Category: Fitness

1000 Mile Fusion Walk Sock

Autumn, Birthday Gifts, camping, Christmas, Days Out, Family Life, Fitness, Gifts for Her, health, Mental Health Awareness, Mother's Day, Sport, Winter, Women

Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own

May is National Walking Month and is the perfect opportunity to get outdoors and explore the countryside. I have set myself a challenge to do a walk every day in May as walking is not only a good form of exercise it is a great way to destress after a busy day at work. We are fortunate to live in a beautiful part of the country with plenty of good walks on our doorstep, so I am hoping that it won’t be too difficult a challenge!

When you are going hiking it’s amazing the difference a good pair of walking socks makes and this pair of Fusion Walk socks from 1000 Miles are going to be doing plenty of miles this month.

The socks are a double layered 3 /4 season sock with extra padding on the heel, toe and Achilles tendon areas. Combined with the high volume Merino wool, the socks offers warmth and volume, making the socks ideal for wearing from Autumn right through to Spring.

As soon as I put the socks on my feet I noticed how comfortable they are, and that’s before I even started walking! The Merino wool and Tactel mix gives a comfortable, breathable sock that wicks moisture away from the foot and elastane ensures a close fit that doesn’t slip or bunch in your boots  The ribbed cuff is a comfortable fit and not too tight around my leg and the socks are a mid-calf length and they fit nicely in both my walking boots and trail shoes meaning I can wear them for both hiking and fell running.

I was especially pleased when I saw the sizing of the women’s socks, the medium size is for UK sizes 6 to 8.5 and it’s nice to find a company who recognises that women do have feet bigger than a size 7!

The socks come with 1000 Miles’s blister free guarantee and they will give you your money back or a replacement pair of socks if you experience either blisters or the socks wear out within 1,000 miles – provided that the socks have been cared for following their guidance and are returned with the receipt.

The socks are mid length and easily cover the bottom of my walking trousers, the heel padding comes up the back of the heel and finishes slightly higher than the back of my walking shoe, meaning the backs of my ankles are protected and comfortable.  Available in Ladies (3 to 8.5) they cost £18.00 but don’t be put off by the price, given the excellent warranty they really are a  worthwhile purchase

B.fresh Juices

Drinks and Mixers, Fitness, Food & Drink, health, Vegan, Vegetarian

Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review however all thoughts and opinions are our own

New Year – New Me. At least that’s my intention!

I’m trying to increase the amount of fruit and vegetables that I eat and as a glass of juice counts as one of the 5 a day I was really pleased to receive a selection of delicious mixed juices from B.fresh. The fresh, cold pressed juices and juice shots are made from 100% natural ingredients, with no added sugars or sweeteners and are produced on their farm in Shropshire.

The three juices I tried are

Happy Greens

Get Up and Glow

Strawberry Shines.

The Happy Greens drink has an apple base with kale and spinach. I really loved this one, the earth tones of the spinach and kale were perfectly balanced with the natural sweetness of the apple juice.

The orange, Get Up and Glow, cleverly mixes carrots with orange juice and apple with a hint of turmeric for that on trend health boost. Packed with antioxidants and vitamin C a glass of this juice is a great way to start the day.  

The Strawberry Shines drink combines 35% strawberry with apple, carrot cucumber and beetroot, I was expecting the strawberry flavour to be stronger but the flavour that stood out more was the apple with the strawberry coming in as a very pleasant aftertaste.

Each 250ml bottle counts as one of my five a day and with no added sugar makes a great healthy start to my day. I’ll pop one in my bag for a lunchtime treat too!

Available from the B.fresh website from £3.65 per 250ml juice

FootActive Orthotic Insoles

Family Life, Fashion, Fitness, Sport

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

Since our last review of the FootActive Plantar Fasciitis and Orthotic Insoles last month, we’ve had notification that lots of you are reading what we had to say so the lovely people at FootActive have sent us another version for us to try, the Orthotic Insole.

