I Completed 75 Hard. Here’s My Review

This challenge is stupid as f$@k.

I’d been whispering this to myself since about day 7. I decided on day 4 I would not be participating in another challenge – not a 10-day smoothie cleanse, not a 7-day yoga retreat, not a 3-day juicing diet – until 2025. The earliest.

I’m not one for commitment. That’s important to note. Like, at all. My marriage is the rare exception of commitment in my life. I consider quitting one of my superpowers. I value efficiency over longevity. I’d prefer to get the job done in the shortest amount of time.

That method works best with weight loss, but that wasn’t what I was after. I’ve lost weight plenty of times, (see: 10-day smoothie cleanse). Sometimes I keep the weight off, sometimes I don’t. Because at the end of the day, I was only losing weight, not changing my relationship with food, or exercise.

75 Hard was different. The longevity necessary to successfully complete the challenge forced me to abandon my superpower – no quitting. So, in sticking with it, I was forced out of my comfort zone, abandoning my normal.

There were parts of it I did like, parts I did not. Before I go further into that, here’s a reminder of the requirements of the challenge. 75 Hard is a mental challenge to develop the strength of discipline. To complete the challenge, you must complete the following tasks every single day for 75 consecutive days. If you miss one task, you fail the challenge entirely and must start over.

1. Drink one gallon of water.
2. Read 10-pages of a nonfiction book.
3. Take a progress photo.
4. Follow a healthy diet.
5. Abstain from cheat meals and alcohol.
6. Workout for 45-minutes.
7. Workout a second time for 45-minutes, outside. There must be at least 3-hours between the indoor and outdoor workout.

What I Did Like

The freedom to choose. Within the requirements, there are no rules. You get to decide the books you read, the diet you follow, and the type of workouts you do. I liked that level of freedom, because the challenge in itself can feel very restricting.

I began to bend some rules, for the best, exercising this freedom. I kept reminding myself of the point of the challenge – for consistency and discipline, not punishment. I wanted to read more, but I wanted to enjoy reading. So, after reading a nonfiction ‘self help’ book I felt checked the box of the challenge, without exciting me, I switched to memoirs, which I loved. During the challenge I read a total of five books because I was also reading fiction for the Bestie Book Club. I read:

• Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes
• Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
• Will by Will Smith
• Ties That Tether by Jane Igharo
• Small Fry by Lisa Brennan Jobs

I started the challenge with the idea that my daily outdoor workout would take place in our backyard – either on the deck, or in the swimming pool. On the first day, Jarrell went to work out in the soccer field near our house and discovered this new gym – partly outdoors with a Crossfit vibe. After questioning if this would technically check the box of an outdoor workout, we went back to the premise – if the goal was to challenge ourselves physically, the gym allowed us to do that better. On the weekends, I did swim, which was always something I looked forward to.

More than anything, I did the challenge with Jarrell, and that was the highlight. It was a goal we were achieving together. And, occasionally, that was fun.

What I Did Not Like

In general, I did not like this challenge. At all. I often thought it was stupid and lacked purpose or room for life to happen. Between the two workouts, the showers that follow, the mandatory time between them, and the requirement for one to be outside, five hours of my day are kinda booked. After completing the first workout, it was like a day off when you have too much to do to ever truly relax. There was a gray cloud hovering, knowing I needed to get that second workout in, which was usually the outdoor workout, which made it dependent on weather. Blah.

I’m a writer. My work is not always linear. My creative work requires more finesse to even get in the mood to tell a story, or write an article, or capture a moment. Without the freedom I’ve grown accustomed to in my lifestyle, I found myself struggling to get in a work groove. Even my administrative work was halted, because I tend to work in batches – getting lost in a work session for hours. I didn’t have that possibility with all the tasks necessary on 75 Hard. My schedule was commandeered by this damn challenge.

What I Learned

Besides the fact that I am not a fan of challenges, I was happy to learn that I can still hype myself up to do things that initially intimidate me. When I first heard about 75 Hard I thought the idea of working out twice a day eliminated my possibility to complete it. I’m not a fitness girl, or at least I wasn’t before the challenge. I learned that can change.

With the help of a routine, and new fitness clothes (do not undervalue this detail. It makes a difference to feel good in your clothes and have outfits you’re excited to wear to the gym) I’ve developed a like for the gym. Not love yet, but a solid like.

I do not enjoy structure as much as I thought I would. My life is very whimsical, and while I know it sounds crazy to want to change that, I did. I’m young, I’m ambitious, but I’m not very disciplined. I like to do what I want, when I want. 75 Hard taught me to do things I wanted to do even when I did not want to do them. It also taught me how much I enjoy being able to take days off without notice. I have more gratitude and appreciation for that privilege I’ve afforded myself in my current lifestyle.

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The Results

I know this is what people care most about. And although I am an ‘It’s about the journey, not the destination’ type of person, I cared about this, too. I had gained so much weight in the pandemic, I needed a serious jumpstart to regain control of my diet and fitness journey, no matter how brutal. In this challenge, I got that.

• I lost 15 pounds. I’m not sure on inches, but it was major. My belly shrank massively and clothes I couldn’t even think about wearing are a little baggy now. It was very good for my body physically. The daily photos are extremely valuable in seeing the progress.
• I read five books, listed above. I’m back to focusing on fiction now, but still reading regularly.
• I meditated more than I have in a while. That was nice and helpful in my self care.
• I added journaling back into my routine, which allowed me to clear my thoughts daily.
• My diet was simple – a smoothie for breakfast and then a big salad for lunch. I’ve never been a 3 meals a day type. So, that was all I ate, and I’m still doing that.
• The water intake was easy for me. I’m still drinking a gallon a day. I am just not so rigid about tracking it.

XOXO