The Hairy Dieters: How to Love Food and Lose Weight (2 page)

The average man needs about 2,500 calories a day and the average woman about 2,000. That does, of course, vary according to how active you are, your build and other factors. For instance, if you work on a building site, you use more calories than if you’re sitting at an office desk.

We were told that to lose a kilo (about 2 pounds) a week we should cut our calorie intake by at least half – to 1300–1500 calories a day – and that’s what we’ve done. Before we started the diet, we kept a food diary for a few days and the results were quite something. We realised that we were scoffing about 3,500 a day before and that was way, way too much.

LOSE WEIGHT WITH US

Cook the recipes in this book, don’t cheat on portion size or extra snacks and you will lose weight too. But we’re not experts – we just know what’s worked for us – so we recommend that you check with your doctor before starting any diet. When you reach your target, relax a little – but not too much – and continue to weigh yourself once a week. The minute the scales start to creep up, get a bit stricter with yourself and get back on track.

Once you’ve achieved your weight loss, treat this book as your maintenance manual, your everyday cook book, to help you keep in shape.

CALORIES

A calorie is a unit of energy contained in food – you’ll see the calorie count listed on lots of types of packaged food. We burn calories to produce energy, but if we take in more than we need, they’re stored as fat.

On packages you’ll see calories given as kilocalories, the proper name, but don’t worry, they’re the same thing. On some packages you will also see a figure in kilojoules, another way of measuring food energy. This will be a larger figure (there are over 4 kj in one calorie) so don’t be alarmed. Calories are all you need to worry about for the recipes in this book.

Bear in mind that calorie counts on packaged food are usually for a serving, not for the whole pack, and one brand can vary from another.

OUR TIPS FOR A SKINNIER YOU

• Buy some good scales and weigh yourself once a week. Weigh yourself first thing in the morning, after you’ve had a wee. We’ve found we can weigh as much as kilo more in the evening.
  
• Once you’ve reached your target weight, keep checking regularly and go back on the plan if you find you’ve gained a few pounds. It’s a whole lot easier to lose two pounds than two stone.
  
• Buy a full-length mirror, if you don’t already have one. Get your kit off, stand in front of it and take a good long look at yourself.
  
• Rethink your eating habits with the help of the recipes in this book. You can still enjoy lots of your old favourites if you cook them in a slightly different way to make them lower in calories but with full-on flavour.
  
• Reduce the amount of fat you eat – and that means oil as well as butter. There are 9 calories in a gram of fat, whatever kind it is.
  
• Exercise might not take off the pounds by itself, but does make you feel healthier, fitter and more energetic.
  
• Make carbs the smallest portion on your plate. Choose wholegrains and cut right down on starchy white carbs, such as white bread, pasta, rice and potatoes. If you’re making a sandwich, go topless – use one slice of bread instead of two. When you make mash, mix in some leeks or cabbage to make it go further.
  
• Spice things up. Spicy food is full of flavour so we reckon it helps you feel more satisfied. No need for diet food to be bland or boring – the chilli is the dieter’s friend.
  
• Eat protein. It fills you up and keeps you going. Don’t forget, though, that cheese is fat.
  
• Be sure to eat breakfast, have a good lunch and a meal in the evening. Make this a habit.
  
• If you give way to temptation one day and overdo it, don’t despair and give up. Just be extra strict with yourself the next day to make up for it. It’s like your bank balance – if you slip into the red, it’s payback time. Think of your meal plan over a week, rather than day by day.
  

THE DEMON DRINK

It’s dead hard, we know, but it’s important to avoid alcohol if you want to encourage and maintain your weight loss. All types of alcoholic drinks are full of empty calories – and if you do give in and have a couple of drinks you’re more likely to throw caution to the winds and guzzle down more food.

Instead, drink mainly water; fizzy or still. Add a dash of angostura bitters to your fizzy water when you want a bit of a change if you like. And if you want the occasional low-calorie fizzy drink, such as diet cola, that’s fine too, but limit your diet drinks to just a couple a day or you may find any sweet craving you have could worsen. Look on it as a bit of a sabbatical – time out until you’ve got things under control.

