Weight Watchers: Summer bodies

NOW HALF-TERM is over and we are well and truly into 2014, some of you may have fallen off the wagon with your New Year’s Resolutions to either lose weight or just to lead a healthier lifestyle.

Last month I mentioned how remembering why it was important to you to lose weight could be a great motivator and in my meetings I reminded my weight watcher members that “their summer body starts in winter”.

If you’re nodding your head, you know I’m right – so re-assess your eating habits and find some new recipes to fit in with your lifestyle, especially at lunchtime.

A recent survey showed while breakfast was almost a set routine and we take the time to plan our evening meal, lunch seems to be forgotten, with 70% saying they just grabbed what was on hand.

This is the meal that has to satisfy you for the longest time so it’s important you plan for it.

Check your portion sizes, especially with regard to foods high in sugar or fat, and look for fruit and vegetables that are in season.

This month is also a great time to look for new activities that will boost not only weight loss but general health and well-being. Choose something you enjoy as you’re more likely to stick with it.

Walking is still one of the best and cheapest forms of exercise and we are so lucky in Saddleworth to have some beautiful walks all around us. Wearing a pedometer or setting your self a challenge is a great way to encourage yourself to do more.

But if you decide to climb a mountain it doesn’t give you the right to eat one straight afterwards.

Finally, this month sees us celebrating Mother’s Day – another opportunity to dine out or cook something special. But this doesn’t have to mean weight gain as you can still enjoy real life and all the treats that go with it just by planning ahead.

Here’s a lovely Weight Watchers Cheesecake recipe if you’re planning on cooking: (6 Pro points per sixth serving)

Crush six low calorie digestive biscuits and mix two tbsps of melted soft polyunsaturated margarine.

Press the mixture over the base of a 20cm loose-bottomed cake tin and chill for 20 mins.

Sprinkle 12grms of powdered gelatine over 90ml of hot water (not boiling), stir well and leave for 5-6 mins or until dissolved, stirring occasionally.

Beat together 500grms low fat soft cheese, 200grms low fat fromage frais, two tsps vanilla extract & two tbsps powdered artificial sweetener. Check for taste and add more sweetener if you like.

Stir in the cooled gelatine liquid and pour over the biscuit base, then chill for one hour or until firm.

Arrange 150grms of sliced strawberries (or fruit of your choice) on the top and sprinkle 1 tbsp of castor sugar over them. Chill until ready to serve.