Built for sports enthusiasts, the Orthotic Insole is super supportive for all sorts of sports like running, walking and team games. If you read our previous review, you’ll know that I lift weights and I also have very flat feet. This makes lifting quite difficult because my knees turn inwards and my feet roll, making it painful on my feet and knees and the balance of the overhead weights is off centre.  Over time, it can make my feet in particular really painful.

The FootActive Orthotic Insoles are specially for sports, so this was my chance to prove how they work! The insoles are different to the Plantar Fasciitis variety because they are slightly more pliable, with more of a grip to the surface, perfectly suited to high impact sports. The insole shape is still there though with the moulding around the heel and arch of the foot but I did notice that the arch support isn’t as high with these sports ones.

The top layer is also moisture-wicking, meaning that when your feet get hot and sweaty during sports, the material makes it easier for your feet to breath.  The heel also has extra cushioning with shock-absorbing gel on the heels, and on the front of the foot too.  Overall, there are several designs built in which make them more sport-friendly. However, there’s no reason why you couldn’t wear them all day if you need to.

When it comes to sports, I used them to walk to the gym (about 7 minute walk) then for the weight lifting.  It wasn’t that difficult to get used to the shape, I actually found them easier to walk and lift in than the Plantar Fasciitis insoles and that was probably to do with the gel which cushioned my feet more.  The insoles also instantly correct your posture which was noticeable, although my knees and shoes weren’t used to the new positioning so they put up a bit of a fight, but I’m assured by my trainer that this is only temporary! Hopefully in time it will improve my overall posture and not just with lifting weights.

I think I actually prefer these Orthotic Insoles because they’re more mailable and fit more snugly as well and fitting into my every day Converse shoes or Sketchers trainers.  They could potentially make any shoe more comfortable though, we’ll just have to see how my flat feet cope!

Available from £25: https://footactive.co.uk/footactive-sports

Wahl Mini Massage Gun

Birthday Gifts, Family Life, Father's Day, Fitness, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, health, Sport, Tech

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

Aches and pains are an everyday part of life, but don’t have to last long when you have a masseuse at the touch of a button.  The Wahl Cordless Mini Massage Gun has been on my list of items to try, so when the team offered to send me one to review, I was eager to see if it stood up to my expectations! 

The gun itself is only about 15cm long (hence it’s a mini massager) and approximately 10cm high.  Charged with a type C USB cable, there are no batteries involved and the cable is a standard computer lead which comes with the kit but can also be found with other appliances. It can be charged from a USB port on a computer, or on a wall charger.

The gun and attachments come in a handy zip-up case which fits neatly into a gym bag or a drawer at home and contains all 4 attachments as well as the USB lead.  Starting with the gun, it only has one on/off button to operate, which is triggered by holding down the button for just a second. The digital display on the front tells you the intensity of the movement (1 being lowest, 6 the highest) and the amount of battery left. I found that it took up to 4 hours to charge the battery in full but it can take longer. The instructions suggest you charge the gun every 3 months if it hasn’t been used.

The gun is already fitted with the Flat Head attachment, whilst the Round Head, Bullet Head and Spinal Head are contained in the case.  Each attachment pops in and out, there’s no threading to worry about but they are fitted quite snugly so you have to use some effort to change them sometimes.

The instructions don’t give an indication of which attachment to use on any particular part of the body, just techniques for the shoulders, neck, back etc.  I found that it was best to start the massage gun on the lowest level and use the round attachment first on the hands, thighs and upper arms until you get used to the sensation. It’s quite powerful, even at a low level which is exactly what you’re looking for in a massage gun but does take a while to get used to!  I found that the Round Head was good for working the back of my neck.  The gun isn’t very heavy so you can hold it in one place for a long period of time. The attachment is really quite effective though, with the headache I had at the time easing. If you had a person massaging with the same intensity for any length of time, there wouldn’t be as much power, and they would probably get tired very quickly. The fact that you can change the intensity of the motion too means that you can tailor the massage to your needs.

