Top things you should know before doing 75 Hard
75 Hard is trending in the social media world and I am typically not a follower of most trends.
As a matter of fact, I kept seeing friends posts in my stories, and all while cheering them on, my thoughts were, "good for them, but that's not for me."
Let's back track to that previous blog post where I was standing in front of a mirror, a professional model, lights, backdrops, and surrounded by amazing women....all while trying to find a pose that didn’t expose my most vulnerable body and feelings. We had a mirror to look into and face as we were posing. I hated the first glance. I refused to look back.
I didn't recognize, nor love the reflection.
I was so very unhappy with myself in that moment. Mad, angry & so damn vulnerable. Yet, I sucked it up and went with it. I hid all the emotions and feelings because, that is what we do, Right?
That day my mindset changed. I knew I had to make a change. I knew how I felt was not me, and I knew the only way to fix it was me.
A few weeks before, the words, "I will never do 75 hard" literally came out of my mouth.
As I thought to myself, I have to figure this out. I work out regularly. I eat decent. I allowed every excuse to justify my problem areas. I'm over 40. It's hormones. This is what they have been telling me was going to happen. It's happening.
No. No more excuses. Enough is enough. You are in control of your body, your decisions. I had, had enough. I was done.
Enter 75 hard. As I have now completed this challenge.....75 days of discipline. 75 days of checking the boxes. 75 days of accountability, here are the things you need to know before diving in.
•This is not a fitness challenge. So whatever your level of fitness, you can do this.
•This is not a weight loss challenge. If you want to lose weight, great, but this is not just to lose weight. This is more.
•This is a discipline challenge. If you are ready to make a change and set yourself up with healthy new habits, this is where you need to be.
•The requirements are made for a reason, to get you into a new habit and discipline yourself to create, make time, and achieve that habit.
Lets dive in & break them down:
Two, 45 minute workouts a day. One must be outside. It does not say two, high intensity, cardio required, heavy lifting, etc. It says nothing about the workout "methods". This is where we all tend to over think it and get in our own heads. YOU create your own workout rules. Why? Because that is part of the discipline. Taking back control of you! Holding yourself accountable.
For my workouts, I chose walking for my outdoor. 45 mins, I walked around 2 to 3 miles daily. My 2nd workout was very low key. Other than Monday and Wednesdays, they were almost always late at night. They consisted of a variety of movements. Yoga moves, basic arm weights, squats, sit ups, planks. Nothing intense. The purpose is just to move your body and create the habit.
Before 75 hard, I averaged during the week around 3k steps daily. I have a sedentary job. Weekends were typically more steps. After 75 hard, I am averaging over 8k and usually well over 10k steps daily. I am moving my body! My most steps was 22k-- holy cow!
2. The reading. You read 10 pages a day.
I HATE reading. Like truly hate reading. This one was the hardest and I was not perfect, but I did make the effort to read (has to be non-fiction) and getting to actually finish a book was kinda cool. My books were Energy Bus, my Bible, Hawaii O'ahu book, and starting Atomic Habits.
3. The water....1 gallon a day
I literally did the gallon the first few weeks but realized very quickly a gallon is just too much for me. I scaled it to 84 oz and stuck to that. Water was a key component here. I love water, drink a lot of water, so this one was an easy one for me to maintain.
4. No alcohol
Not a biggie for me. An occasional glass of wine or margarita, I was cool skipping. I will enjoy in Hawaii.
5. Take Progress Photos.
This is not fun. But they are for YOU. No one else. Take the photos. You will SEE the difference in a matter of days. Take the pictures.
6. Follow a diet. No cheat meals.
Read that again. A diet. That can be whatever you chose, BUT whatever rules you establish for yourself, stick to it. Mine was zero fast food, no sodas of any kind, and to limit myself on sugar and desserts.
For 75 days, I had the same thing for lunch. I think I had a salad or two, but the remaining 73 days I had the exact same thing for breakfast & exact same thing for lunch. Every day. It worked for me and it was a lot of protein. Dinner was normal, as I cook every night. Except Friday night. Those are our pizza night and I didn't rule that out of my 'diet' plan. If I needed a sweet, I had fruit, dark chocolate bite, but my sweets were very limited. I allowed myself a tiny amount of cake at a birthday party, and holiday event, but other than that, my sweets have been VERY LIMITED and let me tell you, I love something sweet after I eat. Guess what......that's a habit. Discipline changes that, and I was happy saying no thank you.
What we put in our mouth, matters. This challenge opened my eyes to this, way more than I realized. I've always been health conscious, but truly digging deep and being discipline, paid off. I immediately saw results at day 14. Yes, that quick.
If you are thinking about doing 75 hard, do it. Get your mind right. Set your standards, and do not stray from them. Do not over complicate this challenge. I read all the "rules" before hand because yes, I am a nerd about these things.
This challenge is not about losing the weight, the inches or having the best before and after photos.
This challenge is to discipline yourself and help take back control in those areas.
The perks of 75 hard?! That's a whole new blog post because babe, the inches left, the weight decreased, my hair is healthier (true story!), my attitude is better, my energy is up, my mind is clearer and I look forward to my walks every single day. ♥️
Shout out to my biggest supporters and cheerleaders! Bella went on every walk with me, the hubby who is always my biggest cheerleader went on almost every walk and by two best gals- Tara & Becky were with me every step of the way cheering me on, supporting me, running 5ks, and working out with me. Kelly, who always has my back at work and beyond, put up with my no cheat diet for all 75 days! These 5 (yes, this includes Bella) were with me every single day in one way or another. 💓💓💓💓💓 It means the world to have that kind of support.
75 Hard has been a game changer for me. I have learned so much. It was exactly what I needed. The timing was perfect and I will continue several of these habits going forward because I am not done yet.
There is a new reflection in the mirror, smiling and happy, all because of 75 hard.
~xoxo,
Leann
Enjoy the video, it's a little long, but so is 75 days :)
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