Haute Body: Jenny Craig How it Works...

I apologize for the intense LENGTH of this video, but I really wanted to talk you through the Jenny Craig Diet and the parts of it which aren't just the food you get. Many people I talk to just say, 'Oh Jenny Craig... isn't that just the one where they send you diet food to eat' but it's so much deeper than that as you can tell through the video. It's basically a case of teaching it's followers what kind of eater they are, why they've been putting on weight they didn't want and how to loose that weight whilst also enjoying the foods you love too! 

So you know I was kindly gifted four weeks of Jenny Craig food although all of my coverage for them was done of my own accord and with my own genuine opinions and I haven't received any money in exchange for my coverage.

Hope you enjoyed the video and head over to the Jenny Craig website as they're currently running a half price offer on their two week plan which is definitely worth checking out! Here is the link:

http://www.jennycraig.co.uk/

Please check out my other sites and let me know what you think in the comments box below:

Please follow me on Twitter at:

http://twitter.com/hautefuture

Click 'Follow' on my blog which has tons of reviews, beauty-fashion-lifestyle features and more:

http://hautefuture.blogspot.com/

Subscribe to my Youtube channel where I post hauls, tutorials, outfits of the day and WAY more:

http://www.youtube.com/user/HauteFuture?feature=watch

Also check out my facebook page at:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/HauteFuture/149057205180776

Please rate, like, follow, comment and subscribe and I promise there will be loads of beauty, fashion, lifestyle, culture and gossip material going up on here each week :)

Thanks for watching, guys and I'll see you soon!

Love

gabriellasofia x

Haute Body: Jenny Craig Introduction...

When the prestigious diet Jenny Craig got in touch agreeing to supply me with two weeks worth of diet food (breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks for each day) I thought all my Christmasses had come at once, as I'd been wanting to have a healthier diet after Christmas which I didn't have to spend hours cooking for.

Here is what the fab brand says about themselves:

'Jenny Craig, Inc. was founded in Australia in 1983 by weight loss experts Jenny and Sidney Craig, who sought to establish ‘a company that would incorporate all the necessary benefits of successful weight management’. Jenny Craig opened its first nine Weight Loss Centres in Melbourne, all of which still stand today.

Today, Jenny Craig, Inc. is one of the largest weight-management service companies in the world, with company-owned and franchised Operations in the US, UK, France, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Puerto Rico. It is now part of the Nestlé Group.

Over the past 25 years, we've helped millions of people worldwide learn how to eat a nutritious diet that includes many of their favourite foods, increase their energy level through simple activity, and build more balance into their lives for optimal weight loss and well-being.'

What I love most about this diet (apart from the fact that it is reasonably priced diet food delivered to your door) is that the food looks and tastes delicious! I'm a couple of days into the diet now and I haven't been hungry once, plus even my chocolate cravings are satiated with the chocolate wafer and white-chocolate chip cereal snack bars.

So let's get down to business shall we? Each day on the Jenny Craig diet costs a bargainous £11 and this includes one breakfast, one snack, one lunch and one dinner. Also included in the price is a twice weekly call from an encouraging consultant (mine is called Leanne and she's absolutely lovely!), a 'support guide' for any further questions and a grocery list which enables you to encorporate your favorite foods (in moderation of course...) into your weekly menu. Good value for money? Definitely, especially when you consider that you could lose up to three pounds in weight per week, if a moderate exercise routine is included.

I will be posting another few posts on this fab diet so keep your eyes peeled for those soon! I'll do some pictures of the actual food, a review of the service and an evaluation post also, so if you have any interest in a diet that really works, you'll know where to come :)

All questions welcome in the comments section of this video (as ever) but if you have anything urgent you just need to know, then check on the Jenny Craig website as it's such an informative page that you're sure to find your answers there:
http://www.jennycraig.co.uk/

I just want to say a great big thank you to everyone on the Jenny Craig team that I've dealt with so far... Luise, James and Leanne have been fantastic taking my calls whenever I've needed them and not grumbled one bit when my questions have been stupid (how was I to know that I could swap my days around if necessary...?)

Please check out my other sites and let me know what you think in the comments box below:

Please follow me on Twitter at:
http://twitter.com/hautefuture

Click 'Follow' on my blog which has tons of reviews, beauty-fashion-lifestyle features and more:
http://hautefuture.blogspot.com/

Subscribe to my Youtube channel where I post hauls, tutorials, outfits of the day and WAY more:
http://www.youtube.com/user/HauteFuture?feature=watch

Also check out my facebook page at:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/HauteFuture/149057205180776

Please rate, like, follow, comment and subscribe and I promise there will be loads of beauty, fashion, lifestyle, culture and gossip material going up on here each week :)

Thanks for watching, guys and I'll see you soon!

