When I lived in New York City? I probably averaged about 8,000 steps a day just walking to school, the store, the library, etc. When I went to grad school in Colorado - even though I was a nerd, I hiked 2-4 times a week, and when I hiked, I was typically doing it for 4-5 hours at a time. Given that it wasn't just distance but also elevation, it was no wonder I ate whatever I wanted and still lost weight. Then I moved to Indiana and quickly gained weight.

So I totally get how walking/hiking/biking on a regular basis as just part of an active lifestyle (Not an exercise plan) can be very effective even if you like bread and chocolate. However, in countries like France or Japan, they also have balance in their diets - you might have fresh fruit and a delicious cheese for a snack instead of processed foods. In Japan, people typically eat just a small piece of chocolate, say, but it's the highest quality chocolate so that you are totally satisfied and don't need more.

I have recently been doing this myself - smaller portions of truly delicious, non-processed foods and despite eating less I feel more satisfied. That also means I seldom snack anymore.

I put real butter on home-made bread along with a drizzle of local raw honey and have that for breakfast with a cup of my favorite tea or occasionally a hot chocolate and I am full until lunchtime. Or I make an omelet for breakfast, cooked in butter, and filled with veggies and herbs from my garden.

Apologies for the super long reply.