Thanks to Instagram, 75 Hard is pretty well known in the fitness world. But contrary to popular belief, it's NOT a fitness program. It's not a weight loss or diet program. It's a test of discipline, and that involves showing up and following a strict set of rules for 75 days. Do people get fit and lose weight on this program? Typically, yes. But those are just added bonuses of the other changes you are making, of showing up and following the rules.
In case you aren't super familiar with the rules, here they are:
I honestly never thought I would do the program. It seemed unsustainable and way too difficult. I knew how to get healthy and fit without working out twice a day and abstaining from alcohol and following a strict diet to a T. I've done it for years. Why make it harder on myself?
The problem was that I WASN'T doing those things. I had lost my discipline. I wasn't getting healthy and fit, I wasn't working out consistently, I wasn't abstaining from alcohol, even in the slightest. In fact, in those weeks before starting 75 Hard, I was binging my favorite comfort foods like a crazy person and drinking several bottles of wine a week. Some days, I only drank coffee and alcohol.
So, I decided to look more into 75 Hard and see what exactly it entailed. That's when I realized it wasn't what I thought it was. For one, walks and runs count as a workout. I thought people were doing two 45 minute strength workouts every day for 75 days, and THAT is not sustainable. For another, I thought the "diet" had to be extreme. But it can be what you want it to be. Macros, Keto, Paleo, whatever. I like macros and have been successful with tracking since 2020, so that was doable for me.
The final piece that I had to wrap my mind around was the alcohol piece. 75 days is a long time. That meant no wine on Pizza Fridays for 10 weeks. No happy hour with friends and coworkers. Minimal or no restaurant visits due to that temptation to break the diet or alcohol rule. But I ultimately decided that I needed to at least try.
I'll break down each rule and how I managed each, my thoughts on it, what I will maintain vs what I won't now that the program is done, and if/how I would do it differently.
TWO 45 MINUTE WORKOUTS - ONE MUST BE OUTSIDE:
Once I realized that these could be whatever I wanted them to be, I made the choice to do 3-4 strength workouts a week using the program I wrote a couple months back. The other 45 minute workouts of the week would be walks and runs. Totally doable.
Most weeks, I did 3 strength workouts instead of 4, mainly due to being too sore to run, which was a priority for me. A typical week was a leg day, an upper body day, and a full body. Some days it was 2 upper body/ab days to spare my legs for my long runs. Many of my walks were at 4:45am with Levi. I grew to love these. I love to be outside and this program forced me out the door every day. I walked in ice, rain, humidity, and wind sometimes, but most of them were really nice as long as I dressed for the weather. Levi definitely got his share of exercise!
In total:
Walks: 214.3 miles
Runs: 100.5 miles
Steps: 1,101,852
45 minutes doesn't sound like a long time, but let me tell you, some of those walks lasted foreverrrrr. They felt never-ending. I'd think I was walking for 30 minutes and I'd look at my watch and realize it had been 15. The closer I got to day 75, the longer they felt.
No regrets about how I handled this rule. I chose something sustainable for me. I was tired and didn't always want to workout or walk, but I still had something in the tank.
Post 75 Hard plans:
* 3 Full Body workouts a week
* 2 short runs and 1 long run a week
* Continue with outdoor walks. Maybe not always 45 minutes, but definitely almost daily.
Follow a Diet:
This rule can be whatever diet you want, but it needed to be fairly clean, healthy, and no "cheats". I personally hate the word "cheat" when it comes to food, because you can eat whatever you want in moderation and still be healthy. Since I was already a pro with macros, I chose this route. I could eat what I wanted (e.g. no cutting of entire food groups), and since I had done it before, I could handle it.
I used Avatar because it's an awesome, accurate app. They set my macros for 1700. I wasn't mad about it at first. But when you're walking quite literally ONE MILLION steps and moving your body a minimum of 90 minutes every.single.day, 1700 starts to wear on you. By day 30, I was mildly annoyed. But you're not supposed to change your diet once you start the program. It defeats the purpose of sticking to something. So I stuck it out.
Don't get me wrong, I ate well. I just wanted MORE. Here's an example of a typical day of eating:
Breakfast: mini bagel, 1/2 an avocado, ham or chicken sausage, strawberries, coffee
Snack 1: protein pudding + a banana
Lunch: a bowl with sweet potatoes, chicken, goat cheese, dried cranberries, and strawberries
Snack 2: Built bar
Dinner: Burger and roasted potatoes
Dessert: Protein microwave cake with nut butter
I "cheated" ZERO times. Not one morsel outside of what I tracked. It was tough but I was determined. I'm already a natural rule follower, so I didn't want to half-ass it just because nobody would know. The key was eating things I liked and spreading it out so I rarely got too hungry.
I saw physical changes around day 19. I hit my lowest weight in 4 years on day 57, and I was extra EXTRA annoyed by the lack of food between days 45-55. I lost a total of 12 lbs. This was very unexpected. Not only did I not think I had 12 lbs to LOSE, but I haven't seen my current weight in a long time and I was ok with that. In fact, I've been more fit than I am now, yet 7 lbs heavier. The scale definitely doesn't tell the full story.
I missed going out to dinner, going to happy hour, and grabbing random snacks when I wanted them. I skipped cookies and queso at work, ordered the healthiest thing on the menu at a work luncheon, and didn't try little snacks that Isaac would bring home from work.
But on a positive note, I no longer turned to binge eating for comfort. My reflux was almost non-existent, I ate more slowly to savor the food, and I learned that I do in fact have self control when I choose to.
