Join The Hairy Bikers for webchat on Thursday 16 January between 1.45 and 2.45pm

[RachelMumsnet]

Si and Dave last joined us back in 2012 and they're back at MNHQ this Thursday (16 Jan) between 1.45 and 2.45 pm to answer your questions. Since their last visit they've shed a few pounds between them - and furthermore managed to keep the weight off. The secret of their success has been shared in their book, The Hairy Bikers Eat for Life and this month they have launched their very own Hairy Bikers diet club.

Everyone who joins the chat on Thursday or posts a question to the Bikers in advance will be entered into a draw to win a copy of the book and a month's free membership in their club.

[DaveTheHairyBikers]

@NigellaPleaseComeDineWithMe

Hi bikers - loved the Bakecation series - all those lovely breads and beers etc. What was the most astonishing 'new' bread you found on the travels? How can we encourage more artisan bread to be sold / bought / home baked? Do we need all this red tape about being approved - why not allow home bakers to sell their stuff - very low risk and I think those that do it as a passion take far fewer short-cuts.

Will you be doing another ride?

Two of our best discoveries was bread that we cooked- in Norway we made a really easy rye bread that was fantastic, and in Germany, we made a loaf of potato bread that was really soft and comfy. Recipes will be available free on the BBC website. In Carcassonne in France, we had the most amazing French bread. It was a sour dough french stick that had been left to prove for 48 hours. It was a bread-gasm! Dave x

[DaveTheHairyBikers]

@LondonBirdLucy

Quick question; what would you recommend as a show stopper main meal for the family. My son has asked for something special for his 6th birthday. Im thinking a crusty pie. What our your thoughts. Thanks big fan here :)

You can't go wrong with a proper shepard's pie - cooked slowly until it's lovely and golden and crusty. Then, for his birthday cook him our black forest gateaux - a real one! Recipe available free on the BBC website. Wish him a happy birthday. Love Dave x

[SiTheHairyBikers]

@Awkwardsis

LOVE the hairy bikers. Dp and I bought the dieters cookbooks before Christmas as we've been happily chowing down on everything in sight (love, innit) and have the extra pounds to show for it. I love that the recipes are really no different from a regular cook book, it all looks yum and its not holier than thou.
My question is, what was your lightbulb moment that made you want to change your eating habits? And how did you deal with it if you slipped up along the way? Dp really struggled last week because he was letting himself go hungry, he had a bad day on Sunday and thought sod it. I've been trying to get him to see that one days slip up doesn't mean you can't get back on the wagon, but perhaps a tip or two from his favourite bikers might help :)

In the first instance, Dave and I had health issues around being overweight. We had high blood pressure and high cholesterol, and were on medication - that really was our lightbulb moment. The whole point of the Dieters' Cookbooks was to create recipes that, first and foremost, tasted great and were good nutritional food, that happened to be less calorific. The best tip I can give you for getting back on the wagon is not to beat yourself up too much about falling off in the first place. As long as you are disciplined and get back on to your weigh loss winning ways as soon as possible, a sustainable weight loss and lifestyle change is only possible if you change your attitude towards food, and treat yourself every now and then - but only when you arrive at your ideal weight. Otherwise, it will be a fad rather than a lifestyle change.

Hope that helps. Love to you both, Si x

[DaveTheHairyBikers]

@DayZ

Hi Si and Dave,

My two young daughters love to cook with me but one cannot have wheat, so we have been trying some of your curry recipes - I made the Biryani on Sunday and we all loved it.

Do you have any tips/recipe ideas for good, flavourful but non-spicy meals which aren't necessarily curries?

Thanks.

Firstly, with curries, just leave the chilli out. Most Asian food is great and wheat free which will help both daughters. We have just come back from filming for three months in Asia, and really if you have a wok and a chopper there are so many dishes you can cook! You can't go wrong. Italian food too is fantastic. If you like rice don't forget nice risottos! Hope this helps, love Dave x

[DinoSnores]

How do you manage to stick to making healthy choices when you both do so much travelling?

The programme with Roy Taylor was great. I work in this field so found it particularly interesting, even if seeing Prof Taylor in flares was a bit disturbing!

[DaveTheHairyBikers]

@MarmaladeBatkins

Oh and if you do anything else like the Bakeation again, please come to the Black Country! No-one ever seems to mention our faggots and peas! :(

Have done faggots and peas and also pork scratchings! And your beers not bad either! Bostin! Love Dave x

[Solo]

Thanks HairySi to you too!
I have Googled Kin knives...I will stick with Sabatier! Those Kin knives are way beyond my 'kin budget!!

[MarmaladeBatkins]

Oh I remember the pork scratchings! You were in Wolverhampton, I think, which is my hometown. Hope you had a pint of Banks's!

[DaveTheHairyBikers]

@DinoSnores

How do you manage to stick to making healthy choices when you both do so much travelling?

The programme with Roy Taylor was great. I work in this field so found it particularly interesting, even if seeing Prof Taylor in flares was a bit disturbing!

Sticking to healthy choices when you're travelling is a nightmare. We both tend to read labels so we don't fall into the 600/700 calorie sandwich trap! Also because we're prone to putting weight on we really do have to be careful. Roy Taylor was amazing. He turned our lives around, and what's wonderful is that he managed to touch a lot of other people as well. We think he walks on water, and he can wear flares whenever he wants. Back to travelling, take a packed lunch. Bon voyage! Dave x

[DaveTheHairyBikers]

@Solo

Thanks HairySi to you too!
I have Googled Kin knives...I will stick with Sabatier! Those Kin knives are way beyond my 'kin budget!!

