#w1w

So it was my first weigh in last night after doing weight watchers for a week and...i lost 2.8 kg!!

i was talking to a woman in my group who also lost a bit as well- about 1.3 kg and i told her how i went out with my friends on the weekend and she said 'wow, and you still lost that much' and i can kinda see where she's coming from but let me explain to you why i lost so much my first week;

Basically the first few days i would walk 20 minutes or so to woolworths and buy a few groceries (not a lot each time but usually several things). i bought mainly basic foods- mixed salad leaves, frozen and fresh vegetables, yogurt, frozen berries, bananas, bran, quinoa, chia. i used these foods as staples for my meals throughout the week and i'll use them for the next few weeks as well because i still have a fair bit of them left. I also bought 'one of' groceries-these are foods that i only used in one or two meals-and they were chicken, prawns and lamb. with the meat/fish/poultry i divided each of them into two portions- so if i had lamb for dinner i would have lamb for lunch the next day as well (but with a different side dish).

I did not eat any chips, chocolate or confectionery for the entire week.

 I didn't eat any takeaway or processed foods either. Not eating any takeaway or junk food was incredibly challenging for me. Just the previous week i had eaten takeaway more than three times and ate chips and chocolate Every single day- including a large easter bunny and more than half a box of favourites on the same day as my first weight watchers meeting (whoops) 

On Saturday i went to a restaurant and then to a bar with my friends. At the restaurant i tried to choose the healthiest option possible while also treating myself. They did have a variety of salads but since i'd been eating a lot of salads and vegetables throughout the week, i didn't want to have a salad that night. I chose chicken risotto instead (although i desperately wanted a souvlaki or chips with fried calamari mmmmm ). And i only ate about half of the meal (it was fairly big though so i probably still ate more than i should of hahha). At dinner i also didn't order a drink- which wasn't really a problem because a few of my other friends also stuck to water. Going to the bar afterwards was difficult-everyone was drinking. I didn't buy my own drink but i did have two small sips of two of my friends drinks. To be completely honest, i usually drink 6-10 drinks when i go out (lets just say i like to have a good time) and although i know you don't need alcohol to have fun, being around all my friends drinking was hard. i ended up leaving early purely because i wasn't having any fun. I think in the next few months i probably will drink one or two drinks when i go out-but just for this week i wanted to see how i would go completely cutting out my bad habits!

So yes, i did lose a lot this week but thats because i ate so differently from what i usually do-i cut out almost all sugar and fat. i didn't eat any processed foods and my meals mainly consisted of steamed veggies or salad with a small portion of meat or fish on the side. 

Yesterday to celebrate my loss i ate probably too much bacon and eggs haha. I also bought some weight watchers honeycomb bars and sour cream and chives 'nibbles' (and ate three of the treats last night as well:/). I can tell this journey is going to be difficult but now atleast i know i can do it. Its so strange to lose almost 3kg in one week when last year i lost roughly the same amount after 4 weeks of exercising frequently, and eating what i thought was healthy (i wasn't really eating healthy-just less).

The next couple of weeks are going to be especially tough because it's easter time and im visiting my grandparents (they're italian so bring on the incredibly delicious and 'hard to say no to' food!). but with a little self restraint, i think i can do it!

Vapiano is a canteen-style gourmet restaurant serving an authentic Italian menu featuring thin-base pizzas and freshly made pasta. Situated on Great Portland Street, this bustling place has a vibrant atmosphere, decadent cuisine and just the right amount of novelty to make it stand out – namely, canteen-style self-service. 

From the outside at night it looks a bit like a nightclub (suit-clad bouncers, red neon sign, dim-lit interiors) and inside it’s a hive of activity: kitchens abuzz with orders, queues forming at the various stations and diners spread out across two floors.

The queues are part of Vapiano’s unique gourmet offering: the idea is that you visit the kitchens yourself, pick out the dish you fancy and wait while it’s prepared in front of you. Take your pick from authentic Italian pizza - from traditional Margarita to delicious Barbecue Chicken - with a variety of fresh toppings, or pasta freshly rolled in your choice of shape. You can combine your pasta with a sauce, and add in extra ingredients to create an authentic signature dish to your liking. Simply present your personal Vapiano card (handed to you at the door) and charge it.

