WEIGHT WATCHERS WEEK 1: Naked Grandmas.

My first week of Weight Watchers has been an enjoyable experience. Call me crazy, but I actually enjoy tracking what I eat and when I eat it. I feel more in control. Because I am using the online system I can use the mobile app to track and add up my points as I go along. It makes life so much easier!

Break down of the points system:

There is the daily points allowance. This is the amount of points you can consume in a day. Each portion of food or food item has a point equivalent. For example, A tablespoon of light mayo is 2 points. As well as a daily allowance, you are allowed an extra amount of points to see you over the week. You don't need to consume these, but if you're going out one day and go over your daily points, then you don't have to feel guilty for going over! You're covered ;). When tracking exercise, the activity you do and the amount of time you do it equates to points that can be consumed over the week. 

FOOD:

I struggled to get to grips with the point system in the beginning because I thought I had too many (46 a day!)... However once I had forgotten that I was on a "diet"and realised I was only taking control of my existing habits, the points started adding up. I even had a nando's, so I didn't feel like I was dieting at all and that's because, like my sister had said before, it's not a diet – it's a lifestyle change. I'm eating cleaner and controlling the portion size now, which was always the biggest problem. 

When I had a nando's, I went for the Butterfly Chicken (8pp) with Macho Peas (4pp) and Spicy Rice (5pp). And then because I still had points left for the day I had a serving of halloumi, which was only 2pp!

Because it has been bloody hot all week, salad has been the order of the day most lunch times. I usually have it with a tin of tuna (1pp) mixed with a tablespoon of light mayo (which works out perfectly with regards to making a successful tuna mayo). I was worried about BBQs and how I was going to handle not knowing quantities and measurements, but it's not as tough or daunting as it all seems! If anything, I've learned that BBQs can be really healthy when they feel like a special occasion. 

Tuesday's Breakfast: Muesli (50g) 5 ProPoints, Müller Greek
Style fat free Coconut yoghurt 2 ProPoints, Fruit Salad 0 Pro
Points and Peach Ice Tea 2 ProPoints.

I bought the Weight Watchers magazine, and I'm excited by the recipes in it! It all sounds BEAUT. On Monday, dad and I tried a chorizo & roasted red pepper pasta for lunch, but swapped the pepper for cherry tomatoes and it was soooooooo good. Despite eating like, half the pasta I usually would, I'd realised I'd had enough and it saw me through til dinner time. 

For breakfast I usually have a sachet of Oats so Simple porridge (Golden syrup flavour is my fave) with a banana and a cuppa and I'm sorted. It works out at 6 ProPoints when I've added semi-skimmed milk and I don't have sugar in my tea. If I'm hungry during the day I just eat fruit or veg because it has a ProPoints value of 0. A big fat ZERO. But there's no shame in a sneaky custard cream. What's life without custard creams? (3 ProPoints for 2 biscuits).

So as far as food is concerned it's been quite a good week! I think I went into my extra weekly allowance by a point one day, but that's what they are there for!

EXERCISE:

There's actually been no stopping me. I started on Thursday last week (eating) so on Friday I swam (or swum?!) 40 lengths. Then 30 lengths Sunday morning, which just felt like a struggle. Then Tuesday morning I went to water aerobics. What an experience THAT was! The class itself was a great way to start the day and I really enjoyed it. But it was the experience after that shocked me. So I was in the members' changing rooms and all the old dears who had participated in the class were sitting around just casually in the nude. I was like FS Doris put it away! Scarred. For. Life. What made me laugh was that both her and her mate just chose not to get dressed and carried on chatting about their hols to Australia. I suppose they felt liberated. And at 70+ I don't suppose they get the opportunities to whap it all out that often. They definitely were not worried about it all heading south... unless it was on a holiday to Australia.

Today (Wednesday) my pal Danielle and I headed to the gym for a quick cardio sesh. 10 minutes power walk on the treadmill, 10 minutes interval training on the cross trainer and 15 minutes on the bike on the 'Weight Loss' setting. And then 40 lengths in the pool after. I'm knackered. 

And so, today is weigh day. And in my first week, I managed to lose 7lbs. Which is half a stone. In a week. I'm well chuffed. 

For the next week I have dropped a point a day from my allowance (from 46 to 45) and will continue to pushing towards losing my first goal of 14lbs.

Here's to the next week!