New Year's Resolution: Healthy Lifestyle Update

This year, I'm so keen to make sure that my New Year's Resolutions actually come to fruition that I've been keeping a super close eye on my progress so what better way to log it than to blog it? One of my main resolutions was to have a healthy lifestyle 'most of the time'. What I mean by 'most of the time' is that unless there is a special occasion or one meal a week where I want to pig out, I'm trying to be really good and put the best things into my body and up my fitness levels. It is no secret that I'm not fat. Seriously, I know that. But still, my tummy had pinchable flesh which I'd really rather wasn't there, my upper-thighs touch and my arms have a larger surface area than I'd like. Plus, although I don't think I look any bigger in person and my clothes fit the same as before Christmas, the camera really does seem to add those ten pounds of chocolate I'm sure I consumed over the festive period... So, what have I been doing to claw my way to a healthy lifestyle?

Well, firstly, I've stopped eating things like this...

*I am such a cheese freak and I ate TONS of it over Christmas! No good for cholesterol and very fatty...*

Haute Body: Weight Watchers Goodies...

The lovely people at Weight Watchers have kindly sent me some yummy products to try out and I've since decided to write a little bit about them. These items were sent to me for free. However, the opinions in this post are completely my own and I've written these mini-reviews because I want to and not because I've promised a positive review in exchange for free stuff!

So, let's get started. First for a brief explanation of what the Weight Watchers diet is all about, if you didn't already know. Here's how they summarize the company and their diet plan:


'The Weight Watchers programme is uniquely positioned to allow you to play the weight loss game and win. Based on up-to-date science and tried and tested over the years by real people, the Weight Watchers programme comes from the experts at the weight loss game. It’s designed for living and losing (weight, that is!).

The ProPoints plan is a fantastic counting system that allows you to eat what you like, when you like, until you reach your daily total. It guides you to make healthier food choices, eating more of the things that are good for you and for weight loss, and less of the things that aren’t. You get a Weekly ProPoints Allowance to play with every week too, so you can keep treats and nights out firmly on the menu and still watch that weight go steadily down.'


Simples! Alongside the ease of being able to incorporate your usual weekly shop into your points-counting diet plan, Weight Watchers also offer their own brand products which work much better on the diet than the more unhealthy alternatives. For example, Weight Watchers do their own rose wine (which is just 75 calories per glass!!!), bread rolls, chicken marinade etc. And they are really nice. Anyway, let me give you a couple of reviews on how I've found some of the products so far...

My first major obsession is these Weight Watchers Peach and Pear Fruit Pots. I've always had a bit of a thing about tinned peaches and that's how these fruit pots taste, but with added freshness! The fruit is soft and sweet, and the juice is yummy to drink up afterwards. Also, these are great to throw into a lunch box too as they even have a little foldaway fork included. Perfect mid-morning snack.

 

I've NEVER been into coffee at all. Usually it makes me squinch up my face in a 'icky' shape and push it away scratching my abused tongue with my teeth. However, these Weight Watchers cappuccino sachets make a really nice creamy hot drink with a subtle yet present taste of coffee. These were fantastic when I was studying for exams as they gave me a quick energy boost when I most needed it, and I didn't even have to add sugar. One tip I would give though, let your cappuccino sit out for a bit before drinking it and give it a couple of extra stirs as the powder can form into little lumps which aren't so great when you're expecting just liquid!

 

The Weight Watchers Milk Chocolate Digestive Biscuits are my new favorite naughty snack. The only difference between these and your regular ones is that they are noticeably smaller. Although having said that, the chocolate is noticeably nicer in my opinion too. Also, I know its a seemingly small and insignificant factor, but the fact that this pack reseals itself is a huge selling point to me as it keeps the biscuits fresh and crunchy for longer. Nomgobble.

The Weight Watchers Sicilian Lemonade sounded very promising to me as I'm always trying to find fizzy drinks which are suitable for diets without having that artificial 'itsadietdrinksowe'vestuckaloadofsweetnersintoit' taste. Unfortunately, although I have finished the bottle and the fizz was great where its competitors sometimes lack (do you not think Diet Coke is flatter than the real stuff?) I still could taste sweeteners which reminded me a bit of those Panda Pop drinks which I used to get with my kiddie pub lunch back when I was a rug-rat. Can't recommend this drink sadly :(

These cute little bags of tortilla chips are ideal. They are nacho cheese flavoured and really hit the spot if I'm craving a salty snack. As you can see, I even made them into a little nacho plate using some healthy salsa and half-fat mature grated cheddar cheese. I just stuck it into the microwave for twenty seconds and boom, finished. Really yummy snack!

I'll write a similar post within the next couple of weeks to review some of the other items I've been kindly sent, but as you can tell, I'm pretty happy with what I've tasted so far, so thank you very much Lucy! Also, I was sent two recipe books and I've tried a variety of the dishes which are taught in there, so I'll post up some pictures and tips regarding how I got along cooking healthy Weight Watchers inspired dishes for my whole family.

Have you ever tried Weight Watchers? Can you think of any other ways I could jazz up these bits and bobs like I did with the tortillas? Are you as excited as I am about 75 calorie per glass rose wine???

Love and snuggles

gabriellasofia

x

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