Gentle way to shed pounds

I thanked her for her kind words but told her I was above my natural weight and definitely above the so called "standard weight" which, when calculated with my height, reckons I should be six and a half feet tall! So now I must do my utmost to lose the weight without dieting.

I believe dieting is bad for you and my body hates it. So here's my routine, which is a much gentler approach and one which works for me.

Clear the fridge and cupboard off all those naughty foods. So often people start then eat several naughty foods and then convince themselves it's all a waste of time and give up.

Start by looking at your menus and replace at first one meal with one with less calories. We have an evening snack at 6 o'clock, usually of cheese, pickles and bread followed by fruit. Not a good thing to eat when you spend the rest of the evening watching television. This we will replace with some homemade soups and a hunk of bread. We make large quantities of different soups and put them in old large yoghurt containers which we freeze.

I keep the soup thick and then water it down as I use it. Soups always make the tummy feel full and when made with plenty of vegetables are nutritious as well.

GENERAL VEGETABLE SOUP

This is a good one as you can use the vegetables you most like but remember to cut down on the potatoes and parsnips. Save the water when cooking other vegetables, and use that as the stock.

1 large onion, peeled and roughly chopped 1 - 2 cloves garlic, crushed 2 tablespoons oil 1 lb prepared vegetable of your choice 1 pint of stock Seasoning to taste

1. Soften the onion and garlic in the oil. Add the vegetable and fry gently for a few minutes.

2. Add the stock and season to taste. Reduce the heat, and simmer for half an hour.

3. Liquidise, adjust the thickness if necessary, and return to the pan to reheat. (Serves four portions)

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CULLEN SKINK

A great dish as it's more like a meal than a soup. When buying the smoked fish don't go for the piece that is bright yellow. The paler variety usually has been better smoked and without additives and therefore has more flavour.

The soup gets its name from Cullen, a small village on the Moray coast renowned for its smoked haddock, and skink a Scottish dialect word for soup.

1 lb smoked haddock fillets 2 large onions, peeled and roughly chopped 1 lb potatoes, peeled and diced 1 pint milk (or a mixture of milk and water) 1 pint stock (preferably fish stock) salt and white pepper Chives or parsley to garnish

1. Skin the haddock and cut it into cubes. Poach it with the onion and potatoes in the milk and stock until soft (this will take about 20-25 minutes).

2. Liquidise to a smooth pure, and check the seasoning. (Take care with the salt, as the haddock is already fairly salty.)

3. Sprinkle a few chopped chives or some chopped parsley on top before serving. (Serves four generous portions)

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SPICY CARROT SOUP

This soup has lots of flavour, so you feel that you have eaten more than you actually have.

3 tablespoons olive oil 1 large onion, chopped 1 lb carrots, scraped and sliced 1 apple, peeled, cored and chopped 2 cloves garlic, crushed 2 teaspoons mild curry powder 1 pints stock Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion, carrots and garlic, and cook for a few minutes. Stir in the curry powder and cook for a further couple of minutes.

2. Add the stock, bring to the boil, and season to taste. Cover the pan, and simmer until the carrots are very tender.

3. Sieve or liquidise the soup, and return it to a clean pan; check the seasoning and reheat. (Serves four portions)

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CONVENT SOUP

This chunky soup, full of flavour, used to be served to us at my Convent in Langport. It's ideal to serve before a light meal.

8oz leeks 8oz potatoes 8oz carrots 8oz onions 1oz butter Salt and pepper Two pints chicken or vegetable stock or water 1 tablespoon chopped parsley

1. Trim the leeks and wash thoroughly. Clean and peel the rest of the vegetables. Cut all the vegetables into 1 inch chunks.

2. Melt the butter in a large saucepan until hot but not brown. Add the vegetables and fry in the butter over a fairly high heat until lightly browned. Season with salt and pepper. (Adding the salt and pepper at this stage gives a more intense flavour than seasoning after adding the liquid.)

3. Add the stock (or water), bring to the boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer gently for 15-20 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft.

4. Pass through a Mouli, or liquidise until all the lumps are gone, but so as still to leave some texture in the vegetables.

5. Reheat gently if necessary, and serve with a little chopped fresh parsley sprinkled on top. (Serves four to six portions)

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Not all main courses are that fattening so here are a couple that will make you feel full without doing too much harm.

CARBONNADE OF BEEF I know this recipe originates from France but it's delicious made using British beef!

1 lb braising beef 1 - 2 tablespoons oil 8 oz onion 1 oz seasoned flour 2 cloves garlic, crushed bouquet garni approx 1 pint brown ale pinch ground nutmeg approx pint stock slices of French bread

French mustard

1. Wipe the meat and cut into large cubes. Pour the oil into a fireproof casserole, add the meat, and colour it on both sides, and then remove it. Slice the onion, add to the pan, and brown well. Add the garlic, stir in the flour, and cook for a few minutes. Pour in the stock and the beer. Return the beef, and add the remaining ingredients.

2. Cook in a moderate oven (Gas Mark 4, 180C, 350F) for approximately 1 hours.

3. Meanwhile spread the mustard onto one side of the French bread, and then place the slices on top of the "stew", mustard side down. Leave off the lid, and return to the oven for 15-20 minutes until the bread is brown. (You can flash it under the grill to speed things up.) (Serves four to six portions)

* Frances Kitchin can be heard on Thursday afternoons with Adam Thomas on BBC Somerset Sound (1566 kHz / 192m).