The other attachments were great for other areas too. The Bullet Head works well on certain reflexology points on the feet, giving a precise massage to pressure points. The Flat Head also helps with digestion when you massage the abdomen in circular motions.  It’s very difficult to try the Spinal Head on yourself, but the wishbone shape works on the muscles either side of the spine (never use directly on the spine) to relax the back muscles.  With some ingenuity, you can find the right attachment and the right intensity for any part of the body which needs restoring, which is part of the fun of a massage gun!

The Wahl Mini Massage Gun runs for approximately 20 minutes on a timer or 200 minutes in all on a single charge. If you need more help, or indeed inspiration, Wahl have a tutorial on their website to give you more ideas. 

The Wahl Mini Massage Gun is available from £71.99 at: https://www.wahl.co.uk/product/cordless-mini-massager-gun/

No Guilt Bakes Keto Cakes and Treats

Christmas, Family Life, Fitness, Food & Drink

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

If you’ve ever been on a low carb, Keto or Atkins diet (there are many names for the high protein/fat lifestyle!) then you’ll know how difficult it is to find commercially available products. No Guilt Bakes is the brain child of Taeya and Maya, friends who have lost 40kg between them in weight after following the Keto diet whereby sugar isn’t consumed at all, and the rest of your diet is high in fat and low in carbohydrates. That means… no cake! Well, it did, until No Guilt Bakes found a way of making cakes and treats with almond flour and other sugar-free, low carb ingredients. 

The team at No Guilt Bakes sent us two cakes to try over Christmas; the Christmas Keto Fruit Cake and Caramel & Ginger Spice Keto Cake Loaf.  The Christmas Keto Fruit Cake isn’t available after Christmas, but there are more cakes and treats being released for holidays and special occasions throughout the year, so keep an eye on the website if you’re interested. Each cake is approximately 350gram loaf and arrives by post as quickly as possible after delivery. The idea is to hit that sweet craving before you can reach for the biscuits and as the company professes, have No Guilt!

Both the Christmas Keto Cake and Caramel & Ginger Spice Loaves arrived neatly packed in cardboard trays and sealed for freshness in plastic. You can either freeze them for 2 months, or if you open them straight away, they have at least 4 days’ shelf life.  They are best kept in the fridge, even before being opened to keep their freshness. 

What were they like to eat? Both cakes are surprisingly rich in flavour, with additions such as cinnamon, dried blueberries and both are made with almond flour. If you’ve never tried almond flour before, its’ taste isn’t much different to wheat flour, other than it is slightly richer and heavier, but not sticky. It holds flavours very well when you mix it in a cake batter for instance, and works particularly well with butter.  The Fruit Cake and Ginger Cake really didn’t taste any different to your bakery-bought cakes we see everyday. I would say that the No Guilt Bakes Keto Fruit Cake is lighter than the usual fruit cake though, so for everyone who finds Christmas to be a sticky mess, this cake is probably preferable.  The Caramel & Ginger cake is likewise just as moist and not heavy at all, plus you can really taste the ginger in it.  Neither cake is lacking in sweetness though, hence you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference in a blind taste test!

I am constantly looking for Keto sweets to try and No Guilt Bakes is new to me, so thanks to Taeya and Maya, I will be looking to see what else I can order!

Cake loaves are available from £8.99 at: https://www.noguiltbakes.co.uk/products/ginger-keto-loaf-cake

Liforme Yoga Mat

Birthday Gifts, Christmas, cruelty-free, eco friendly, Family Life, Fashion, Fitness, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, health, Home & Garden, Plastic free, Sport, Sustainable, Women

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

By a certain age, or maybe it’s a certain level of fitness, yoga becomes less of a puzzle and more of a necessity. The company Liforme pride themselves on doing things differently to support and encourage the practice of yoga, and do so with their conscientious products. Their ethos to ‘Live for More’ by positively engaging communities is evident on their website, along with some delicious products any yoga fan will adore!

