express a similar sentiment; that they eat so much but come back 10lbs lighter from all the walking around and from the food not having all the preservatives in it that our food has here. Interesting. I should have been Italian.
Food being fresher and of better quality, more walking (much more), smaller portion sizes (which hell yes I’m so down for), and eating a variety of foods with no snacking and meals kept to their time. That’s what helps a lot and really anyone can recreate that if they want to.
I live in NY so I walk a lot in fact I may even have walked less in Europe so I definitely think it was the food.
@Luca Well you can’t say for certain. It’s the combination of all those things that helps and yes helps and adds to the age old moderation aspect of living life that we as Americans need to get on board with. But seriously can we make the portion sizes smaller?
@luca the same thing happened to me! I do think fewer additives/hormones in food help with weight loss. I also believe walking more (as people do in Europe) makes a huge difference.
All great points! Europe is far different than the US
Portion sizes are much smaller in Europe. American portions promote over eating.
Jen43, I agree. I am from Ireland, and I was in Newyork in summer and I couldnt beleive how everything is twice as big as at home. Even a bottle of pepsi is double size, we have much smaller in all things .
But the thing is… typically, people who are crazy for the gym arent there to get skinny. The ones who are obsessed with being skinny are the ones starving themselves at home and flipping through magazines.
I’m definitely into working out and eating healthy, I wear size 2/4 and I eat chocolate. If I liked pasta Id eat that too. I work out so I can basically not stress about what I eat vs what I like to wear. There is seriously nothing better than being able to wear whatever you want (mostly because I dont care about my flaws and they’re less exaggerated now that Im at a healthy/easily maintainable weight) and eat my favourite food. If you look at something you want to eat and say “I cant eat that I want to be skinny” then you’re doing EVERYTHING wrong… including living in general.
This!!
…I feel guilty but Naomie who probably does all sorts of stuff looks fantastic…plus shes all over billboards & looks great in them too..
I find a bit sad that women feel the need to say things that pretty much shame women who feel different then them. “Oh I don’t go to the gym because I’m not obsessed with being skinny”, ok then, if I looked like you maybe I wouldn’t feel the need to keep a certain weight bc my self-esteem depends on it. (there are more reasons to exercise btw) I like her but she gives me this vibe that “I’m different than most women bc instead of focusing on my looks I’m just enjoying my life…”
Yeah, that’s a vibe I’ve gotten from Monica for the longest time. Smug.
What an ignorant thing to say. Going to the gym is not just to be skinny. Some women go to be fit, stronger, healthier. Your heart needs it, your brain needs it because it helps prevent dementia and alzheimer’s, it helps as you grow older to prevent problems from osteoporosis. You don’t deserve a “You go girl LOL!” pat on the back for not exercising. Not exercising is more harmful than smoking. It ages you faster, it contributes to you being overweight. Your body needs to move and be strong. And this train of thought is the reason why obesity has spiked worlwide. Being lazy and ignorant will cost you a fortune in the future. Hospital bills alone should scare you into being as healthy as possible. Don’t do it for the aesthetics. If you don’t take care of your body, it will start going to hell sooner than you think, like your 50’s, when you still have at least 30 more years to go.
Also, all these women claim to say no the gym but say yes to surgeries, so that’s hypocritical.
Not exercising is more harmful than smoking? That’s a bold statement. Slow your roll.
Obesity has spiked mostly due to over-eating an unhealthy diet. Just because she says she doesn’t go to a gym doesn’t mean she isn’t physically active. I don’t go to a gym but exercise in some way shape or form almost every day. Sometimes it’s swimming, other times a hike, then some weights one day, a cardio DVD another, it’s just about being active, not working out for 3 hours with a trainer or at the gym… *coughGoop/Madonnacough*.
exactly!
What in the world is Daniel Craig wearing? Those jeans give me a headache.
I think he is just being his perverse self, and drawing attention by being noticeably “dressed down” compared to the ladies. Also, blue, suede, shoes. It’s just his usual DGAF attitude.
I think she may be sincere with what she says about her diet. Could this be the case of a different interpretation of terms, depending on where you’re coming from?
I notice Americans often eat larger portions and when they eat pasta it’s usually with a lot of dressing (if it’s a salad) or sauce. Plain homemade high quality pasta every day wouldn’t hurt your figure.
The same with chocolate. Some Americans I met offered me chocolates but in fact those were wrapped up milk chocolate candies (raisinettes?). Not chocolate in France. A 2.5 oz bar divided in 12 squares of dark gourmet chocolate coming from Valrhona, Lenôtre or Pralus is chocolate. You can eat it every day but it’s usually one or 2 squares with your coffee.I’m sure Bellucci doesn’t eat the bottom-end quality product coming from the lower shelves at the discount store, the real junk which should never be associated with the word chocolate.
It’s about being healthy and fit, not skinny. One doesn’t have to go to the gym to do that, but one must get exercise. Her statement is a little dumb.
Yeah this superior European lifestyle? Um, what about all the smoking everywhere all the time.
