I have one thing to say to you: Don't fret. Not everyone walking around Paris look like they are about to attend a Chanel or Dior fashion show. You'll definitely meet badly dressed Parisians along with "OMG, does she work for Vogue?" Parisians. Jeans, t-shirts and sneakers can be worn around Paris. You don't have to feel bad about not being able to walk in heels for an extended period of time. Most French women seem to favor the "ballerines" (flats, but sounds so much better in french) when getting from point A to point B, hiding their pumps in their bags, or simply sticking to their flats once they reach their destination.
Paris (and France in general) is also known for it's exquisite food and, yes, Parisian are usually thin, but it is again not a general rule, though more common then one would think. The only fat Parisians (and here I'm not talking about morbidly obese people, but simply slightly fat people) I've ever seen are the chefs and "pâtissiers", which kinda makes sense. I mean, would you trust a thin chef? I wouldn't. Now, the fact that many Parisians are thin doesn't mean that they don't enjoy the good food they have access to or that they are anorexic. One of the factor for their thinness is the fact that they walk and take public transportation. If you have ever been to Paris and took the Métro, you will agree that all the stairs to get to the platform is quite a good cardio exercise. I don't think I ever saw an escalator... or even an elevator.
The other factor is: they smoke. A lot. Way too much. They are not allowed to smoke inside public places, so it's like in North America: they do it outside, near the doorways and eat outside. So forget eating on a parisian "terrasse" if you don't like the smell of cigarettes.
I could write so much more about Paris, but I'll stick to that for now as I don't want to bore you. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment.
