“START WHERE YOU ARE. USE WHAT YOU HAVE. DO WHAT YOU CAN.”

-ARTHUR ASHE

HELLO HELLO!

Last weekend I asked you guys if you’d be interested in doing another fun Health & Fitness Challenge and a large amount of you said yes. So I’m super excited to write this blog and share with you all the details about it. For me challenges are always a great way to get back into a healthy routine, wether it is exercising more or eating healthier. And as I already said in my Instagram post, I’m not a big fan of strict “meal or workout plans” because you’re not always going to feel like eating this or working out this specific body part. So instead of making this a strict plan, I want you to see this as a guide. Like this you’ll be able to adjust the meals and exercises according to your needs on this particular day. Because let’s be honest, not everyday is the same, sometimes we feel like eating more warm & comforting food and on others its more like smoothies & granola, lol! As for the exercising part, I usually try to workout each body part on a different day but it doesn’t really matter on what day you workout what. So feel free to adjust the workouts according to your own workout routine/schedule. And same goes for the beginners, don’t feel like you have to follow my entire workout if that’s not your level. You can absolutely make the workouts easier by modifying the exercises to your level, so please make whatever modifications necessary. I want this to be doable, so if you decide you want to change the amount of reps, or only do ‘this’ and not ‘that’, or switch things around completely, go for it!! Oh and it seems like most of you want this challenge to last 2 weeks, so let‘s make it 2 weeks!

EXCERCISE NOT ONLY CHANGES YOUR BODY. IT CHANGES YOUR MIND, YOUR ATTITUDE AND YOUR MOOD. 

FITNESS GUIDE

As I already mentioned above, this is really just a Guide, which is here to give you an idea of what workouts you can do. But please feel free to adjust the repetitions, rounds and minutes according to your fitness level. You could maybe start with less repetitions and then increase it throughout the week while you’re getting stronger. I personally like to do my workouts in the gym, but you could also make this a home workout. And you could easily replace the weights with water bottles, or use no weights at all. On the weekends, I like to take it easy, so I will probably just be walking or maybe roller skate on the beach with Ali. Feel free to move your body in whatever way you like. The most important thing during this challenge is that you feel motivated, energized and amazing in your body. 🙂

YOU GOTTA NOURISH TO FLOURISH

FOOD GUIDE

Hey! For those of you that got my “Blissful Val” eBook this is a great time to put it to use!! Show me which recipes you’re creating! And if you want to get one click here! 

Let’s talk about Snaaacks! As you saw in my “Food Guide” I often eat fruits during my meals, especially the ones that are in season, like persimmons right now. A great tip is to always have enough fruits in the house or to bring enough with you to school or work. Bananas, apples, grapes, pears, berries, dates, or dried figs make all a great snack to take with you. But I get it, sometimes you just want something different than fruit and for that case you have to be prepared as well. Other snacks that I like are, Energy balls or also called Bliss Balls, Workout Brownies, Smoothies, Coconut Yogurt with Granola or Chia Puddings! They’re all super easy to make at home and make a perfect on the go snack. So you see, preparation is key if you want your snacks to be nutritious and delicious. Otherwise, you could end up eating the junk food that they sell at these cheap food automats. Or at least that’s what I used to do. All of this may sound super overwhelming and time consuming, but it is definitely worth it, trust me! Try to make it a habit to prepare your snacks ahead of time and you’ll get the hang of it!

I think, that’s it for now. I’ll be showing you my daily exercises & meals on my IG Story, so make sure to follow me over there. Oh and also tag me in your meals & workouts so I can repost them! Love, Val x