Love
gabriellasofia x

Haute Body: British Pole Dance Academy Part 1...

This post marks the first in a new blog series which I hope to keep up from now on... The series is called Haute Body and it's all about getting the hottest body possible, whilst having fun, trying new activities and most importantly, living a healthy lifestyle. The feature will encompass everything from diet and body inspiration right the way through to exercise and health trends. I decided that I would start this series back in December, but obviously that's a terrible time to begin a diet and exercise regime (what with the Christmas pud and sherry...) Then I was going to start it at the beginning of January as a 'fresh start' to a healthy lifestyle, but we all know how depressing January is and the only thing that offered any kind of comfort to me was all the remaining selection boxes lying around my house... This is why I resolved to properly launch this feature now, just in time for February when I hope to inspire everyone out there to enjoy diet and exercise for a change!

The fact that the beautiful Deb from British Pole Dance Academy (based in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent) invited me to review her Pole Classes was a clear-cut sign in my opinion that this was a feature worth pursuing.

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm no prude by any stretch of the imagination and I've actually dabbled in the past in a couple of Birmingham-based pole lessons. As an ex-gymnast and ballerina, pole dancing always seemed like the 'grown-up version' which allowed me to work out my body, improve flexibility and explore my sexuality all at the same time. However, driving to a new pole-school in an area you've never been to before wearing a tiny pair of purple booty shorts and your Kiss band t-shirt is enough to make anyone's originally steely nerves quake in their boots... I'm pleased to say that my unreasonable nervousness was completely unfounded!

I arrived twenty minutes late (which is embarrassing enough as I'm usually super-punctual but got lost on the way), and yet Deb was very understanding and paired me with another girl in the beginners group before I could even take in the amazing studio. I was welcomed by all of the girls and the lovely instructor Hollie and now I had my chance to really take a look around the gorgeous surroundings.

Deb's studio is breath-taking. No exaggeration. It kind of reminds me of a girly boudoir, decorated with hanging curtains of pink and purple. Having been to classes with another company in the past, I was pleasantly surprised at the cleanliness of the floor, the sultriness of the lighting and the glamour of the stage. This place is sexy not seedy and trust me, there is a big difference where dance lessons are concerned!

Next, I had a closer look at the ladies around me. Packed full of about twenty lush ladies of varying ages, shapes and sizes, the studio was large enough, and so well-equipped that almost every girl had their own pole, a benefit which not many pole classes can boast. Perhaps the most obvious thing that stood out to me was that every woman there had a huge smile on her face. Right, I thought, I was after a fun new exercise to try... this seems about right!

Before I knew it, it was my turn to have a go at the 'Fireman' a simple spin with legs bent. AOK! I even got a couple of compliments from the other girls for my 'gentle' landing, pointed toes and all (that's the ballet in me I guess...)

As we were taught a couple more of the basics, I couldn't help but notice that almost every ten minutes Deb herself made a quick 'visit' to each of the girls, providing tips, mini-demonstrations and words of congratulations. I loved this hands-on approach and found that she possesses the perfect balance of friendliness and professionalism, not letting anyone give up, but gently encouraging us to try until we got each move right.

Before I knew it, it was time for the cool-down which Deb clearly considered of very high importance. The cool-down lasted for about five minutes and involved a variety of stretches. Apparently the warm up is quite extensive too, but we know I missed that, so I had that to look forward to next lesson. This reassured me that each of the instructors at British Pole Dance Academy and Deb herself truly care about the well-being of their students.

In conclusion, my first lesson (though short lived...) was absolutely fab. British Pole Dance Academy is a great place for women of all ages, abilities, shapes and sizes to learn a couple of death-defying tricks, get in a fun work-out and gain some extra self-confidence. I would recommend the classes to everyone out there, and for just £6 per lesson, you've got nothing to lose! Even after just forty minutes, my body was aching like I'd worked hard, and I'm almost positive I'll be going back after my PR lessons are over. To book, call Deb on 07884423234.

In Part 2 I will be posting about my second lesson at BPA, a bit of history on the company and some of my own tips in terms of showing up as a Pole-Newbie.

Have you ever tried pole dancing classes? What do you think about exploring sexuality whilst getting in a good exercise? Have you heard of any other fun ways of getting a good work-out?

Until next time ladies!
Love
GabriellaSofia

The Importance of a Balanced Diet and Frequent Exercise...

Ok, so we've all done it right? Taken a slutty 'Standing-in-the-Mirror-in-my-Bikini-to-see-how-I-Look-so-I-don't-Inflict-my-Bodily-Hideous-ness-to-the-Poor-Unsuspecting-Public' photo... right? Oh, just me then? I think not, but I'm not going to labor the matter.

