The Hairy… Dieters?

Like many people, the highs of the holiday season ended for me with the crushing reality that drinking copious amounts of alcohol and constantly stuffing my face did, in fact, have consequences. My well-being and waistline had both taken a hideous beating over the four weeks of Christmas(what happened to the twelve days?) and so I began the New Year by resolving to be healthier.

The problem with this was twofold. The first issue was that I was going back to university. Though I consider myself a bit of an amateur chef, my cooking still doesn’t compare with the gourmet delights that my mother can create. It is all too tempting after a long day in labs to throw caution to the wind and shove something in the microwave. Something that’s loaded with salt, carbs and preservatives -all that good stuff. The second issue was that salad and I have a very difficult relationship and we really do bring out the worst in one another.

I fully expected this to be yet another year of good intentions and bad results. I had been given an AirFryer as one of my Christmas presents, which was already proving to be a brilliant asset (a whole plate of chips with just a teaspoon of oil? Yes please!) but as every student knows, we cannot live on chips alone. A week before I returned to university, I was exploring daytime TV when I came across a show that made the impossible task before me seem altogether easier.

The Hairy Dieters is a television series made by Si King and Dave Myers, two of Britain’s most beloved bikers. Their previous cookbooks have centred around pies, curries and Southern soul food to name but a few, and they are hardly known for their slender figures. I knew that these guys had the same love of food that I do, and they managed to lose weight without sacrificing that. After watching a few episodes of the show, and seeing them serve up skinny versions of those pies, curries, and yes, even Southern soul food, I knew that this book was a necessary purchase.

The first recipe that we tried was their lamb and spinach curry. The recipe called for just one tablespoon of oil between three people, and comes in at less than 400 calories per person. The result was mouth-wateringly delicious, as well as being a surprisingly large portion. Other recipes, like the jambalaya and lamb hotpot are also fantastic. No one would believe it was diet food, and my mum has tried the recipes out on guests as well. Everyone agrees that they still manage to pack the flavour in without the calories.

The chicken and ham tangle pie is one of the best recipes I have ever tried from any book. My flatmates couldn’t believe that the whole thing was less than 500 calories, and actually looked a little bit jealous. I’m still a little bit in awe that I have managed to lose weight and I’m eating food that I would more than happily have eaten during the gluttonous Christmas period.

It’s now March, and for the first time ever, I have managed to stick to my resolution to be healthier. Si and Dave have completely changed my attitude to dieting, and I’m feeling a lot better for it. So if you’re like me, and dieting conjures up images of limp leaves and small portions, think again. Grab a copy of The Hairy Dieters, and watch your flatmates go green with envy. You’ll probably be eating better than them, and losing weight to boot.