The Party Dress 'Diet'

"Christmas is coming and the geese are getting fat."

And they're not the only ones.








It's always at this time of year-round the end of November- when thoughts turn to party clothes and looking good for the festive season.
Last year, I got round the Little Black Dress problem rather ingeniously by buying a BIG black dress, so I looked lost and small within it. That won't work two years in a row.
This year however- something weird is happening. I've lost a bit of weight- and it seems to be staying away. How come?

I put it all down to two astonishing tips- and despite having a rocket scientist in the family, I haven't needed his help to find them out.

1. Eat well
2. Exercise more.

That's all there is to it.

The exercise is up to you- but eating well needs a bit more explaining.

I always thought I ate well- and these blog pages are testament to my life as a bonviveuse but recently I was introduced to the Eat Well Plate as a concept for meal planning- and it really got me thinking about how much fat and sugar was in my diet and how simple it would be to increase the lean protein, carbohydrate and above all - the fruit and vegetables (which are a cornerstone of my frugal feasting but need to be more so.)

The principle is easy- plenty of fruit and vegetables, plenty of carbohydrates ( you can increase this amount for other members of the family with higher energy needs), small amounts of lean protein, small amounts of fat and dairy and a tiny amount of sweet or treat.

As you plan each week's meal, think about how it would look on the Eatwell Plate. Or print one off from the net and stick it on your fridge.

http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/publication/eatwellplate1209.pdf

For example, mediterranean vegetable pasta with smoked bacon would have equal amounts of vegetables and carbs, a small amount of protein and fat. Perfect. Even better with a side salad or extra crusty bread for hungry teenagers or sportifs.

Meat lasagne ingredients 'Eatwell-style'

Meat Lasagne and Veg

 A meat lasagne however would be a bit heavy on the protein and dairy but with lots of side vegetables it can still be a healthy meal

.

Vegetable curry

Butternut squash curry with basmati rice and cucumber raita errs this time on the side of the vegetables  but is still a satisfying meal

Bloody Mary Butternut Soup 

Use the rest of the squash for homemade vegetable soup with bread, mushroom pate or cheese and a side salad.

Use the leftover peppers from your pasta dish in Stuffed peppers with paella and green veg :

Paella Stuffed Peppers

Rolling the pork meatballs in cabbage leaves

Then make baked cabbage with lean pork in tomato sauce:

Braised Endive with Ham and Cheese

Or braised endive with ham and cheese:  (great with garlic bread)







Also stuffed jacket potatoes with cauliflower cheese, or tuna or bacon and salad

Jackets and Salad

And chorizo patties ( using the rest of the lean pork mixed with chorizo sausage) with tabbouleh, flatbreads and autumn slaw:

Chorizo Patties

Autumn Slaw

That's 9 to be going on with- enough for a week or more and none of them expensive.

Red fruit crumble

You can balance things up with fruity puds, like fruit salad and crumbles.

Fruit Crumble

I've been eating like this deliberately for a while now - and the weight is steadily dropping off.

Give it a go.




So, this festive season there's going to be at least one bird who is dressed and ready to party !