Fit for Fall Challenge Kickoff!

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Today I am kicking off my Fit for Fall Challenge, where I encourage you to dedicate one week to taking care of yourself. From working out to cooking to taking your turmeric, I’ve got you covered! Are you ready to join the challenge?

I can’t believe today is finally here! I’ve been looking forward to this day for a long time, and I’m seriously so excited that it has finally arrived. Today I’m launching my very first (but most definitely not last) fitness challenge! I’ve been hinting about it on Instagram a bit this week, and if you are signed up for my newsletter, you received a ton of awesome resources to help prepare for the challenge. I decided to call it my Fit for Fall Challenge, because not only is the first day of fall this week (helloooo September 22!), but because for me fall is all about fresh starts. The dropping temperatures, changing leaves and all things pumpkin always make me feel more energized, excited and ready to take on new challenges.

And that’s where the Fit for Fall Challenge comes in! Since the change of seasons is upon us, I thought there would be no better time to have a challenge than now. In this challenge, I want to encourage you to take these next seven days to focus on your health and taking care of yourself. All throughout the day we take care of others, whether it be our children, students, clients or customers, but we can end up neglecting ourselves. I am challenging you to lay aside this next week to focus on YOU. Are you ready?

Fit for Fall Challenge

I’ve broken it down into 7 easy to follow components:

Get moving: Dedicate at least 30 minutes a day to get moving. It can be something as simple as going on a walk or run, following a workout video, or heading to your gym to sweat it out on the ellipticals, treadmill or bike. The goal is to get your heart rate up and a sweat dripping!

Lean, clean & green: I want you to make at least one of your meals lean, clean and green. What does this mean? Use lean proteins (my favorites are chicken breast, ground turkey or fish), “clean” foods (stay away from empty carbs, processed junk foods and fast food), and lots of greens (like spinach, kale, asparagus, brussels sprouts, green beans and bell peppers). Your body will thank you, and I promise you will be able to tell the difference in the way you feel! Most of my recipes are LCG (like this one or this one).

Drink water: My rule of thumb is to drink half your body weight in ounces. I know this sounds like a lot, but your body needs it! I want you to make drinking water a priority this week, and I know you can do it! To make it easier, I grab one of my big water bottles (which holds 32 ounces), and make it my goal to drink two of them before leaving work. When I do that, I know I’ll be more successful on drinking enough water! Don’t like water? Then try out these recipes to mix it up a bit. 

Multivitamin: Because honestly, you can’t go wrong with taking a multivitamin. Even though you receive a lot of great nutrients from the food you eat, some of them you simply can’t get from food. Taking a multivitamin is so beneficial, and it can even help speed up your metabolism! Now who doesn’t want that?!

Turmeric: Did you know that Turmeric is a powerhouse nutrient? It supports a healthy inflammation response, healthy skin, healthy joints, provides antioxidant properties, and supports exercise recovery. Being a runner, I am ALL about keeping my joints happy and recovering from strenuous workouts, which is why I love this stuff so much. I use the youtheory® Turmeric Extra Strength 120 capsules (which you can find at Costco), and I am impressed with all that it has to offer.

With their new formula, which has 1,000mg of turmeric per 2 capsules (compared to their old formula of 450mg per 3 tablets), I am getting three times as much turmeric per capsule! They also use black pepper extract to improve the absorption of turmeric by more than 20x, which is critical, since turmeric is known for being poorly absorbed into the bloodstream. I also love that youtheory uses the highest quality ingredients to help maintain overall wellness and support active lifestyles. They are all about providing you with the best they can offer.  

Now some may ask “why not just use the turmeric I have in my spice rack?” Well, to put it simply, you don’t get the same benefits from that as you do from the youtheory capsules. Regular turmeric is not absorbed well by the body, and only contains 5% of curcuminoids by weight (which is the stuff that provides almost all of the benefits that you want). In the youtheory turmeric, there is nearly 20x more curcuminoids by weight! That’s a big difference. 
So long story short, I encourage you to pick up some Turmeric and add it to your daily routine. Your body will thank you! Just look for the bright orange lid and the bottle that says extra strength formula. Some Costcos are still selling the old product (the advanced formula), so call ahead to make sure they have the correct one. 

Quiet Time: A part of taking care of yourself is also setting time aside every day for some quiet time. I love reading my Bible and praying every morning before going off to work, and it makes such a difference in the rest of my day! I need that constant reminder that I am not here for me, but rather for His glory. Something else I try to be intentional with is my time with Isaac, because it can be easy to get so wrapped up in whatever I’m doing that I forget to spend quality time with him. So whatever you decide to do, whether it’s spending time with the Lord, quality time with your family or something else, I am challenging you to do it. Take 20 minutes out of your day, set the computer, phone and tv to the side, and enjoy the moment.

Check in: This is where accountability comes in! If you are wanting to take my Fit for Fall Challenge, I encourage you to tell me in the comments below, and keep up with it on social media. I will be posting my checkins every day on Instagram, and I want to see your check ins as well! Remember, it’s only seven days, but it’s also the perfect chance for you to refresh and get yourself back on the right track.

I’ve also made it easier for you by making this awesome printable you can use to make sure you are keeping up with everything. You can print it off or save it on your phone, and simply check the boxes as you complete each requirement for the day. Easy, right?

And now may the challenge begin! I am so excited about this, and I hope you are too! I can’t wait to see your checkins (make sure you tag me @happilythehicks, and use the hashtags #youtheoryturmeric and #hthFitForFallChallenge). Make sure you come back next Monday to tell me how it went. If you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments below!