75 Hard Days 1-6

I posted last month about doing a 4 month glow up. I have started that journey. I started my glow up on January 1, 2022. I had 2 full days before my boyfriend left for Japan, and I wanted to get started on my journey as soon as possible. We ate out on the 1st and the 2nd, but I was able to follow the diet that I chose for 75 hard, and it really wasn’t difficult. It was easy to find grilled fish or chicken, and substitute salad for fries. I still ate things I enjoyed but that were better for my body than what I would originally have picked. Since I’m only 5 days into my glow up journey, I really just wanted to document how I’ve felt doing 75 Hard, as well as how I’m trying to heal my mental health.

I started 75 Hard on Saturday, January 1. I have attempted this a few times in the past and I have not completed it yet. I am determined this time around to finish this challenge and prove to myself that I can do this. Many people have done it before me, I can do it. If you don’t know what 75 Hard is, it is considered a “mental toughness challenge”. Realistically it is both a physical and a mental toughness challenge but the creator stresses that this challenge is designed specifically to be difficult because it’s supposed to help you eliminate excuses. If you slip up once and don’t complete one of the daily tasks, you start over.

The daily tasks are: 2 45 minute workouts, 1 has to be outdoors, read 10 pages of a self development book, drink 1 gallon of water, take a progress picture, follow a diet, no cheat meals, no alcohol. It seems extreme, and the first time I did this, it was. I was doing 2 intense workouts everyday. I would do a HIIT workout in the morning then run after work. I was absolutely burnt out by the time I stopped. I had to have a rest day. I also just wasn’t ready to really commit to the experience. This time around I’m doing either a strength training workout or a HIIT workout in the morning, and then either a walk or yoga for my second workout. Every Sunday, I’m only doing active recovery. Just a walk and stretching/yoga. I’m making it a point to rest when I can and do something sustainable for 75 days.

My “diet” is an anti-inflammatory diet. I have chronic fatigue and I have heard that this way of eating can help a ton with symptoms, I’ve also heard that this diet can help with symptoms of fibromyalgia. Now, just 6 days in I haven’t noticed much of a difference except that my skin is clearing up and I’m not as achey. I’m also sleeping better, but I’m still not feeling rested. I’m hoping that maybe I’ll be able to feel a bit more energetic by the end of this challenge. However, I’ve been exhausted since I was 15 so I’m not holding my breath. One thing I have noticed is a sharp decrease in headaches, in both frequency and intensity. This is amazing because I was consistently waking up with headaches before I started this. The only headache I’ve had was on the morning of the second. That could also be chalked up to stress/crying since my boyfriend was leaving the next day and I was trying not to freak out.

An anti-inflammatory diet is a diet that favors fruits, vegetables, foods rich in omega-3’s, whole grains, lean protein, healthful fats, and spices. It also discourages processed and fried foods, red and processed meats, and alcohol. It is very close to the Mediterranean diet. It is meant to reduce inflammation (which you can probably figure out from the name), and this can lead to many benefits. This way of eating can help decrease your risk of heart disease, obesity, inflammatory bowel diseases, arthritis, Alzheimers, psoriasis and many more ailments. I thought this was going to be terrible when I went out to eat, and if I went to social events. I was wrong. I went out to eat twice and I was able to eat on plan, and I felt good afterwards. It really helped me see that this is something I could continue doing after 75 Hard is done. I won’t be as strict after 75 Hard but it’s been so nice seeing that this isn’t something that is going to negatively affect any of my social experiences for the next 75 Days.

I am so excited for the next 69 days and I can’t wait to see how I change mentally and physically through this challenge. Is this a challenge you would want to try?