Welp. My sister sucked me into doing the 75 Hard Challenge. Don’t know what that is? Let me fill you in…
75 Hard is a fitness challenge. There are several daily requirements you must do. If you miss one or cheat, you are supposed to start back at day one. The goal is complete all 75 days with zero messups. It’s a mental, emotional and physical reset to help form healthy habits and get you on track.
The daily requirements:
- Do 2 movements a day – 45 minutes each, except one has to be outside. These can be a run, walk, yoga, weightlifting class, anything you choose.
- Drink a gallon of water.
- Follow a diet of your choice, avoid all alcohol, and stick to it. No cheat meals allowed. (I personally chose to eat 130g of protein daily, and cut out processed foods, all artificial dyes, and sugars)
- Read 10 pages of a non-fiction book. (Time to learn something new and not read romance/thrillers haha)
- Take a progress picture.
I was going strong, made it to day 43 before our toddlers and I got sick… and I couldn’t function. There was no way the three of us were going to go outside for 45 minutes to work out or run around. We caught two colds back-to-back and it was mission impossible trying to wake up at 5:15am to get a workout in. I was way too tired after being up with them and coughing through the night. A part of me is mad at myself for not starting right back up the day I felt better, and the other half of me is just proud I made it as long as I did, honestly! It is TOUGH. Definitely a mental challenge to get up and do it every day, including weekends!
I plan to try again, maybe over summer, but am taking it easy for now. I still feel like my body is exhausted from being sick all month. The challenge taught me a few key things though… things I thought were worthy of sharing.
- LMNT Salt Additives…. these are incredible. Take half a packet and mix it into your ice water each morning. (You can drink the other half in a glass of water later that night if you want to). These help curve sugar cravings and give you electrolytes you didn’t know you needed. Added potassium and magnesium, always good!
- Walking up before the kids is a necessity if you’re trying to workout. I was waking up at 5:15am every day and getting an hour workout in before the kiddos woke. It sucked getting out of bed, but every time I did it, I felt amazing. Truly changes your day. Working out “with” your toddlers is not a complete workout. Never leaves you feeling the same. (Yes, it’s still better than not doing it at all.. but if you’re doing this challenge for YOU, I recommend committing at least one of the workouts to yourself).
- Go to bed early. I’m a night owl so this was hard for me!!! The first week I wasn’t tired when I laid down; it took time for my body to adjust, but once it did, it was great. I weirdly felt much more rested throughout the challenge.
- Protein is life. Wow. This one was challenging for me too, BUT, it is incredible the difference it makes on your body. Keep eating! Ideally you should eat 20g of protein every two hours to spread it out and promote synthesis. This helps to burn fat quicker and put on muscle. I truly felt mental clarity from this clean, protein dense diet. Protein shakes are helpful (and delicious), but make sure to only make those one of your meals a day; don’t get in the habit of drinking 3 a day to meet your goals. You need meat and other sources of protein for it to work.
- Your body changes slowly but surely. I dropped 5 pounds in the first week, and then slowly lost a few more pounds as I went on. But I gained muscle mass and lost at least an inch and a half around my waist too!
Point of this blog? Try new, scary things that you don’t think you’re capable of. You may be surprised. I loved this challenge. I loved the way I felt, I loved the way my kids tried working out with me, I loved my hubby’s face when he saw how loose my pants were, and how much non-fiction I actually read. Every day was a victory. It grew on me. Feeling healthy and mentally clear was a major win for me.
Excited to try again soon,
lennanandjack.blog 