75 hard
On May 21, 2023 I finished the 75 Hard challenge. I am excited to share my journey, experiences, and results. I also want to express my thanks for those who supported me along my journey.
What is it?
Designed by Andy Friscella, 75 Hard is “a transformative mental toughness program”, NOT a fitness program. The program is simple: follow seven rules for 75 days. No exceptions, no substitutions, and no days off.
The rules:
Complete two 45 minute workouts
One workout has to be outdoors
Drink 1 gallon (128 oz) of water
Take a progress picture
Read 10 pages
Follow a diet
No alcohol or cheat meals
Start date: Wednesday, March 8, 2023
Finish date: Sunday, May 21, 2023
There is also an app to help track progress!
Setting the Stage
At the end of 2022, I made the decision to stop making excuses and procrastinating when it came to my health and fitness.
Flashback to 2020 for a moment. During the first 6 months of Covid, I felt very isolated, stressed, and I gained some weight. In August of 2020 I dyed my hair dark (most people have only known me as a blonde) and moved across the country to North Carolina to start my PhD. This was an opportunity to start fresh so I hired a personal trainer and got to work. Over the next 6 months, I lost 26 lbs and I felt great. But the cost of training was not sustainable, and I stopped. A few months later, I started my business, Skanz. Between school, work, and roommate drama (this is a story for another time), I did not prioritize my health. Slowly, but surely, the weight started coming back. Two years after moving, I passed my previous heaviest weight by 10 pounds.
Time for a change.
I knew I could lose the weight (I had done it before), but this time I needed to do it in a way that was sustainable - a lifestyle change. I got an ad on instagram (you know it’s bad when instagram calls you out) and signed up for a free trial at a local gym, The Training Bell. On December 24, I showed up for class and never looked back.
Why 75 hard?
About 2 months into 2023, I was seeing progress. I had lost 8 lbs, 5.8% body fat, gained 6 lbs of muscle and I was feeling more confident. I had not missed a single weekday of going to the gym and had maintained this trend while being on travel for almost an entire month.
I had momentum.
On a random Tuesday evening, I decided that I could benefit from more structure outside the gym. I found 75 hard, did a little research, and decided to start the next day. Not on a Monday, but on a Wednesday, because why wait? (The timing of this turned out to be better than I could have ever planned.)
On March 8, 2023, I started 75 hard. On May 21, 2023 I completed 75 hard in a hotel room in Vienna, Austria. I am so excited to share my results and experience with the hope that my experience will inspire and motivate you to make decisions that will change your life.
Physical Results
While 75 hard is not a fitness program, most people do see a physical transformation - I am no exception. There are quantitative and qualitative measurements. During 75 hard, I lost 21.3 pounds and 5.4% body fat while maintaining muscle mass. See the photo below for a side-by-side. The best part of losing weight is fitting into clothes again! It’s like gaining a new wardrobe without breaking the bank… jeans, pants suit, and a gorgeous pink dress (that I never wore before!).
While I still have goals, finishing this program and seeing the physical results was a huge milestone! The next challenge will be continuing to prioritize activity and nutrition despite crazy schedules, travel, and other curveballs life will inevitably throw.
Highlights
Hot girl walks
On Day 5 of 75, I started my official “hot girl walks”. These served two main purposes: 1) to fulfill the second outdoor workout requirement and 2) to spend quality time with friends. Over the next 70 days, I walked over 150 miles with 30 different people in 4 states and 3 countries! The time spent with friends was the most fun, fulfilling, enriching, and emotional part of the challenge. Check out the hot girl walk highlights on my instagram!
I do plan to continue the walks, just maybe not everyday.
Habit formation
Discipline and consistency are game-changers. Even a seemingly small or simple task done over and over can compound into large results. This incremental progress was best demonstrated in the reading rule of the challenge. While 10 pages may not seem like a lot, over the 75 days I finished 4 books (and started a few others)!
I read, and would highly recommend:
Traction: How Any Startup Can Achieve Explosive Customer Growth by Gabriel Weinberg
We Should All Be Millionaires by Rachel Rodgers
The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel
And the most unexpected highlight of all… I am now a morning person. (Although I will always love the calm and serenity of a late night drive)
Lowlights
It’s 75 Hard, not 75 easy for a reason. I do want to emphasize that this was one of the hardest, but most rewarding things I have done. You learn to stop making excuses, but you still have to consciously decide to follow through every single day. The hardest parts are the ones that no one sees. The moments we don’t post on social media. The moments that truly test who we are and who we are becoming.
My challenging moments:
Curling up on the couch with a half-gallon water bottle at the end of the day - more times than I would care to admit
Going out to celebrate with friends and not getting a drink or Cookout at 2 am
Getting up when the alarm goes off at 5:15am
Eating the same meal prep for the 5th day in a row instead of ordering pizza
Walking in the rain
Getting out of bed to take a picture when I forgot
Falling asleep reading, and waking up to finish the last few pages
While these may not seem like the hardest things in the world, sometimes they felt like it. But the most challenging moments can also bring out the best…
For every challenging moment, there was an upside:
My housemate would stay up and watch TV with me while I finished my water (Shoutout to Parker)
Having friends that would choose to stay sober with me or suggest non-alcoholic options. Also shoutout to the friends who would still invite me out!
Seeing the sunrise during/after the morning workouts
Learning to love spending time in the kitchen and crafting healthy, high-protein versions of my favorite foods
Walking in the rain brings out your inner child. Learn to be carefree and enjoy the moment. Your clothes and shoes and hair will dry!
You don’t always notice incremental progress. Having photos to document the journey is so rewarding. I wish I had taken more!
Reading before bed greatly improved my quality of sleep
Tips
Do one workout in the morning. It is a great way to start the day and was the most manageable for my schedule.
Find people who can support you, in small ways and big ones. I had one friend doing the challenge at the same (Shoutout to Victoria), and several others who would regularly check-in. Find ways to include others in your workouts or reading!
Use social media. You aren’t doing this to brag or show off. The journey is hard. Social media is a great way to track progress, share your journey, give friends a way to encourage you, and inspire others!
Don’t compromise. If you decide to do the challenge, do not change the rules. By changing the rules, you are missing the point. If you feel like the rules are not doable for your situation, I encourage you to challenge yourself to something like this, but recognize that it is not 75 Hard.
Stop making excuses and start making decisions that enforce the person you want to be.
Big shoutout to:
Liz, Emelie, Lisa, Anna Beavon, Faith, Joi, Juice, Claudia, Levi, Parker, Kyle, Thomas, Amy, Dravious, Nick, Illiana, Alexis, Michael, J, Kaylee, Dana, Hanna, Jamie, Emily, Lindsey, Owen, Jessica, Emma, Victoria, Caroline, Misty, Andre, and many more!!