Amongst the products available was this Liforme Grateful Rainbow Yoga Mat which was sent to us to try out.  It’s bright pink, printed with an eco-friendly, non-toxic design of a rainbow mandala and alignment markings which can be described as guides for your feet and hands. This mat is a serious bit of kit for serious yoga people and you can tell just by looking at it. There’s much more science, and thought, behind it than you realise though, as I discovered.

The Liforme Yoga Mat is made with a real natural rubber base (so that it doesn’t slide all over the place) and the top layer is made of eco-polyurethane.  In all, the mat is 4.2mm thick but it feels thinner than that. It’s not chunky or clunky at all. The top eco-polyurethane layer is designed to be more grippy than other mats, so that you can practice without worrying about sliding all over the place, and the design is printed with durable yet eco-friendly ink. The same goes for all the designs of the yoga mats available on the Liforme website.  The mat weighs in at a hefty 2.5kg though so if you’re used to your yoga mat being light-as-air, this is going to be quite a shock!  The weight comes from the quality of the material though.

The dimensions of the mat come in at 185cm long and 68cm wide. That’s 73 inches long and 27 inches wide in old money.

As for the usability, the mat comes with a free carry case, which is needed when you have a rolled-up mat of this size and weight and need to transport it to several lessons a week.  The real test is in a yoga class, which is where any yoga equipment needs to prove itself.  The bright pink façade is very pleasing especially as you know in a dimly lit room and when you might need to wander around a bit, you can never lose it!  The surface is nicely grippy. Grippy enough for a Downward Dog and to not face plant yourself.  Liforme call this GripForMe technology and it allows you to use your full body weight in poses and not move an inch. Not even a millimetre for that matter, as I discovered when I was able to more pressure into some of the poses than I usually would. So in some ways, you could say that the Liforme Yoga Mat made me better at yoga as a result!

Liforme as a company have recently been awarded B Corp status. The B Corp status proves that Liforme has high standards of social and environmental impact as their core belief as a company and a quick look at their website proves that their high quality and non-toxic materials are the tip of the iceberg when it comes to responsibility. The mats bio-degrade in 1-5 years (depending on conditions) and believe that they have the world’s most planet-friendly yoga mat.

Truly a treat, the Liforme Yoga Mats aren’t cheap but they are suited to the serious yoga practitioner or fitness expert and look simply gorgeous. The unique design and alignment cues make this yoga mat stand out from all the rest, and a perfect gift too. 

Available for £140 (but currently on sale for £105) at:

Liforme Grateful Rainbow Yoga Mat – Grateful Pink/Rainbow

Chicco Balance Bike

Baby, Birthday Gifts, Children, Christmas, eco friendly, Family Life, Fitness, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Home & Garden, Learning

Disclaimer- We received the Chicco Balance Bike for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are our own.

Riding a bike is something everyone should be encouraged to do as it not only keeps us fit but it’s also a more eco friendly mode of transport which is a great benefit for our planet.

Learning to ride a bike can be quite daunting for children, when I was learning I had a set of stabilisers which gave me some confidence to ride.

Bikes have really come on in leaps and bounds since I was a child and balance bikes seem a popular choice amongst parents.

A balance bike is a two wheeled bike which helps children develop the necessary balance on two wheels. Acting as a comfortable stepping stone to a real pedalled bicycle.

The child uses their feet to propel themselves instead of pedals which gives them a greater sense of balance whilst riding.

With Christmas fast approaching I can see the Chicco Balance Bike being well received by any lucky recipient.

This super stylish balance bike not only looks awesome in it’s 3 available colours (Green Rocket, Pink Arrow and Red Bullet) it feels very robust and safe!

Suitable for ages 2-5 years the Chicco Balance Bike will give your little one the confidence to take up bike riding.

