GYMS KITCHEN

Gyms Kitchen – the UK’s first protein based restaurant.

They're definitely not lying; this restaurant is every gym go-ers heaven. Since it opened in 2012, I’ve heard nothing but good things. But word of mouth isn’t always gospel, so I decided to take a trip down there and try it out for myself.

My experience was nothing short of amazing. With fitness quotes on the wall such as “eat clean, train dirty”, pictures of the ‘fitness evolution’ and the weightlifting toilet signs, the restaurant's decor was impressive and it won me over, before I had even tasted the food. You can tell that a lot of thought went into creating the perfect atmosphere.

The menu was overwhelming, with so many options to choose from. Porridge, eggs, protein pancakes, wraps, sea food, smoothies anything healthy you can think of; it was all there. What I really liked about their menu was, not only did it provide you with the amount of calories per dish, it also listed the nutritional value contained in each dish, such as the fat content, the grams of protein and grams of carbs, which is pretty handy for a gym go-er, like myself.

As this trip was after a workout, myself and @bigboatstrainingroom were keen to fuel our muscles with as much protein as possible. For starters, we were served carrots and celery with homemade hummus. If you’re a hummus fan, then you’ll appreciate the authentic taste, in comparison to the store bought ones from places like Tesco and Asda.

For our mains, we decided to share the mixed grill platter. The platter was protein heaven and contained 268g of protein, split between both of us. The feast included Chicken Wings, Lamb Cubes, Chicken Cubes, Butterfly Chicken and, of course Lamb Chops, which we washed down with a Banana and Peanut Butter protein shake. The portions were generous and accompanied by a garnish salad and Gym’s Kitchen sauces. I wasn’t too fond of their chicken, but I would highly recommend the lamb. The lamb did not disappoint, they were perfect, succulent yet crispy and rightly seasoned.

To seal off the occasion, we decided to share their Protein Pancake Tower combo. The tower consisted of three different types of pancakes; Apple Crunch Protein, Banana & Chocolate Protein and Blueberry Protein. They were topped with fresh fruit and served with honey drizzle and peanut butter. The pancakes were a perfect way to end my experience and are a good alternative for those with a sweet tooth.

Overall, my experience at gyms kitchen was 10/10. The restaurant is a prime example that you can eat out and enjoy a healthy meal without having to restrict to a salad. Their nutritional balanced menu doesn’t hold back on taste and I would highly recommend this to anyone.

They currently have two locations:

Restaurant 1- 388-392 High Road, Leyton, E10 6QE

Restaurant 2- 376 – 378 Cranbrook Road, Gants Hill, Essex, IG2 6HW

For any non-east Londoners, I suggest you give either branch a visit. Trust me; it is definitely worth the journey.

G

Impossible is Nothing

I can't believe its 2014 already! I guess it's time to reflect on last years achievements and assess what changes you want to make in the New Year. Don't be discouraged if you didn't achieve all your goals, use this year as an opportunity to prioritise the goals you didn't achieve last year. 

However, be realistic when goal setting. Sometimes we aim to accomplish 101 things by the end of the year, without assessing whether this is even feasible. I mean there's no point completing the year having completed all your goals half heartedly. 

As the year was coming to an end, I got a bit upset that I didn't get to complete everything I set out to do. Nevertheless, I realised that there was a reason for the delay and it just wasn't the right time.

However, I have so many things to be thankful for that I don't even know where to begin. I'm not going to list all of them, because you probably don't want to hear them lol, but what I will say is, blogging has shown me that nothing is impossible.

Blogging was one of my resolutions last year and within a year I've had over 30,000 views. Anyone who knows me personally knows that I was very nervous and scared about blogging. I put it off for the longest time. I was scared that no one would read it or that it would be rubbish. To some people it may be just that, but my hits tell me I'm doing something right. I have had nothing but positive feedback and I would just like to say a big thank you to everyone that has followed me and supported me on my journey.

Your support means a lot to me and is the motivation I need to keep doing what I'm doing. I know I've said this before, but when I first started my journey it was all about me. I wasn't doing it to benefit anyone else and it was all about my personal gain. I was just a girl who liked posting gym pictures on Instagram, but I soon came to realise that I was beginning to inspire those around me without even noticing it, and for those reasons, I won't stop doing what I'm doing.

My advice for this year would be set yourself realistic goals that way you’re more likely to stick to it. If your goal is to finally get active and lose weight, instead of it being a resolution, why not have it as a change in lifestyle with the intention of it lasting a lifetime. As I've said before, fitness isn't a destination but rather a journey. It’s much harder to maintain your results once you've reached your goal.

I would suggest creating a 2014 vision board and placing images and words of all the things you want to accomplish this year. Have this board in a place you will see everyday. This should keep you on track and act as a constant reminder of your objectives for that year. Sometimes having your goals on paper, is what you need to take the steps to make it a reality. 

Let's make 2014 a productive year and focus on making those dreams a reality.

G