So despite the fact that my mom went mad when I uploaded this to facebook as she automatically assumed I'd be signing up for some double-page spread in Zoo magazine within the hour (they never called (!)) I actually felt great about my body for the first time in ages. Sure, there's a bit of a curve to my waist, my arms could do with some work and I can often attract crickets with the sound of my thighs chafing together... what was my point again??? Oh, yeah, I love my body :D

You know, my first tip to 'Getting Healthy' (which many a woman use as a euphemism for 'Getting Thin') is to have a healthy relationship with food. So many people eat when they are sad, or bored, or even horny (post-coital kebab anyone?) But it shouldn't be that way. Similarly, it's not natural for a human to wait for meal times. You think that cavewomen hollered at their offspring, '*grunt groan moan* dinner. 6.30pm. *grunt groan moan.*' No. No, they didn't. This is not to say that we should allow ourselves to go hungry either, because that just leads to accidental bingeing, indigestion, and more importantly, excess fat.

So what am I saying? I'm saying that grazing throughout the day worked the best for me. Each food group is part of a balanced diet, which means that we really shouldn't be depriving ourselves of anything. If you go three days on a diet without a bite of chocolate or bread or something else which you might love eating but isn't technically known as 'Good for You', your body will crave it, again, making it more likely that you will over-eat on it and get that horrible guilty sickness which gurgles in the pit of your stomach forcing you to starve yourself for the next three days... again, ridiculously unhealthy. So my third tip, after having a healthy relationship with food and grazing throughout the day, is that moderation is key. Treat yourself to a bite-sized Kit Kat, or a slice of brown bread with fresh jam. It's not going to kill you and in the long-run will teach you how not to go overboard with the more calorific food items.

What's next? Well, tip number four is simple, make sure you eat at least five portions

of fruit and veg a day. Duh. It sounds like a cliche, but it really works in terms of giving you enough sugar to keep you going for the day, enough sweetness to fight off those Starburst cravings. It genuinely makes you feel more energetic, have nicer skin and just generally be a happier person. What's not to love? I always said during my pre-summer diet, 'You can have a treat when you've had all your portions of fruit and veg for the day and if your body still wants it at that stage.' Worked for me! And it doesn't matter whether the fruit is fresh, dry or tinned, but if it is tinned, go for the 'In juice' variety rather than 'In syrup' as those ones can be so much worse for you than you'd originally anticipated.

Tip 5: H2O. Our body is made up of at least 70% water, so it's not exactly an outrageous idea that if we don't drink enough then our bodies will suffer. They say that we should have about 8 glasses of water a day, but I tried not to think of it like that as everyone is different, plus it's not really healthy to get to 1am and realize you only had five glasses so you need to down another three before bed. This can actually lead to drowning. The way I did it was to have a bottle at my side at all times and take frequent sips throughout the day, filling up whenever necessary. I had way less headaches than usual, my skin massively improved and I pretty much never felt hungry. Result!

As for tip number six, it really is a case of understanding food and not fearing it. Atkins hype has convinced us to believe that carbs are the enemy. And yet carbohydrates are one of the biggest sources of energy in food, allowing us to push our bodies to the limits during exercise, without them we don't get a good workout and most of the time we do spend exercising is wasted. One of my rules is to try and avoid carbs after 4pm (I'm likely to have eaten them and already exercised them off by then, so I don't end up sleeping on a belly full of carbs) and the other is to stick to wholewheat, wholegrain or just anything 'brown' if I can help it. These are especially good for us.

Tip number seven is kind of a personal one for me... Don't eat too much cheese. Actually, I guess it could work for dairy in general really apart from live yogurt and low-fat milk... but I think it's for the best that these are taken in moderation and usually further towards the beginning off the day. Cheese is my favorite food ever, but I couldn't quite resist having a small chunk every day. But then as my Mom would say, everything is fine in moderation!

Avoiding sauces was a difficult one for number eight. Have you any idea how much sugar is in a spoonful of ketchup? Lots. That's how much. Salad dressings are the same and some stir-fry and pasta sauces have hidden calories too.

Now, everyone is going to hate number nine... yes, it's that dirty 'e' word... EXERCISE.

