Starting 75 Hard
The rules are simple:
1. Follow a diet - No Alcohol or cheat meals
2. Workout twice a day for at least 45 minutes with one workout outside
3. Drink 1gallon(4 liters) of water per day
4. Read 10 pages of nonfiction each day
5. Take a progress picture each day
This was my first attempt. I ended up failing the challenge on day 30 something and got right back into it. 20 or so more days into it I stopped.
My excuse was that it was getting in the way of my physio but at the end of the day that was all BS. I could have figured it out and kept going. I was weak and used that as my way out and to justify me stopping.
That didn't sit well with me because I never quit anything. So I decided to give it another shot, 1 year later, Jan.1, 2023.
I wanted to update this post with more insight with what I saw to be working and what I think should be avoided.
Follow A Diet
To say “follow a diet” is very broad. But the whole point of this program is to better yourself. So what that means is not to go on a diet of processed fast food.
This means eating clean, whole foods. But as long as the diet is good for your health you are free to decide what diet you would like to do.
I felt like I was thinking too much into this so I just simply said I would only eat whole foods so I didn't just get stuck on this and could move forward without any problems. Sometimes I over think thing but just making a choice and sticking to it is all you really need to do.
I do eat relatively well already but there are still lots I can do to improve. I do like the occasional bag of chips or bowl of ice-cream so those are the main things I will be cutting out.
Another big thing about the program is to not drink alcohol during the whole 75 days.
The no drinking alcohol part that most people find really difficult will be a breeze for me since I have been sober for 9 years already. I still have to work at it everyday but I have built in habits to help me with that over the years.
Overall I think this will be tough to do for 75 days consecutively but I am excited to get going on this. It does look pretty simple in theory but I can see why this would be difficult to do for 75 days in a row.
Some other diets I would do would be keto, or a carnivore diet.
Workout twice a day for at least 45 minutes with one workout outside
I have been on and off with weight training since I was 13. I would say for the most part pretty steadily since then but I did take some longer breaks in that time period.
Right now I do I do 4 weight training sessions each week.
Monday: Upper body #1
Tuesday: lower body #1
Thursday: Upper body #2
Friday: lower body #2
These session are usually around 1 hour 30 mins long.
I go for a hike/fast paced walk/run with my dog every morning for my first outdoor work out. I go a little later in the day to get some sunlight(stays dark late during winter) 2 times a week to get a nice mountain hike in which is usually 2 hours long.
Other days when I am not weight training I will do some cardio, extra stretching and some punching bag work.
The challenge here for me will be doing this every day because I am used to having days in between for rest.
I think I have a head start on this because I do already do 2 workouts most days and one is outside but I can see it being difficult.
Drink 4 liters of water per day
My first attempt at this challenge I though this would be one the the hardest tasks to complete each day. While it is certainly not easy it is not even close to as bad as I envisioned it to be initially.
I bought some liter bottles to fill up to make the tracking a little easier for myself and to have a bottle around me at all times so I can be sipping from it consistently throughout the day. I can see myself getting into some trouble and having to chug a bunch later in the day so hopefully, with this strategy, I avoid that.
One other note is you will have to pee......a lot. I try to knock this one out a couple hours before bed so I am not waking up through the night needing to hit the pisser.
I do suggest starting out strong right when you wake up.
Read 10 pages of nonfiction each day
I do go through times where I find myself slacking So this will be a good opportunity to stay consistent..
The hard part will be not missing a single day for 75 days but as with the rest of this challenge, I am super excited to take part in the challenge and push myself.
I do have a nice long list of reading material so I won't have a problem picking up something to read.
Take a progress picture each day
This is the one that I think most people will underestimate.
It sounds so simple but can easily get forgotten especially when you are tired and busy.
This is how I failed my first attempt.
I was taking it after my shower at the end of the day. I was in a hurry to get to bed and woke up and realized I forgot.
What I changed going forward is doing it the same time everyday, right when I wake up. That made things much simpler and now I don't even think about it.
It is also very interesting in seeing how your body transforms during the process.
With out the pictures it is hard to notice a change because you see yourself everyday.
Conclusion
All in all, I know this won’t be easy but that is exactly why it appeals to me so much. I know I do give myself easy outs and I make excuses but with this challenge, there is no room for any of that. Some of it will come easier to me while some aspects of this challenge feel like it is almost out of reach. I am not thinking about this as a physical fitness program but as it was intended as a mental toughness exercise.
For anyone reading this, I would like to know about your experience. What was hard for you? Have you been thinking about doing this challenge but always told yourself “it is not the right time”? What was easy for you? Tips & tricks?
Send me a message through Facebook or hit me up through my email. Links will be in this post. Happy to have some accountability partners when going through this.
