More 'yummy' less tummy

From the very moment I decided to lose weight my life changed. Not dramatically, but it did change. I had reached a point where I could no longer pretend that my weight wasn’t an issue. Having Sophie, my first child, gave me the courage I needed to make that change. In her I found my motivation and my incentive to be healthy, and from that point onwards I took control of something that had haunted me for years.

First and foremost, I learnt that I was the only person who had the power to do something about my situation. Before that an alien could have dropped down from Mars and said, ‘Lisa, for the sake of planet Earth, please lose weight,’ and I would still have carried on with my chocolate, chips and bad habits. The point is that the life-changing decision had to come from me – otherwise it would never have worked.

At my heaviest, I was a size 20, weighing around 15 stone. I believe that what worked for me could work for you, but before you try my recipes, here are a few home truths I think you should know:
1. Losing weight is not rocket science.
2. There is no quick fix.
3. You are what you consume.
4. Feeling sorry for yourself is a waste of time and will not make you slim.
5. Only you have the power to change.

Let me put my cards on the table: I’m not a diet expert, I’m not a fitness guru, and I’m not a psychologist. I’m a real woman, who was really overweight and who managed to lose those pounds without losing her sanity. I’m a positive thinker and I pride myself on being a good wife, mum and friend.

I love my job as a fashion stylist. However, while I’ve discovered every trick of the trade when it comes to covering up lumps and bumps, I also recognise that hiding never solved anything – I should know, I owned more oversized cardigans than you’d ever think possible. Covering up might be helpful in the short term, but it isn’t the answer. Deep down, if you know you’re overweight, there comes a time when you have to take control. Believe me when I say I stumbled more than once, but believe in yourself and recognise that you are capable of doing this. Just go for it.

Thai beef stir-fry

Serves 1

16.5g fat, 3.3g saturates, 24.5g sugars, 3.44g salt, 364 calories

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 100g lean beef steak, cut into thin strips
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 2.5cm piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and sliced
• 1 red chilli, deseeded and chopped
• 1 red pepper, deseeded and thinly sliced
• 1 carrot, thinly sliced
• 4 spring onions, chopped
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce
• a handful of basil leaves, shredded

Method
Heat a wok over a high heat and pour in the oil. Add the beef and stir-fry over a high heat for 2 to 3 mins. Remove the meat from the pan and transfer it to a plate to keep warm. Return pan to a low heat and add the garlic, ginger and chilli. Stir-fry for 1 min to release their flavours, then pour in 2 to 3 tbsp water. Increase heat, add red pepper, carrot and spring onions and fry together for approx 2 mins. Return beef to wok, pour in oyster sauce and simmer for a further 1 min. Garnish with basil and serve.

Beetroot and goat’s cheese salad

Serves 1

10.9g fat, 3.4g saturates, 13.8g sugars, 0.63g salt, 189 calories

Ingredients
1 large cooked beetroot, cut into 3 slices
15g goat’s cheese, cut into 3 slices u a handful of rocket
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp pine nuts

Method
Top the three slices of beetroot with the three slices of goat’s cheese and place under a moderate grill until the cheese is bubbling and golden brown. Arrange on a bed of fresh rocket, drizzle with the balsamic vinegar and garnish with the pine nuts.

Berry smoothie

Serves 1

1.4g fat, 0.7g saturates, 27.8g sugars, 0.07g salt, 140 calories

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp blueberries
• 4 tbsp raspberries
• 1 banana, peeled
• 2 tbsp natural yogurt

Method
Place the fruit in a blender and blitz to a smooth purée. Stir in the yogurt and serve.

Lime chicken with cherry tomatoes and basil

Serves 1

12.6g fat, 2g saturates, 14.6g sugars, 0.21g salt, 294 calories 

Ingredients

• juice and grated zest of 1 lime
• 1 tbsp manuka honey
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 organic chicken breast
• 4 cherry tomatoes
• a handful of basil leaves

Method
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas 4. To make the marinade, mix together lime juice and zest, honey and oil in a bowl. Pour mixture over the chicken and transfer to a roasting tin. Roast the chicken in the oven for about 25 mins, then throw in the tomatoes and cook for a further 5 mins. To serve, slice the chicken and transfer to a plate with the tomatoes, then scatter over the basil leaves.

Mixed bean salad

Serves 1

29.8g fat, 4g saturates, 9.7g sugars, 0.28g salt, 598 calories

Ingredients
100g dried mixed beans
4 sugar snap peas
4 French beans
3 radishes
4 cherry tomatoes
¼ red onion
a handful of sunflower seeds
For the dressing:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
½ tsp mustard

Method
Soak the beans in cold water overnight, then drain. Cover the beans with fresh cold water and simmer over a moderate heat for 20 mins. Drain, then cool. Meanwhile, chop the sugar snap peas, French beans and radishes. Halve the cherry tomatoes and finely chop the red onion.

To make the salad dressing, place the olive oil, balsamic vinegar and mustard in an empty jar. Put on the lid and shake well. To serve, combine all the salad ingredients in a bowl, pour over the dressing and sprinkle with sunflower seeds.

Diet SOS, by Lisa Fitzpatrick, is published by Kyle Books, with photography by Tara Fisher, priced £12.99.