The queues are part of Vapiano’s unique gourmet offering: the idea is that you visit the kitchens yourself, pick out the dish you fancy and wait while it’s prepared in front of you. Take your pick from authentic Italian pizza - from traditional Margarita to delicious Barbecue Chicken - with a variety of fresh toppings, or pasta freshly rolled in your choice of shape. You can combine your pasta with a sauce, and add in extra ingredients to create an authentic signature dish to your liking. Simply present your personal Vapiano card (handed to you at the door) and charge it.

But before you go, try the Tiramisu with an Illy coffee cappuccino for a soft, creamy dessert that adds the perfect finish this unique dining experience. Pizza and pasta start at £6.10, salads at £3.80, and desserts at £2.50.

19-21 Great Portland Street, Soho, London, W1W 8QB

Tel: 0207 268 0080

Nearest Tube Station: Oxford Circus

Vapiano is a canteen-style gourmet restaurant serving an authentic Italian menu featuring thin-base pizzas and freshly made pasta. Situated on Great Portland Street, this bustling place has a vibrant atmosphere, decadent cuisine and just the right amount of novelty to make it stand out – namely, canteen-style self-service. 

From the outside at night it looks a bit like a nightclub (suit-clad bouncers, red neon sign, dim-lit interiors) and inside it’s a hive of activity: kitchens abuzz with orders, queues forming at the various stations and diners spread out across two floors.

The queues are part of Vapiano’s unique gourmet offering: the idea is that you visit the kitchens yourself, pick out the dish you fancy and wait while it’s prepared in front of you. Take your pick from authentic Italian pizza - from traditional Margarita to delicious Barbecue Chicken - with a variety of fresh toppings, or pasta freshly rolled in your choice of shape. You can combine your pasta with a sauce, and add in extra ingredients to create an authentic signature dish to your liking. Simply present your personal Vapiano card (handed to you at the door) and charge it.

The queues are part of Vapiano’s unique gourmet offering: the idea is that you visit the kitchens yourself, pick out the dish you fancy and wait while it’s prepared in front of you. Take your pick from authentic Italian pizza - from traditional Margarita to delicious Barbecue Chicken - with a variety of fresh toppings, or pasta freshly rolled in your choice of shape. You can combine your pasta with a sauce, and add in extra ingredients to create an authentic signature dish to your liking. Simply present your personal Vapiano card (handed to you at the door) and charge it.

But before you go, try the Tiramisu with an Illy coffee cappuccino for a soft, creamy dessert that adds the perfect finish this unique dining experience. Pizza and pasta start at £6.10, salads at £3.80, and desserts at £2.50.

19-21 Great Portland Street, Soho, London, W1W 8QB

Tel: 0207 268 0080

Nearest Tube Station: Oxford Circus

If Music’s owner is a smart character. And you will be too if you spend some time in his magic music lab, just north of the Soho crush. In fact, If is the place talented young music geeks want to work, and it’s almost entirely built on the skills and reputation of owner Jean-Claude. Up a couple of flights in a deceptively plain building, this place feels less like a shop than a studio where you just hang out and talk about music. And listen to music. All while sat in a big leather armchair, surrounded by art on the walls and someone with decades of experience showing you the latest Kentuckian wonder Milyoo, or someone from the Hessle Audio stable. Or getting you all enthusiastic for Demis Roussos, Isaac Hayes or Brainchild. There’s little about producing, DJ’ing, playing and selling music that you can’t find out when you spend a few minutes at If. For anyone who likes sounds that don’t give dance music a bad name, If Music is the place to come to. You’ll find that it’s worth talking to a producer and vinyl junkie who knows that even if the game may be up for records, the music will keep going.

If Music

Address: 36 Langham Street, Marylebone, W1W 7AP

Nearest Station: Oxford Circus underground

Tel: 020 7580 3338