With grippy adjustable handle bars, a soft non-slip saddle and anti-puncture wheels the Chicco Balance Bike will develop your child to switch to their first real bicycle without any difficulties or fear.

Available to buy from https://www.chicco.co.uk/products/8058664130658.balance-bike.html

RRP £39.99

Elliot Brown Bloxworth Hali Watch

Birthday Gifts, camping, Christmas, Fashion, Fitness, Gifts for Her, Jewellery, Sport, Women

I am not the easiest person to buy presents for – I am told that every single birthday and Christmas, and with a milestone birthday coming up in a matter of weeks my family have started asking me what special gift I would like to celebrate the occasion. One thing that I have considered is a nice watch, but being an outdoorsy sort of person, I don’t want to spend a lot of money on a watch that will invariably get bashed and scratched when I get too close to a rock face, fall off my bike or slip on wet ground. I also don’t want a watch that is likely to stop working after getting wet too many times. Nowadays fewer people wear watches as it is easy to glance at our phones to check the time, but there is no denying the elegance and refinement that a proper watch brings. And, when you are half way up a rockface or standing on a paddleboard, believe me, looking at a watch is a whole lot easier than taking a phone out of your pocket – and you don’t run the risk of it slipping out of your hand either.  

So when Elliot Brown, a UK-based watch brand that makes the most wearable, affordable, toughest watches on the planet, asked me if I would like a loan of one of their Bloxworth Hali watches I jumped at the chance. Elliott Brown test all their watches meticulously so that they will withstand the toughest of situations. Me knocking it on a rockface, or falling in Lake Windermere is a drop in the ocean compared to being smashed with a 3kg mallet or being submerged for an entire winter in Poole harbour – just some of the rigorous tests the watches are put through. Oh, they also strap watches to the bows of racing yachts and send them off round the world for 40,000miles and 12 months at sea – the watch survived and was still keeping perfect time. How impressive – these watches really are built to last!

The watch is presented in a lovely solid grey box, with the instruction and warranty details in a neat little pocket in the lid of the box. There is also a mini screwdriver type tool to enable you to remove the strap should you wish to change it for one of the rubber straps that are also available for this model. This fantastic presentation helps to make this a really special present.

The quality of the watch was obvious from the second I took it out of the box. It has a solid feel but isn’t cumbersome to wear. I also really liked how the size of the watch face was slightly larger than a standard, small ladies watch. I have never been keen on tiny dials as I find them hard to read, and I think bigger ones look a bit more rugged too.

As the Bloxworth Hali isn’t a smart watch it doesn’t have the features that other outdoor watches might have but you can wear it all weekend without worrying about charging and be confident that it won’t get damaged whilst out and about, as it is super tough and incredibly durable.

With a recommended retail price of £595 this is not a cheap watch but, reading the specifications of the watch you can see just what you get for your money. At the heart of the watch is a Swiss Made Ronda 705 quartz movement which is encased in a finely brushed stainless steel case with high polished elements. The high contrast, easy to read face is protected by a domed anti reflective sapphire crystal. The high contrast face glows in the dark, making it easy to read when you are off on night time adventures.

The brushed link bracelet strap, has a concealed double folding deployant buckle on bespoke stainless steel, meaning I can wear it on top of my drysuit without altering the bracelet. Marine grade 316 stainless steel is used for the case, bezel and strap bars which means it won’t rust, even in saltwater (and after 12 months at sea we are confident that it has been thoroughly tested).

The other features to mention are

  • Dual layer piano sandwich dial with polished minutes track
  • Matte finished stainless steel uni-directional 60 click timing bezel
  • Signature basket weave textures on compressor case back
  • Domed crown at 4 o’clock with triple seals
  • 100% tested at 200m in water
  • Unbreakable easy change strap bars
  • 5-year warranty

This watch looks just as good when I’m out adventuring as it does with heels and a cocktail dress and is the perfect gift for any outdoor enthusiast. It’s not the cheapest watch on the market but you are investing in a serious, timepiece that will stand the test of time and I know it will still be ticking and keeping perfect time long after the smart watch has counted it’s last step!

