Let me tell you a story… a month ago, my sister Mona reached out to all the sisters and wanted to get us to join her in completing 75 Hard. To say we were all reluctant is an understatement. And yet, I still agreed to her crazy idea - as did another sister and one of our cousins. (For now, we won’t talk about how that crazy sister is doing with the program.)

What is 75 Hard?

It’s a mental and physical test created by Andy Frisella. Basically, you need to follow 5 rules daily for 75 consecutive days. You must:

1. Pick a diet and stick to it. No matter the diet it must include no alcohol and no cheat meals.
2. Drink 1 gallon of water every day.
3. Read 10 pages of a non-fiction book daily. This must be a physical book, ebooks and audiobooks need not apply.
4. Complete two 45-minute workouts daily, one of which must be outside.
5. Take a progress pic daily.

If you miss any of these things on a given day you need to start over from day 1! It’s hardcore. We’re talking if you have a cheat meal, or a glass of champagne, or forget that progress pic - go back to the beginning.

How’s 75 Hard going?

We started the program on Monday, November 16th. Not everyone was spot on those first days, but I managed to get in all 5 of my items daily until BAM! I got a migraine that Sunday and wasn’t able to get out of bed. As per the rules, I had to start over on the following Monday. (Although I feel like that should have been a pass, but the rules are the rules, and I’m an upholder so you know I’m gonna follow the rules.)

Since then, it’s been going well. I haven’t had to start over again - fingers crossed I won’t have to at this point. (Migraines and COVID can stay away until February.)

Are you seeing any changes?

That’s the question I get asked the most frequently when I tell someone about 75 Hard, or turn down a craft beer. HA At this point, just over 2 weeks in, the changes are pretty subtle. There haven’t been any huge shifts in my weight or clothing size. I’m not suddenly a faster runner.

But, here’s what I am experiencing.

• Better sleep! I’m passed out within minutes of hitting the pillow. Stay asleep all night and wake up feeling more rested. I often do a yoga workout just before bed as a way to wind down and stretch out my muscles from the outdoor cardio I did earlier in the day.
• Consume less coffee. I don’t know if it is because I need it less or in the past I was reaching for coffee to hydrate when I should have been grabbing water. But now, I have two cups per day - one when I wake up, one at breakfast a couple of hours later - and I’m good to go the rest of the day.
• MORE time in my day. Okay, I know that sounds counter-intuitive since I went from rarely getting in one 45-minute workout to doing two a day, but somehow needing to get it in, means I am better at planning my day and sticking to it.
• No alcohol and desserts is easier than expected. Admittedly, I thought giving up alcohol and all my desserts - especially during the holiday season - was going to be challenging if not impossible. Even now, when I think about Christmas and New Year without a beer or cookie - that seems insane. But I had no problem on Thanksgiving skipping those things. I told myself if it was too painful I’d just drink the beer or eat the pie and then start over, but it wasn’t any big thing.
• 1 gallon of water is not so difficult. I bought 2 larger water bottles and have them strategically placed around the house to keep me drinking. Most days I’m completely done with my gallon by 3pm. I try to always be done by 6pm so I’m not up half the night scurrying to the bathroom.

Curious about 75 Hard? I’m chronicling the whole journey over on Instagram (@modlychic) - highlight and everything - so you can see more over there. And I’ll share a post again in January with an update as well as in February, once I finish the whole 75 days - provided I don’t have to start over again in the weeks ahead.