Yeah, my first thought was Italian women don’t gp in heavily for gym culture, but there is plenty of smoking and dieting. Of course, there is also more walking and higher quality food as well.
Well, we still have significantly lower cancer numbers than yours. Says something, doesn’t it? Your obssession with smoking is preventing you from seeing the forest.
Okay first off….I think she looks great. And that pantsuit on Lea. WOW.
I will say I’ve never heard a guy say he loves to laugh. I’ve only ever heard women say this. Is there some big trait of women that we don’t like to laugh? Like this is a thing? As we grow older do we just grow humorless? Does Monica Bellucci laugh at fart and poop jokes?
…I love the gym. I’ve grown to really love running and I kinda get mad at myself for not going or not completing that run. Not because I’m obsessed with it, but it makes me feel amazing. I feel productive and like I can take on anything.
I hate that we blather on and on about this European lifestyle and how it’s just AMAZEBALLS. But I will absolutely agree with people saying that portion sizes are a lot smaller there. I wish we had much smaller cans of coke and MUCH smaller cups of coffee. 12 oz of coffee is way too much. Make it 6 or 8. I go to Starbucks and always ask for the short size. Any coffee shop I go to I always ask if they have a smaller one and I even tell them I’m more than willing to pay the same price as a small and I’ll tip them a little extra too. It’s weird, but I can’t finish all that and I really don’t like wasting food.
> I hate that we blather on and on about this European lifestyle and how it’s just AMAZEBALLS.
It is AMZEBALLS because when I am visiting, I lose 1-2 pounds a week, eating MORE. I don’t know what it is, I don’t work out, I don’t diet , I just live. And I lose weight without any extra effort.
It’s called “far fewer processed foods”. Basically, you’re probably removing 15 or so teaspoons of sugar from your diet a day without even realizing it. And no hormones in your meat, which is designed specifically to fatten the animal up quickly. Pretty sure it does the exact same thing to the person eating that meat as well.
The European diet of smoking a pack of Marlboros every day coupled with 2 liters of espresso really helps keeping the munchies at bay!
Seriously, if you were up close, the stench of ciggies and the dry leathery skin would be obvious.
@whatever Gurl: is it the Europe of the 80s/90s? because otherwise there are less and less smokers overhere and I live in Paris.
No, they just have to add smoking to each sentence. It probably makes them feel sligjtly better that despite the non smoking, they have a very serious health problem.
“I hope she’s banging a 30 year old”
Why?
That was my question too after reading the article.
Well, when you look like Monica effing Belluci, you don’t have to go to a gym. Incidentally, I own a cookbook by the most glorious woman of all time, Sophia Loren. She never *worked out* in the strict sense, too. I get it, they’re gorgeous to begin with, why would anyone want to mess with such a shape?! Me, unfortunately, I’m of Goop shape. I run, I do crossfit, I lift weights, I run around with my puppies for two hours a day… And still nothing. No amount of exercise will give me hips or a booty worth its name *sadface*
But I’d like to put it out there for you Americans: we have the same issues as you. Once you move to an area with poor public transport, you need a car and stop the “European walking regime”. So, yes, we go to gyms, and running is a serious craze where I live (Krautland). I’ve struggled with major depression for a long time and there is no better antidepressant (for me) than a good endorphine rush, induced by exercise.
If anyone still reads this, I’m interested in your gardening culture. Is that the right word? When many of you write about food deserts and poor nutrition quality… Why don’t people in the US don’t grow their own food? It’s quite a tradition over here with the elder folks and recently has been all the rage with the hipster community. Urban gardening etc. The young ones next door grow pumkins and tomatoes next to their main entrance because of the lack of aproper garden. It’s cheap, too.
“I’ve struggled with major depression for a long time and there is no better antidepressant (for me) than a good endorphine rush, induced by exercise.”
Exactly. I also finds it burns off anxious restlessness which makes it easier for me to relax when I got home of an evening. Exercise isn’t just about being “skinny”.
She is so beautiful.
I’m English. I’m 48 and I eat pasta and chocolate and I don’t exercise and I’m very slim. I do potter about in my garden a couple of times a week but that’s it. I eat one square of really good chocolate for my dessert, any more than that makes me feel slightly nauseous.
I do think it’s about portion sizes. If I eat a really big dinner I wake up more hungry in the morning because my stomach has stretched. I usually cannot finish all the food on my plate because I feel full – I do eat my food slowly in small bites and really relish each bite and drink lots of water while I’m eating, which helps I think.
I don’t eat processed food at all or sugary drinks like coke but I do bake cakes (that are predominantly egg whites like angel food cake or chiffon cake) and I have a large slice most days.
The thought of going to the gym makes me want to stick a fork in my eye. I have tried exercise for depression and it does not work at all for me – although digging out a really obstinate dandelion root in the garden does feel good.
Everyone is different, do whatever works best for you.
Winnie xox
She is one of the most beautiful women in the world, and I wish we could see more like her. Having said that, I think she sounds a bit too attached to her looks, and that’s one of the reasons I like Angelina Jolie so much: she’s gorgeous, but doesn’t bring her looks up at every interview (please, don’t kill me for mentioning her here).