Available to buy from https://elliotbrownwatches.com/


Edifier TWS1 Pro True Wireless Earbuds

Birthday Gifts, Christmas, Family Life, Fitness, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, Tech

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

I have never had wireless headphones before, and with all the commuting I do and going to the gym, I really should have done before now!  Opening these pink Edifier ear buds, it was nice to have them in their own case, which also doubles up as a charging unit.  The buds fit snugly in the magnetic case where they snap into place and fit the connectors to charge.  

Placing them straight into my ears was obviously the first thing I did, but like any good reviewer, I tried to connect them to my iPhone X without reading the instructions.  It turns out that these TWS1 Pro headphones are super easy to set up. From my phone, all I had to do is go to the Bluetooth settings and the headphones were already there. I just clicked on ‘connect’ and the headphones were working, playing the songs from my phone straight away. They turn themselves on when you take them out of the case and turn themselves off again when put back in place.

Using the headphones was easy too. It was just a matter of tapping once (on either ear) to play or pause, twice on the left ear for the previous track and twice on the right for the next track.  Volume up and down is a hold on either ear bud. It’s one tap to accept a call and 2-3 taps to disconnect a call on your phone too.

The ear phones stayed in for the whole of my cycle and weights workout which I was surprised about.  The sound is balanced between both ear buds but there’s not the best bass on them and I can’t find a way of changing the settings. There’s a long battery life on them and they’re very sharp when listening to audio books etc.

For the price, these are great stocking fillers or for teenager who already have a smart phone.  It’s difficult to go wrong with how easy they are and compact but well designed in the case and they come with not one but two sets of spare ear pieces.  I am converted to using these headphones now instead of my wire ones for everyday use and I’m not going back!

Available for £59.99 at:

Edifier TWS1 Pro Earbuds Review

Birthday Gifts, camping, Christmas, Family Life, Fitness, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Tech

Disclaimer: We received the earbuds for the purpose of this review but all words and opinions are our own.

I have been trying out the Edifier TWS1 Pro wireless earbuds for the last week and I’m really impressed with them. They are comfortable to wear and feel very secure in my ear, I had got out of the habit of listening to music on the go as my previous pair kept slipping out and I never felt happy wearing them, so I am really pleased to have found a replacement that do actually stay put.

The earbuds are really easy to set up, simply switch on the Bluetooth pairing, connect & go. The earbuds power off when placed in the case and the lid is closed and power on and connect automatically to your device the moment you open the case.

To use the earbuds you simply tap them, controls include play, pause and skip to the next track as well as adjusting the volume and answering calls.

The Edifier TWS1 Pro earbuds feature Qualcomm®’s second-generation aptX™ adaptive technology which combines aptX™ high definition audio and aptX™ low latency, and dynamically switch to the best option depending on different scenarios. I found the sound quality to be excellent, with no distortion and perfect for my rock and pop playlists!

The charging case holds the earphones securely with magnets and once placed in the case the earphones start charging automatically A single charge provides 12 hours of playback time and the case provides an additional 30 hours of charge, so in total you can enjoy 42 hours of playback before you need to charge, which is enough for most people. When it does run out of charge the case has fast charging capabilities and reaches a full charge within 40 minutes. 

I wear my earbuds when exercising so was pleased to discover that the earbuds have an IP65 dust and water-proof test rating making them the perfect choice for any outdoor activity.

The earbuds have a RRP of £49.99 and are available in black, dark grey, ivory or pink from Amazon

UPDATE: Hypnosis With Lizzie Smith

Fitness, Food & Drink, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, health, Home & Garden, Learning

Mindful Eating for Weightless through Hypnosis and BWRT®

Last month, we reviewed a session of hypnosis of weight loss with Hypnotherapist Lizzie Smith. Since then, I have gone on to complete the 4 session course (paid for by me!) to see how hypnotherapy, and later BWRT® could benefit a healthier way of life.