They're not 'kin cheap are they!?

[SiTheHairyBikers]

@SpottyDottie

I loved the Hairy Dieters and bought the books but I'm slightly disappointed that there is a fee to join the diet club that's been created. Why not carrying on making great telly and inspiring us with the recipes?

Dear Dottie,

Thank you for your kind words about our programs and please rest assured, we will continue to inspire you with our travels and recipes. Please do have a good look at the Dieters' Club, we have invested our personal time in collating a hugely extensive and diverse database and we employ a team of people to both manage and support the members of the club during their weight loss journey. We are very competitively priced in comparison to other organisations, and Dave and I are incredibly committed and passionate that the service we offer is the very best out there, much the same as our approach to programming.

We fully appreciate that it may not be for everyone, but we will continue to encourage as many people to join as we can. We believe in the service Dave and I and our team have worked so hard to create.

Keep watching. Thanks for your support! Lots of love, Si x

[teaandcustardcreams]

Hi,

Dave, just wanted to say you were my dad's favourite to win on Strictly! The question is: are there any low fat snacks you'd recommend to get me through a working day?

[TunipTheUnconquerable]

I love the Hairy Bikers

[Solo]

No, they aren't! was

[JustGettingOnWithIt]

Thanks for the band recommendation.

[SiTheHairyBikers]

@Banffy

Hi Si and Dave, massive fan here I love you two, you seem so down to Earth and fun! You have both inspired me to start shifting the lbs with your show and fab books. I've only made two recipes so far (yesterday and today) and I can already tell they're going to be firm favourites here (the chicken cordon bleu and the chicken and veg pot pies). They are absolutely delicious and no one can believe that they are low in calories! So thanks for that :)

Anyway, I don't have a great question to ask because I just wanted to tell you how much I love you But I was wondering- what is your number one favourite thing to eat? (doesn't have to be healthy )

Thanks :)

My number one favourite thing to eat is shellfish. I adore it in all its varied shapes and forms. I am very lucky where I live in that I have access to some of the best seafood in the country so I enjoy a trip down to the fish quay on a regular basis.

Lots of love, Si x

[DaveTheHairyBikers]

We've got a perfect offer for Mumsnetters. You can join the Hairy Bikers' Diet Club with a friend for a limited time only. Head to hbike.rs/mumsnet
As we found out, dieting with a mate helps so much. You'll both lose more weight, and when times are hard, you'll always have somewhere to turn. If you haven't got any mates, you can always email us... Or turn to Mumsnet!

[vickyob1978]

hi si and Dave just like to say, we watch everything you guys do and I have both your recipe books and as we speak your Hungarian goulash is cooking in the oven we had fish cakes yesterday and your Korma tomorrow, I'm hoibg with your help I can shed the six stone I need to lose, kids love your meals and enjoy helping me prepare them, so thank you xxx ;-);-);-)

[WireCat]

You know what, I am simply going to do it. Dinner is already planned, chicken pie. But from tomorrow, I am following your recipes Si & Dave.
No one else can do this, but me.

x

[clare8allthepies]

You answered my question! Thank you

Have been rewatching your hairy dieters series as it's been being reshown at silly o clock in the morning on the food channel!

(Perhaps watching cooking shows all night is not helping with the cravings)

[DayZ]

Thank you for answering, I hadn't thought of risotto's but they shall be perfect as we all love rice (and fish) - prawn risotto here we come!

x

[SiTheHairyBikers]

@ControlGeek

Hi Si and Dave, you've both done amazingly well on your weight loss and keeping it off. Obviously you've had to think long and hard about what recipes would help you lose weight. How did you go about making sure you still packed in loads of flavour, especially for the fakeaways, given the reduced fat content?

PS MrGeek and I have been fans of yours for years and he is going to be SOOOOOOO jealous when I tell him about this webchat!

We spent hours upon hours in a test kitchen with our team working on the mantra that it was good food first that happened to be less calorific, and we're very, very pleased with the result. Hope you are enjoying the fruits of our labour!

Hello MrGeek - I'm talking to you missus!

Lots of love, Si x

[DaveTheHairyBikers]

@teaandcustardcreams

Hi,

Dave, just wanted to say you were my dad's favourite to win on Strictly! The question is: are there any low fat snacks you'd recommend to get me through a working day?

Marmite rice cakes – they hit the spot! And bananas. Failing that, just do the dancing and you can eat what you want! It's that simple energy equation... Keeeeep dancing!

[DaveTheHairyBikers]

@vickyob1978

hi si and Dave just like to say, we watch everything you guys do and I have both your recipe books and as we speak your Hungarian goulash is cooking in the oven we had fish cakes yesterday and your Korma tomorrow, I'm hoibg with your help I can shed the six stone I need to lose, kids love your meals and enjoy helping me prepare them, so thank you xxx ;-);-);-)

Wishing you all the luck in the world. You obviously love good food! Hopefully you can continue to enjoy good food and lose weight. What about giving our Diet Club a shot? Either do it by yourself, or we have got special deals to join up with a buddy! Best of luck. Love Dave x

[shelley72]

Ooh thanks for the reply . Off on school run now so will miss the end of the chat