WINTER WARMERS THAT WILL SHED THE POUNDS!

Enjoy healthy, hearty comfort food and still lose weight with Slimming World’s latest recipes

Now t he n ight s a re drawing in, it’s natural to want something comforting and delicious to look forward to at the end of the day. And never more so than this winter as we battle further coronavirus restrictions, loneliness and anxiety about our health and jobs – all good reasons, you might feel, to reach for another biscuit or glass of wine.

But many of us also have concerns about our weight. Perhaps you’re struggling to shed extra lockdown pounds, or maybe you’d like to lose weight to reduce your risk of becoming seriously ill if you’re unlucky enough to get coronavirus. Perhaps you’d simply like your favourite winter clothes to fit a little bit better, and with Christmas on the horizon you may still want to get into last year’s festive finery for the big day.

But what if you could sit down to a hearty casserole or a warming winter pud, secure in the knowledge it could actually help you to lose half a stone in just two weeks* as well as enjoying new levels of self-confidence and energy? Well, to help you achieve just that, the Irish Mail on Sunday and Irish Daily Mail have teamed up with Slimming World, the UK and Ireland’s favourite weight-loss organisation**, in this exclusive new series to enable you to shed unwanted pounds while tucking into your favourite winter dishes.

Starting today in Magazine, with second helpings all next week in the Irish Daily Mail, we’ll be sharing an enticing selection of filling breakfasts, nourishing lunches, hearty dinners and tempting desserts that will not only brighten a gloomy winter’s day but also put you on the road to a healthier, happier lifestyle.

‘Many people might feel that cheer is in short supply at the moment, but wit h Sl i mming World’s weight-loss plan you can look forward to something delicious and satisfying and still lose weight,’ says Dr Sarah-Elizabeth Bennett, senior research associate at Slimming World.

Pre-lockdown Slimming World had 900,000 members all over the UK and Ireland and more than 19,000 weekly support meetings.

Its healthy eating programme, called Food Optimising, guides you to base your meals and snacks on foods that fill you up but are low in calories, and it’s rooted in the science of satiety (feeling ‘full’) and energy density. This means

eating foods that satisfy your appetite and have the fewest calories per gram.

The plan encourages you to fill up on ‘Free Foods’ – which you can eat without weighing, counting or measuring. Free Foods include lean proteins, pasta, rice, eggs, pulses and fat-free dairy as well as fruit and vegetables (see panel below). On top of these you’re encouraged to enjoy measured amounts of ‘Healthy Extras’ to ensure you’re e a t i ng a b a l - anced, nutritious diet – these i nclude foods such as mil k, cheese, cereals and wholemeal bread that provide you with calcium, fibre and other important nutrients.

So that you never feel deprived, Slimming World also encourages you to enjoy limited amounts of treats such as chocolate or alcoholic

‘You’ll boost your chances of beating disease too’

drinks (see panel above), which are less filling and have more calories per gram. It’s all backed by solid science. A 2018 study by researchers from the University of Leeds and

Slimming World showed that eating larger quantities of low-energydense foods (such as Free Foods) actually helped slimmers to lose more weight than those who followed a calorie-counting regimen.

Researchers studied a total of 78 women classed as overweight or obese by their BMI (body mass index) for 14 weeks. Roughly half

of them followed Slimming World’s Food Optimisation programme while another group followed a standard calorie-counting programme. The researchers found that the group who ate low-energy-dense foods felt less hungry and more in control of their weight (and so consumed fewer calories) than the calorie-counters.

Crucially, this helped them lose more weight than the calor iecounters – with the Slimming World group losing an average of 12.8lb each compared with the caloriecounting group who only lost 7.3lb.

The weight-loss results meant the Slimming World group lost, on average, more than 6 per cent of their initial body weight. This is important because research shows that losing 5 per cent or more of your original body weight is the threshold at which numerous health benefits are triggered including improved liver function and a reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Support from other members of the Slimming World community was also key. ‘Members tell us they find the encouragement they get from our community to be invaluable,’ says Dr Bennett. ‘Trained consultants and other members in a similar situation are always on hand for advice and tips.’

So why not make a start today by trying out one of our mouthwatering recipes? How about a satisfying Squash, Swede & Chickpea Tagine for lunch or supper tonight? As our series continues, you’ll find recipes for creamy risottos, tangy meatballs, spicy curries and even a fish and chip pie. One thing’s for sure – there’s not a soggy lettuce leaf in sight!