The Biggest Loser Cookbook Part 6

Cauliflower cheese with smoky bacon

Dinner

Lamb cutlet with chickpeas, shallots & parsley

B, C, D only: Golden fruit salad

Snacks

A: 100 kCals

B: 100 kCals

C: 200 kCals

D: 350 kCals

Week 2 Sunday Breakfast

Cheese omelette

Lunch

Dhal with chapatti and raita

C, D only: Warm pear compote

Dinner

Tunisian fish stew with couscous

Orange with toasted pine nuts, honey & yogurt

Snacks

A: 50 kCals

B: 150 kCals

C: 150 kCals

D: 350 kCals

INTRODUCTION.

Get Ready to Start Losing

Don't choose a starting date that's just days before a big family wedding or during a particularly stressful period at work. You could find yourself making excuses to slip off track, then it's hard to get back on again. On the other hand, don't leave it too long before starting. The slim new you is waiting to be revealed.

Make sure you have everything you need lined up and ready to go.

Clear the junk food from your cupboards - apart from any items you want to keep for your daily treats - then start buying the food you'll need for the two-week menu plan (see opposite). Stock up on the storecupboard items at the outset, but plan to buy your fruit, veg, fish and meat fresh every few days, as and when you need it.

Buy a notebook in which to record your decreasing weight every week and write down all the food you eat (and all the drinks you drink, apart from water).

If you don't have any bathroom scales, it's time to buy some. It's up to you whether you want a fancy set that shows your body-fat percentage, or just a basic one with kilos and pounds.

You'll need a measuring jug and a set of measuring spoons, plus an accurate set of kitchen scales to weigh your food.

If you want to choose your own foods after finishing the two-week menu plan, you'll need a calorie counter. Buy a small book, find a calorie-counting website or get a mobile phone app.

Decide on the exercise regime you will follow and make sure you have all the equipment you'll need for it.

Stick to your weight-loss shopping list opposite and stock up with healthy foods.

Your weight-loss shopping list Fruit and vegetables Bananas, apples, pears Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries Pink grapefruit Lemons, oranges, limes Mango, kiwis, canteloupe melon Victoria plums, peaches, nectarines Rhubarb Tomatoes, cherry tomatoes Celery, cuc.u.mber Fresh basil, chives, parsley, mint, thyme, coriander, rosemary Spring onions Red onions, white onions, shallots Red and green chillis Peppers: green and red Salad leaves: plain ones like Cos, and sharper ones, such as rocket Spinach leaves, watercress Garlic, root ginger Cabbage, black kale Carrots Cauliflower Baby beetroot, medium beetroot b.u.t.ternut squash Sweet potatoes Aubergines, courgettes Potatoes, new potatoes Leeks Pak choi, or Chinese leaves Mangetout or French beans Purple sprouting broccoli b.u.t.ton mushrooms (or your favourite types of mushroom) Meat and fish Smoked salmon Cooked prawns (normal size and king prawns) Monkfish tail (or cod) Cod loins Haddock fillets Salmon fillets Plaice fillets Tuna steaks Chicken b.r.e.a.s.t.s, skinless Streaky bacon, back bacon Lamb cutlets or chops Diced lamb, or lamb leg steaks Pork fillets Extra-lean minced beef Fillet steaks Foods for the fridge Skimmed or semi-skimmed milk Single cream, low-fat creme fraiche Low-fat natural yogurt Low-fat Greek yogurt Fresh orange juice, apple juice Low-fat spread b.u.t.ter Eggs Light cream cheese, cottage cheese Cheddar cheese, or your favourite type of cheese Feta cheese, Parmesan Roquefort, or any blue cheese Goats' cheese log Light mayonnaise Light soy sauce Wholegrain mustard, French mustard Sweet chilli dipping sauce Tomato puree Chutney Fresh chicken stock Sun-dried tomatoes in oil Harissa paste (optional) For the freezer Frozen broad beans Frozen peas Vanilla ice cream, low-fat Foods for the storecupboard Olive oil, sunflower or rapeseed oil, sesame oil Sugar, caster sugar, Demerara sugar Plain flour, wholemeal flour Clear, runny honey Smooth peanut b.u.t.ter Black olives in brine Vegetable stock cubes, or granules Chicken stock cubes, or granules Balsamic, white wine & cider vinegar Peanut b.u.t.ter, jam or marmalade (your choice) Marmite (if you like it) Whole porridge oats (not instant oats) Sultanas, raisins, dried apricots, dates, prunes Desiccated coconut Whole nuts: almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts Pistachio nuts and monkey nuts in their sh.e.l.ls Flaked almonds Crispbread, oatcakes Sesame seeds Pine nuts Lentils (preferably Puy), dried Red lentils, or yellow split peas, dried Black-eyed beans, dried or canned Black beans, dried Borlotti beans, canned b.u.t.ter beans, canned Kidney beans, canned Chickpeas, canned Couscous Rice, long-grain, basmati and risotto rice (arborio) Pasta: penne and wholewheat spaghetti Cans of chopped tomatoes Cans of sweetcorn Cans of tuna in spring water Sardines in spring water Cans of baked beans (if liked) Cans of light coconut milk Jars of pes...o...b..andy snap biscuits Sponge fingers Ice-cream fan wafers Spice rack Black pepper, white pepper, cayenne pepper, salt Mixed dried herbs (herbs de Provence if you like) Dried thyme Dried bay leaves Paprika, chilli powder Ground c.u.min, ground coriander Turmeric, garam masala Cajun spice mix Dried ginger Dried cinnamon, cinnamon sticks Vanilla essence Orange-flower water Cloves Bread bin Granary or wholemeal bread (you can have rolls on Plan D) Plain bagels (you can have seeded ones if you are on Plans C or D) Ciabatta bread (or ciabatta rolls) Wholemeal pitta breads Drinks Herbal teas Fruit juices (these are quite high in calories, so only have them as 'extras' or 'healthy snacks') Your normal tea and coffee (try to cut the sugar, if you can; if you can't, it will have to come out of your treats allowance, at 20 calories per teaspoon) Red wine (for cooking) Rose wine (used for Nectarines in wine) Whisky (if you like - used in Scottish cream) Any alcoholic drinks you want to have as a treat

