Feature: Weight Loss is a journey not a race

Mushroom Curry on the WeightWatchers menu this month
Mushroom Curry on the WeightWatchers menu this month

WE ALL HAVE busy lives, school runs, work commitments, kid’s clubs and endless juggling – we try our best to lose weight with all this going on but it can be so hard.

Then we go down the route of self-sabotaging. When someone asks how we are who automatically answers ‘yes I’m fine’. Ever feel like if we told the truth we would be committed?

We have just lost a bit of focus, we forget we are important as all the other things in our lives and our happiness is important as well.

How do we get this focus back? Feeling overwhelmed it be hard to get focused again but it only takes five minutes.

Five minutes of your time a day. Is that too much to ask? What could you do with that five minutes? Plan your week’s meals? Have a cup of tea in peace? Remind yourself that you are amazing? Look how far you have come with your weight loss?

Take 5 minutes every day because weight loss is 80% mental attitude and 20% food, so by taking your five minutes you are not being selfish you are investing time in you and your happiness.

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Roast butternut

Roast butternut and ricotta crostini

250g Butternut Squash, diced
1 tsp olive oil
2 sprigs Thyme
3 clove Garlic, unpeeled
80g Baguettes, cut into 8 thin slices
50g Ricotta Cheese
2 tablespoons Parsley, fresh, chopped

Preheat the oven to 200°C, fan 180°C, gas mark 6. Put the squash in a small roasting tin, drizzle with the oil, season well, and toss to combine. Tuck the thyme and garlic under the squash and roast for 40 minutes or until tender.

Put the bread on a baking tray and bake alongside the squash for the final 10 minutes of roasting time.
Squeeze the flesh from the roasted garlic into a bowl, mash with a fork, then stir in the ricotta. Add most of the roasted squash and mash. Season, then stir in the parsley.

Spread the ricotta mixture over the bread. Top half of the crostini with the remaining squash. Serve garnished with the extra parsley.

Chestnut mushroom, spinach and chickpea curry

1 Onion, finely chopped
2 clove Garlic, crushed
1 inch slice Root Ginger, peeled and grated
1 Chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1teaspoonsCumin seeds
1 teaspoons Fennel Seeds
2 teaspoons Garam Masala
1 teaspoons Turmeric, ground
1 pinch Paprika, smoked
1 tablespoons Tomato Purèe
250g Mushrooms, chestnut, cleaned and sliced
1 can Chick Peas, cooked, drained and rinsed
2 can Tinned Tomatoes
260g Spinach, baby leaf
4 Naan Breads, warmed, to serve
2 sprigs Coriander, fresh, to serve

Mist a large pan with cooking spray. Add the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes until beginning to soften, then add the garlic, ginger and chilli. Cook for another minute, add the spices and tomato purée, then cook for 2 minutes until fragrant.

Add the mushrooms to the pan and sauté for 3-4 minutes until they begin to colour. Stir in the chickpeas and tomatoes, and bring to the boil. Simmer gently for 12-15 minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly. Stir through the spinach to wilt.

Serve the curry with a side of warm naan bread and garnished with a few sprigs of coriander.