Post 75 Hard plan: Take a break from tracking my food and weighing myself. Eat mindfully and mostly healthy. After 75 days of strictness, I'm sick of weighing out my strawberries. I just wanna eat.
No Alcohol or Cheat Meals
As I said before, the alcohol rule was the one rule that I felt would be unsustainable for me. I know that sounds terrible, but I really do enjoy having a beverage. I love wine with my pizza/pasta, I love happy hour with friends, and I love beer on the lake and at baseball games. My alcohol consumption had gotten a little out of control over the last couple years, so I knew I needed to reign it in a little. I worried that I wouldn't make it 2 weeks before I failed. But I surprised myself.
Within a few weeks, I barely thought about alcohol. I didn't crave it like I expected, and I only really thought about it if I saw it in public or on social media. I avoided restaurants to eliminate that desire. Don't get me wrong, I have no plans to be sober forever. I will return to drinking alcohol now that the program is complete. But I taught myself self-control, alternate options to enjoy, and gave my liver a break. No regrets and I'm very proud of making it 75 days.
Post 75 Hard plan: Drink socially and in moderation, not several nights a week.
Also as I mentioned before, I hate the term "cheat meal". It's food. Just eat it. So my post 75 Hard plan with that rule is to just eat. Nothing is a "cheat" anymore.
Drink 1 gallon of water a day:
I suck at drinking water. I honestly rarely think about it. I don't really get thirsty during the day, so my days usually just consisted of morning coffee, an occasional sip of water here and there, and some wine at night. I knew a GALLON would be tough.
This was a learning curve. I realized very quickly that I needed to drink it gradually throughout the day, and earlier in the day. If I got behind, not only would I have to chug it and feel bloated, but then I would pee 6 times at night. I never really learned my lesson throughout the 75 days. I woke up a LOT to pee at night. A LOT. And I may have peed my pants twice after drinking a ton and then going on a 2 mile walk far from home.
Post 75 Hard plan: Aim for at least 64 ounces but try to get more if possible. Sleep more at night. Don't pee my pants.
Read 10 pages of Non-fiction (no audiobooks):
You wouldn't think this would be hard, especially since I love to read. But I do NOT love to read non-fiction. Give me a novel all day long, but non-fiction? Laaaaame. I never really grew to LOVE this rule, but I did read some semi-enjoyable books:
Atomic Habits by James Clear - A mix of boring and interesting. Helpful information but I wouldn't say I loved it. Kinda like reading a textbook.
Single on Purpose by John Kim - Loved it. For someone who has been "single on purpose" for 4 years, this book spoke to me, plus the author is funny.
Anxious in Love by Carolyn Daitch and Lissah Lorberbaum - Meh. Did not like this one at all. I'm an anxious person, especially in relationships, but this book was pretty dumb. The suggestions and exercises were ridiculous. I didn't finish it.
Run to the Finish by Amanda Brooks - Loved every page of this. I have followed Amanda on Instagram for years. This book is informative, funny, and just a great book for a middle-of-the-pack runner like myself. Highly recommended.
Take a progress picture:
This was the easiest rule to follow. Did I love seeing myself in the mirror in my underwear and morning face every single morning? Nope. But I took the picture first thing in the morning before I did anything else so I would never forget. It was slightly helpful for seeing small physical changes to give that extra motivation boost. Sometimes I hardly noticed ANY progress. But when I compare the picture from day 1 to day 75, it's huge. Plus, I'm a big fan of progress pictures. It says more than a scale ever could. I personally like different mirrors and lighting.
Common questions I received throughout my journey:
1. What's been the hardest part? This varied by day, depending on how I felt. I'd say most often, it was the food piece. Some days it was that 2nd 45 minute workout when I just wanted to rest. Other days, it was choking down a gallon of water. It changes throughout the 75 days.
2. Would you do it again? Probably not. It was quite the journey and I am proud to have accomplished it, but it is restrictive and I'm getting to the point in my life where I don't want restriction. I want health and happiness and I know I can have that without restrictions and strict rules.
3. What did you like most about it? I loved having an end goal. Knowing that I was doing something hard and becoming the disciplined person I used to be again, and watching the days tick away on the app. I also loved having the support of all of my Insta friends. I received many messages throughout the 75 days and I appreciate every one of them.
4. What did you hate the most? Probably the word "fail". Like, it's in the app if you make a mistake on one of your days - FAIL. Not a fan.
Advice for those who are considering it:
1. Drink your water early and use a straw.
2. Do a sustainable diet. If you can go 75 days without bread, go for it. Hard pass for me.
3. Choose a workout routine you love.
4. Take your picture first thing in the morning before you get dressed.
5. Read your 10 pages in the morning instead of accidentally forgetting at night.
6. Do the program at a time when there are very few distractions and difficulties. I did mine during a time when I had several breaks from work, no major holidays/meals (except Easter), and only two small road trips where I planned ahead with my food and walks.
7. Ask yourself why. Why do you want to do it? What's your purpose? You can absolutely do it for aesthetic reasons, but if that's the only reason you're doing it, you can achieve that without all these rules. Do it for you.
8. Plan ahead. Know what you're eating every day, pack your food, check the weather for your outdoor workout the day before, and know when you are going to get both in.
I feel proud of myself for finishing the program and I can cross that off my list of hard things I have set my mind to and gotten through with some perseverance. I feel like I am finally back on track after a year of spiraling both physically and mentally. 2023 is already feeling so much more positive and happy and healthy.
Dues paid! ✔