It's grim and I hate it. It makes me sweaty and out of breath and have a stitch. And yet, there is no

way on God's earth that someone who is looking to get into shape can do so, without committing themselves to this absolute torture. Some ways of doing it are easier than others. For example, I was putting my iTunes of with a half hour playlist of upbeat songs, then dancing my butt off really energetically to it. Even if you can't dance, just jump up and down or run about the room like a loon for half an hour. This is cardio, and it works. Trust me. As for toning up, it's simple. Just get in 20 press-ups, sit-ups, squats, lunges, and about 20 breaths of plank and you'll be fit in no time :)

Honestly, I know it sounds dull and I would never have believed it myself but it's true; a balanced diet and frequent exercise ACTUALLY works. Outrageous, I know...

Now I just need to follow my own advice and get on a post-Orlando diet... mmm... I'll start next week. NOT.

Thanks for reading

gabriellasofia

Letter From the Editor: Welcome!

*My Moral For The Month...*

Dear Readers,

Finally having arrived back from what was shockingly quite a testing summer working in Walt Disney World, I am now as eager as ever to maintain my blog. My summer was incredible, really, it was.

My days off were some of the best in my life so far, and yet, Working for the Mouse taught me that when I do eventually choose my official career path, I can't just slog through five days a week just because my two days off are good fun. It has to be something which I'm passionate and excited about, something that gets me up and out of bed at the crack of dawn with a smile from ear to ear. While I was going about some menial task like using my 'Disney Point' (a two-finger point as it's apparently more polite) to direct the thousandth guest over to the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular which was clearly sign-posted for all to see, or explaining to a guest that, "Yes, the three o'clock parade is in fact at three o'clock" I remembered the words of Liz Earle and many a wise person before her... 'If you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life.' I wondered to myself if I had ever worked such a job and immediately my work experience at Conde Nast Traveller leapt to mind.

My next few days were spent pining over how much I adored completing even the dullest tasks when working at the magazine; organizing the travel library, handing out the post or scouring the newspapers for the latest in travel news. I started to imagine where I want next for my work experience, or where I wanted to go to study my masters in magazine journalism and how I can work towards that. Of course, the first thing I thought of was by working on my blog. A platform which I can use daily to get my written word out there is invaluable to me and almost as soon as I thought it, I actually wished to myself that I was home, blogging on an almost daily basis.

So that's what I did. I came home. I came home early and terminated my Disney International College Program, changed my flight and three days later I was back on English soil.

With a new academic year comes a new look for my blog. I want this to be almost like an online magazine, a 'blogazine' if you will. Almost daily I will post various stories from fashion pieces, to beauty tutorial videos to relationship features and all that's in between. I have even posted my schedule for the month of September, just like a 'Contents' page so you know what is coming...

But enough of that, hopefully you'll all get used to the new look and can see just how much work I'm going to be putting into this blog from now on, so please tell your friends, get involved, rate, comment, like, follow and subscribe if you can; it would be a great help! :)

The moral of this 'Letter From the Editor' is that life is too short to waste it doing something you don't want to do. Don't get trapped by the financial stability, or the pride of the people around you, or even the ease of the tasks required of you. If you do then you run the risk of spending five sevenths of your life being painfully unhappy and I wouldn't wish that on anyone. Don't be afraid to be a quitter if it's really not what you want, and don't be afraid to shoot for something you think is totally out of your comfort zone. Follow your dreams, reach for the stars. You'll thank me one day :P

Love

gabriellasofia

*What's in this month?*

2nd September - Video - Beauty - Tutorial: Sweat-Proof Make-Up

3rd September - Blog - Fashion - My Autumn Musts

4th September - Blog - Health - The Importance of a Balanced Diet and Frequent Exercise

5th September - Blog - Feature - Age Gaps in Relationships

6th September - Video - Beauty - Tutorial: The New Season Look

9th September - Blog - Beauty - Review: Lip Stain Comparison

10th September - Blog - Health - The Number-One Stress Related Syndrome in Young Adults

11th September - Video - Hair - Tutorial: The Re-Birth of the Hair Braid

12th September - Blog - Guest Feature

13th September - Blog - Beauty - Review: Clarins Eclat du Jour Range

16th September - Video - Fashion - A Mid-Month Haul!

17th September - Blog - Feature - Are You A Feminist?

18th September - Blog - Feature - Why Good Customer Service is More Vital Than Ever

19th September - Video - Beauty - Tutorial: A New Spin on the Smoky Eye

20th September - Blog - Beauty - Beauty Without Breaking the Bank

23rd September - Blog - Feature - How the Mouse Stole My Magic...

24th September -

Video - Nails - Tutorial: Disco Ain't Dead

25th September - Blog - Fashion - Who's That Girl?

26th September - Blog - Guest Feature

27th September - Blog - Fashion - How I'm Wearing the New Season's Trends...

30th September - Video - September Faves

Hope you enjoy this month's blog as much as I enjoyed writing it! What are you most excited for?

God bless

gabriellasofia