Apparently accessories help you lose weight… and one Irish brand is leading the charge

Who knew that gorgeous stationary and beautiful bracelets could be just the motivational tools we need?

At some stage or another, plenty of us have struggled to shed that extra belly bulge or muffin top. And even if you're totally body-confident and gawgeous, making a positive change to your lifestyle can really make you feel gooood. And in our books, feeling good is about having better energy levels, better brain function, better days, and more belly laughs. But to get there, a daily practise of taking the time to recognise how far we’ve come and where we want to get to (visualisation) is key. Trying to climb out of the same daily rut can be exhausting, but with the right tools for self care, it’s absolutely possible.

12 week Healthy Living Planner (€12)

That's where Love, Jools comes in. Laura Swaine-Lawlor (32) set up Love, Jools in 2017 (named after her beloved Neapolitan Mastiff who passed away) to help those of us wanting to finally begin our weight loss journey and achieve our goals.

"When I saw the photos of me at my 21st birthday I was embarrassed, so I decided to do something about it and I joined Weight Watchers with my mam. "I lost the one and a half stone I had gained in the previous six months and felt fantastic going off on my holidays. At 5ft, the one and a half weight loss meant I went from a size 12 to a size eight, and I looked so much healthier and happier. But the best thing for me was having so much more energy.

With her weight fluctuating every so often, Laura says,

"I’m always going to struggle to keep my weight under control, and I really find it hard to stay motivated at times as I know others do too, so I set up Love, Jools."

One Bead at a Time Bracelet (was €7.50, now €6.75)

The concept around Love, Jools is fun, yet powerful. For example, the colourful One Bead At A Time Bracelet (was €7.50, now €6.75) is an excellent visualisation and motivational aid. Each time we complete a goal (such as losing a pound) we add a bead.

Each time we look at that bracelet (and when we feel like giving up) it's our visual mechanism, showing us just how far we’ve come already, and that YEP, it’s time to keep going instead of giving up. "Honestly, there is no better feeling than seeing the beads mount up and of course the thought of taking those hard earned beads off definitely keeps your hand out of the cookie jar!" says Laura, who is also an avid fan of Slimming World.

Love, Jools makes other helpful items like a Weight Loss Record chalkboard (€12), so each day we can see how many pounds we lost the previous week, how much weight we’ve shed so far, and our target for the future.

A 12 week Healthy Living Planner (€12) and a Portion Control Wine Glass (€15) are also some of the items we think would come in very resourceful indeed. Best of all ladies, Love, Jools is giving all Her.ie readers 10 percent off online! Woo hoo! All you need to do is enter the discount code 'HER' at the checkout.