I used to think I needed to pack elastic waist pants when I'd go on vacation so I wouldn't have a mean little button poking the holiday food baby I grew. When I found out I was moving to Paris, I figured it was time to visit the maternity section at Target for some nice stretch pants. The bread, the pastries, the wine...how was I going to resist? But, resist I did...after living there half a year. Half a year! That's a long time. A long time during which I stuffed myself with croissant after croissant. I finished eating pastries and foie gras with reckless abandon a few months back and wanted to share my tips for keeping a whittled waistline in City of Light whether you're popping by for vacation or here for the long haul.

1. The bread will always be there. Unless the world freezes over, France will have bread. This means you don't need to eat every slice of baguette in the bread basket.

2. If you love it that much, you'll find it again. Macarons and mille feuille are amazing, but you can find those delicious treats at home. You might have to search high and low for the real deal, but they're out there. Don't eat ten pain au chocolat in Paris and curse them on your return home. Go in search of the best pain au chocolat and savor each bite. Then, if you're really desperate for a croissant fix at home, go all out finding one. (Just don't give up at Au Bon Pain, keep looking!)

3. Don't snack. Save up for the meals that count because you'll want to eat that cheese course and not feel like a dairy cow.

4. Eat real French food. Sometimes I hear tourists on the Paris métro talking about what they ate at McDonald's, and I want to cry. When you're far away from home and don't speak the language, it's easy to fall back on what feels comfortable, but you can do better than McDonald's! Don't be scared of the hustle and bustle of the markets and cafes or the cranky look of a waiter. You're in Paris! If you bungle your order, chances are they won't even remember you. Just go for it. Eat the yummy, fresh delicious food the city has to offer. (And you don't have to go with the snails--a ham and cheese baguette is French enough!)

5. When given the choice, walk or bike. Getting in a cab or hopping on the métro can seem like the best option to get from point A to point B (and sometimes it is), but do as the French do and walk or hop on one of the city's rental bikes. You'll get to see so much more than from inside a stuffy métro car or fast driving taxi plus you'll be working off the steak frites you ate for dinner last night. Paris offers amazing ways to see the city by foot and pedal! (Personal favorites are Paris Walks and Bike About Tours.)

I'm constantly needing to remind myself of these nuggets of wisdom and still have trouble refusing an afternoon biscuit. Learning how to eat on vacation or in a new culture is a work in progress, but I now feel comfortable leaving the stretchy waist pants in my closet and out of my suitcase! That said...I'm working really hard not to eat cheese steaks and hoagies 24/7 while back in the US for a few weeks. They're just so tempting!

Happy Friday!