Completing 75 Hard (how I did, results, and tips)

Today I am sharing my thoughts on my experience with the viral 75 Hard Challenge!

First things first, I am ecstatic to say I COMPLETED 75 Hard. No, it was not perfect. There were nights where I chugged the final ounces of water right before bedtime. There were days where my two 45 minute workouts were nothing more than walks around my neighborhood. And there were days were a salad was the last thing I wanted to eat and my books were the last things I wanted to read. 

But I did it. 

...I did it when I was tired. 

...I did it when I had a work event in New York City. 

...I did it when I started my new job. 

But before we get into all of that, let's remember the Nikki that set out on this 75 day journey. She was craving that "mental toughness" test and a transformation. If you are not familiar, the requirements for 75 Hard were discussed in prior posts here and here.

75 Hard required: (1) a gallon of water every day, (2) follow a diet - no alcohol, no cheat meals, (3) two 45 minute workouts - one outside, (4) read 10 pages of a non-fiction business/entrepreneurial book, and (5) a daily progress pic. 

Day One Progress Pics:

Day 75 Progress Pics

Overall I do see some improvements which I am really excited about. I had hoped for more progress but here we are. It's tough to see when the pictures are not side by side so I am also sharing the true comparison line up:

Front (green top is Day 1; black top is Day 75)

I notice slight difference in my pit pudge and the way my top fits my chest. I also notice less muffin top and dimpling on my legs. I was so excited to take the final photos I wore the shorts inside out but I assure you that in both pictures I am wearing the same shorts. 

This angle makes the chest differences even more apparent. I am also relieved to see less pronounced back rolls. Honestly I did not even know I had back rolls so I really want to eliminate them completely for a smoother look. 

Pardon the blurry photos. I guess I was in a rush to get these done! This angle shows more of the back rolls and I do see a decrease in fat. I would like to slim my trunk down and show some pronounced back muscle but that will take a really long time to see those results.

Overall I do not see as much improvement as I hoped for. But the differences I see are much appreciated and I think I can work harder on fitness to see continued improvement even outside of 75 Hard.

Common Questions

Will I be trying to complete 75 Hard Phase 1? No.

Would I do 75 Hard again? No. Once was enough for me. I don't think the benefits were truly worth the stress of making sure each task is completed every day. Sometimes life just needs to get in the way. 

Is 75 Hard a weight loss program? No. It is definitely a mental toughness challenge. I did not see a tremendous difference in my body at the end of 75 Hard.

What was the most difficult part for me personally and why? Definitely the water. In order to successfully drink 1 gallon of water you really had to focus on it throughout the day. If you waited too long you would have a really hard time getting it down. I loved my smart water bottle that tracked my water intake in an app on my phone.

What diet plan would you recommend? If I did 75 Hard again I would choose a more difficult diet plan to try to see more weight loss results. Incorporating one salad per day was a pretty easy thing to do but it did not really change my calorie intake so I think that limited my weight loss results.

What are some good ways to keep you motivated? I told everyone who would listen that I was trying the 75 Hard challenge. I felt that the more people who knew, the more accountable I was. Coworkers would check in and ask me how it was going. I felt that if I failed I would let them down too. I also used instagram and the 75 Hard app to track progress. Seeing the days turn red once they were completed was really motivating to keep going the next day.

Are there any rules you would recommend adding on? I think there should be a stretching requirement. Like 10 minutes of stretching per day or something.

What do you do for rest days? There are no rest days as you complete 75 Hard. Every single day you have to do two 45 minute workouts, with one being completed fully outside.

Do you have any tips of advice? (1) Know that you will not want to complete the same tasks every day....do it anyway. (2) Use an app or tracker to monitor your progress. (3) Keep your water bottle around you all day so it is easy to take small drinks throughout the day. (4) Plan ahead if you have a busy day. Do you have to wake up earlier? Keep track of your time so you can make a realistic plan for the day. (5) Do it with a buddy -- I love the accountability! (6) Frontload your day. Try to get as many things out of the way as possible. I would always wake up and immediately do my reading and my progress picture to get it out of the way. I also started drinking water asap in the morning to start toward my one gallon goal. (7) Don't cheat yourself. If you fail, you fail. Get up the next day and start over.

Overall, I am really excited to have done the 75 Hard challenge. I think it was a worthwhile challenge and I do feel mentally tough and resilient. I hope you will give it a try too!