I have been wanting to switch up my routine for a while. My current routine changes daily and it’s very inconsistent. It’s based on my mood and emotion. I have been working on healing and growing which also meant refocusing on my goals.
The 75 Challenge has been something I have wanted to do for some time. I have started the 75 Soft several times but I lack consistency and usually quit. If you don’t know, the 75 Challenge was created by Andy Frisella. The 75 Challenge initially started out as 75 Hard that you started over if you missed any part of the challenge. There have been several modifications created: 75 Medium and 75 Soft. The 75 Hard is a transformation mental toughness program. One of my friends has done 75 Hard and calls it a lifestyle program which really clicked for me.
This is not a fitness program but a program to restructure and change your life. This challenge is about changing yourself from the inside out. This is not a physical challenge even though there are aspects to fitness and health. It’s 100% all mental. The physical transformation is just a byproduct of the mental transformation choices made during the next 75 days. It’s about taking control of your life and going after what you want, which is exactly what I want because I feel like I am just treading water. I am working on regaining my mental toughness and discipline.
Frisella says on his website that the 75 Challenge is about finding your mental toughness, developing the skills you need to take complete control of your life AND to be successful in everything you do. It’s about ringing your confidence, grit, endurance, perseverance, belief in yourself, and willingness to win! It’s about finding the skills you are not born with and developing like never before. He is all about doing the program COMPLETELY and PERFECTLY without compromise.
The 75 is not a challenge or program, but a tool according to him. I have always thought of it as a challenge. I will continue to call it a challenge because right now it’s a challenge for me to do the program as he designed. Maybe one day I’ll call it a tool.
Variation of the 75 Challenge
The original is the 75 Hard which is following a diet including no cheat meals and no alcohol. Next is 2 45 45-minute workouts per day, AND one of them must be outdoors. Drinking a gallon of water a day. Reading 10 pages of nonfiction – he recommends personal development and audiobooks don’t count. Progress pictures are taken daily. If you fail anything, you start the 75 days over.
75 Medium
The “middle” version is 75 Medium. The food portion follows a meal plan and includes no cheat meals and no alcohol. Workouts include only 1 45-minute workout. Drinking a half gallon of water instead of the full gallon. Reading 5 pages of personal development which can include audiobooks. Some 75 medium versions I have seen have taken the progress photo while others don’t.
75 Soft
The “easy” version is 75 Soft. Eat clean and healthy for the next 75 days and allow for 1 cheat meal and limited alcohol. Most versions I have seen about drinking alcohol are in social settings. Drinking one gallon of water. Workouts are 30 minutes. Reading is still the same as the hard one with 10 pages of nonfiction. No pictures are necessary.
The 75 Soft is the most customizable that I have seen from my research. This is the most inconsistent one compared to the others. Personally, I think the 75 Soft should be on the one that should set you up for the most success by changing your habits small. Research has shown when you change habits rapidly the likelihood of long-term success is minimal.
My Version
My plan is to do 2 rounds of each challenge. I am not putting pressure on myself for everything to be PERFECT the first day, but each day I want to get better. I have always said by the start of the 2nd round of 75 Medium is when I want it to be perfect and without compromise.
My 75 soft is:
Food: Tracking all my meals in My Fitness Pal. The first 75 days are about gaining information on how I am currently eating and the times that I am eating. Eventually, by 75 Hard I want to have my IF (find spelling) finalized. I think I am already on a 16:8 fasting ratio, but I want to collect more information. I am really bad about keeping track or planning my food.
Workouts: I have been inconsistent with my workouts, and jumping into working out 5-6 days a week isn’t feasible. I am starting out with a minimum of 3 days a week and increasing the amount every 4 weeks until I am working out every day. Ideally, my schedule will be Monday, Wednesday, and Friday will be strength-based workouts. Right now, I am usually the Ladder app because I got a good deal for the rest of the year. Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday (or Sunday) will be cardio-based. Then Sunday (or Saturday) will be active recovery days.
Water: I am doing the same thing similar to the workouts by increasing my intake over the weeks. I don’t drink a lot of water on my own so I am starting out by drinking 40 ounces (oz) each day and increasing my water over every 2 weeks. I think this is a lot smarter than just starting to drink a gallon of water. If you are struggling with drinking water, here are some tips on how I increase my water intake.
Alcohol: My goal is no more than 2 alcoholic drinks in social settings. A social setting is more than 2 people. I have thought about giving up alcohol altogether because it is a big expense in our house.
Reading: The goal is to read 10 pages every day. This is probably the easiest thing for me on my list. I love to read and never have a problem reading 10 pages. I might increase the amount in the medium and hard challenge, but I have time to think about that. Some recommendations of books that are my all times favorite to read.
Pictures: Mine right now is taking pictures every Sunday and not every day. I am also weighing myself every other Monday. I don’t like taking pictures of myself so this is going to be a tough one when I get to 75 Hard.