Weekly, I met with Lizzie online again via Zoom calls to talk about my progress and take the next leap forward with another hypnotherapy session. Lizzie speaks to you at length at the start of each session to see how you are getting on since the last time she saw you, make notes on what adjustments might be needed for this session and to talk through any worries. For me, we decided that BWRT® would help me with breaking the connection between me snacking (especially after dinner) and replacing it with something else.

BWRT® is not hypnosis but is a powerful tool to ‘reprogramming’ the brain. After my second session of hypnosis, we scheduled BWRT® for a different day. The session started with Lizzie explaining in detail how it worked, asking questions around my snacking habit and asking me to make mental pictures which would fit with how she runs the session. The BWRT® itself lasted only about 30 minutes but crucially, you don’t think about the technique or how it works, instead letting your brain process the treatment. I won’t go into detail about how it works but it was quick, easy and not emotional at all.

The following two hypnotherapy sessions were similar to the first, with Lizzie asking questions about my progress, what kind of situations had triggered me and what the outcome was. With some awesome encouragement, Lizzie uncovered some situations I hadn’t thought of, each of which had a positive outcome.

Each session comes with an audio file which is messaged to you so that you can listen to it over and over again. One of them is for a meditative walk and the final audio file is for going to sleep. Each of them solidifies what was covered in Lizzie’s hypnotherapy sessions.

After 4 session (over 4 weeks) have I lost any weight yet? Yes! I have lost 1kg (a bit more than 2lbs) but more importantly my eating habits have changed. Instead of reaching for the snacks after dinner, that part of my consciousness has been eliminated. Snacking during the day has become more mindful now, with me questioning whether I really want to snack, or whether I’m hungry or not. Hypnosis, as Lizzie explains, is not a quick-fix but more about changing your perception and mindful behaviour around eating, in order to lose weight in the long run.

I have booked 6 extra sessions, one every month until Christmas, to re-enforce the hypnosis I have already completed and to keep in contact with Lizzie over time and let her know how I’m getting on!

About Lizzie

Oppo Earbuds Review

Father's Day, Fitness, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Tech

Disclaimer – We received this item for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

I have been trying out these wireless OPPO Enco Free2 earbuds and I’m really impressed with them. They’re lightweight and are very comfortable in the ear, feeling nice and secure. I had got out of the habit of listening to music on the go as my previous pair kept slipping out, meaning I never felt happy wearing them out of the house, but I’m really pleased with the fit of these. With a choice of three sizes of silicone ear tips you can select the one that fits best, ensuring a perfect fit. 

Pairing is really simple, open the charging case and the earphones go straight into pairing mode and then you simply add them to your device. Once paired they will re-connect whenever the case is opened. 

The touch controls allow you to skip tracks, adjust volume and switch between the normal active noise cancellation and transparency listening modes. I thought that using a swipe to control the volume rather than a tap worked really well. Taking one earbud out of your ear pauses the player, resuming when it is replaced. The sound quality is fantastic, the sound is clear and the noise cancellation works very well and can be tuned within the app. The app also allows several different equaliser settings to be used meaning you can adjust the sound to suit.

The charging case holds the earphones securely with magnets and once placed in the case the earphones start charging automatically. The charge level is easy to see with an LED whenever the case is opened. I haven’t used them enough to run them down but the manufacturer claims up to a 30 hour run time (including the charge in the case) – impressive! Charging the case is done with USB C and a cable is included.

These earbuds are available in black or white with a dust and water-resistant design to stylishly go the distance and provide users with the ultimate listening experience come rain or shine. They strike the perfect balance between luxury and affordability with a RRP £89.99. Android and IOS ompatible.

Disclaimer: We received these earbuds for the purpose of this review but all words and opinions are our own.