A FEW POINTERS FROM US

We’ve given a calorie count per portion for each recipe and we mean per portion. So if the recipe is for two, don’t think you can eat the whole lot and have the same calorie count.

Weigh all the ingredients carefully and use proper tablespoons, teaspoons and a measuring jug. This is particularly important for these recipes because if you use more of an ingredient than indicated in the recipe, you’ll change the calorie count.

You’ll notice that there are quite small amounts of high-cal ingredients, such as Parmesan cheese. That’s because the flavour is strong and you don’t need a lot. Trust us and don’t cheat.

SI AND DAVE’S WEIGHT-LOSS TIPS

Don’t skip breakfast. If you don’t have time to eat before you leave home, take something with you to work. Try our home-made muesli or granola with some semi-skimmed milk or low-fat yoghurt.

Find something you like and can prepare easily so you don’t have too many decisions to make in the morning. We’ve found that uncertainty can lead to temptation.

Other breakfast ideas: a bowl of porridge, made with water or semi-skimmed milk, is good, especially when topped with poached fruit. Another favourite of ours is half a can of baked beans with a couple of slices of ham – it’s hot and filling with lots of fibre and protein.

Making your own granola and muesli puts you in control – you know exactly what’s in there.

Fresh fruit juice is high in calories so always dilute juice with water.

Eggs are a great breakfast and keep you feeling full for longer. Try boiled or scrambled egg with a slice of wholemeal toast. You can have egg and bacon, but poach the egg, leave out the toast and hash browns and fill up with mushrooms and grilled tomatoes instead. A slice of ham makes a nice change from bacon.

TOASTED CRUMPETS AND WARM SPICED BERRIES WITH YOGHURT AND HONEY

You’d think crumpets were a big no-no when dieting, but it’s not the crumpets that are the problem – it’s the butter you usually slather on to them. Top your crumpets with this mixture of gooey fruit, honey and yoghurt and you’ll never miss the butter.

SERVES 2

4 crumpets

100g fat-free Greek yoghurt

150g ripe strawberries, hulled and sliced

50g raspberries

50g blueberries

2 big pinches of ground mixed spice

2 tsp runny honey, for drizzling

257 calories per portion

Toast the crumpets in a toaster or under the grill until lightly browned. You don’t want a flabby crumpet, so make sure you toast them well. Put the yoghurt in a bowl and stir until it looks glossy.

Place a non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat and add all the fruit. Sprinkle with 2 good pinches of ground mixed spice and cook for just a minute, tossing regularly until the fruit is softened but still holding its shape. This will bring out the sweetness without the need to add extra sugar.

Divide the hot, toasted crumpets between 2 plates. Spoon the fruit over the top and allow some of it to tumble on to the plates. Spoon the yoghurt on top and drizzle with a little honey. Eat right away.

CRANBERRY AND ALMOND MUESLI

Making your own muesli is easy and you know exactly what’s in it – loads of good stuff and no rubbish. We find this mixture makes a smashing breakfast and, with a handful of fresh fruit and a good dollop of yoghurt, it really keeps you going until lunchtime.

MAKES 12 SERVINGS

50g flaked almonds

300g jumbo porridge oats

75g unsweetened puffed rice

100g mixed dried fruit

100g dried cranberries or sour cherries

semi-skimmed milk or low-fat natural yoghurt, to serve

assorted fresh berries (optional)

195 calories per portion (without milk)241 calories per portion (with 100ml semi-skimmed milk)

Place a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat, add the almonds and toast them for 3–5 minutes, turning occasionally. Keep a careful eye on them so they don’t burn. Tip the nuts into a large mixing bowl and allow them to cool slightly.

Pour the oats and puffed rice into a large rubber-sealed jar or plastic food container. Add the toasted almonds, mixed dried fruit and cranberries or sour cherries and mix everything together well.

Enjoy a 50g portion of the muesli for breakfast with semi-skimmed milk or low-fat natural yoghurt and some fresh berries if you like.

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