INTRODUCTION.

Top Tips

From trainer Rob Edmond I believe in having a life. Sometimes I eat foods that may not be the best for me and I'm not a teetotaller, but I eat and drink in moderation - that's the key. When I'm working with clients who want to lose weight I suggest they chip away at their bad habits one by one rather than trying to change everything all at once.

First of all, I tell them to look at their portion sizes. I know children are encouraged from an early age to eat everything on their plates, but you're an adult now, so break the habit. When a plate of food is brought to you in a restaurant or while you're out socialising, just eat until you feel full. Even if it's the best meal in the world, don't stuff yourself. At home, get rid of your oversized plates - throw them out! - and get some smaller ones.

My favourite food is curry, with lots of ginger, chillies, spices and a good meat, such as chicken. Hot food that makes you sweat can actually speed up the metabolism. If you like spice, make your own curries or chilli dishes. I have three or four curries a week.

Once you've got your portion sizes down and you've started cooking healthy food for yourself, try to give your body a break by 'eating clean' one day a week. By this I mean having a whole day with no processed foods or drinks containing preservatives, colourings or other additives. This would include shop-bought bread, fizzy drinks, alcohol, jarred sauces and so forth. Use only natural products to give your body a break. Some of your fat stores actually lock in toxins to protect your body from them, so when you cut out toxins, the fat can be released. Start with one 'clean' day a week, then increase it to two, then three or more in a row, as this gives your body a real break from them.

You might lose weight if you cut down on your food intake without exercising, but aside from the other benefits of exercise, you will also lose your muscle ma.s.s, as the body will eat away at your muscles before the fat. Your muscles are your engine, and it's harder to burn off fuel from the fat stores if your engine is smaller, as it requires less fuel. This is why crash diets don't work, as once you inevitably resume normal eating, you'll put more fat back on quicker because your engine requires less fuel to run it and the excess gets stored as fat.

Human beings have been around a long time but the Western diet of high-sugar, processed foods, and the Western lifestyle of sitting at computers and driving everywhere in cars, are relatively recent. We used to work hard to collect our food, through hunting and gathering, and that's what our bodies are designed for. To stay healthy, we need to get enough exercise to keep our heart muscle strong and our bodies fit. Keep those engines firing!

The Next Level