75 Hard on the First Attempt

On August 2nd I embarked on one of the hardest challenges that I have attempted to date. A friend and I, hyped ourselves up to complete the 75 hard challenge.

With the holiday season fast approaching, I knew there was no way I would be failing and starting over. I wanted to complete the challenge so bad but I definitely did not want to have to deal with starting over.

If you are unfamiliar with the 75 hard challenge of the basic level that we committed to, it goes like this:

• drink one gallon of water
• take progress pictures
• workout twice a day for 45 minutes each time, at least one of the workouts must be outside
• no alcohol
• follow a diet, no cheat days
• read 10 pages of a physical book, no audio books

And then you repeat everything, every single day for 75 consecutive days. If you miss one thing, no matter how big or small, you must start over from day zero and try again. The diet I chose to follow was cutting all my candy and desserts out. Those were becoming quite the issue for me…

I won’t lie, this shit was hard! I’m still not done processing it a week later! We finished on October 15th, without failing once. Wahoo!

There were days when it was extremely hard to complete the tasks. In August, I took a trip for 3 days that took 7 hours to get to and 7 hours back. It made getting my workouts and a gallon of water down difficult. I didn’t want to stop once every 10 miles to pee. We went camping in September, making the entire process hard to complete- except the workouts.

Taking progress pictures of yourself every single day gets old really fast. I was over it within the first week! Although I did learn about myself in the mirror and how to take better pictures of myself! I have fought with my “post- high school sports” “post-pregnancy loss” “post- depressive episodes” body, every day for a few years. I wanted to complete this challenge with the hopes of seeing dramatic changes and becoming “hot” again (I never wasn’t- self motivation). I lost a total of 7.4 pounds in 75 days. I impressed myself!

Out of the 150 workouts completed, I would say a good 80 of them were walking the dogs and/or walking to get Human Bean or Raising Canes. Another 40 of them were completed in the living room using the app FitOn with virtual personal trainers. The remaining 30 went to yard and house work. I enjoy the walks around the neighborhood, especially as the leaves are changing color.

This challenge pushed me more than I have been pushed before and I was exhausted by the time it was finished. My body was tired, my brain was sore, and I was mentally ready to throw in the towel. 75 straight days with no rest or recovery days will do a number on your body. But I am a better person having done it.

I was challenged more during this than I was while running a marathon! In a marathon you are mentally and physically pushed to give it your absolute all for 26.2 miles. But once you are done, you are done. Typically that 110% push is only a few hours long. This challenge required 90% of your all for 75 days straight. It takes everything you have to cross that finish line.

I could not have done this challenge without my friend Lauren, who completed it with me, and my wonderful husband, who pushed me every night to get the last of the tasks done.

Ultimately, I would highly recommend the 75 hard challenge to anyone and everyone. It was an excellent experience that changed my life. I have found myself keeping a lot of the same habits and wanting to continue it. Over time, I stopped craving constant ice cream and candy and replaced that feeling with being thirsty. I will continue to drink a good amount of water and workout regularly again. I will continue to eat my sweets in moderation and not replace meals with them. I will continue to read and practice regular personal development. I will not continue taking regular progress pictures.