Originally Posted by
Charlie
I’ve completed it once, while failing four times the first round and having to start over until I finally finished. I recently tried it again, but it wasn’t working with my current lifestyle. It is grueling on your mind when you fail and restart. I started when I was 6mo postpartum from my first baby and I ended up finishing around my baby’s first birthday. I saw a weight loss of about 20lb, but I don’t know if that’s a direct reflection of 75 hard, or the fact I was still breastfeeding too (which can burn up to 500 calories daily). Additionally, although I looked great at that point, right after I finished, I found out I was pregnant with baby #2 and I regained the weight LOL but it did help me to continue to stay active throughout my second pregnancy.
I think some factors helped a lot: I just had my first baby and transitioned from being a full time employee to being a stay at home mom, so as long as the baby sleeps or is cooperative, I had tons of time. I live in a tropical location where it’s 75 and sunny every day. I also lived in an apartment with a 50lb dog that I had to walk twice daily so I’d make one walk 2+ miles and then let the baby play outside while I did a 15 min workout to meet the 45mins for outdoor workout. (I kept a popup playpen in my car that I could grab quickly & setup for my baby if she was getting into too many things she shouldn’t be during my workout lol). I only had one baby at the time so it was easier to juggle life. I regularly surfed & ran marathons, so my body was used to intense workout programs. I also lived in a location next to a park where I could run/walk to easily, and there as a beautiful beach park 15 mins from me that I would take baby to walk along the beach.
I did give up caffeine (iced coffee and drpepper, my weakness), and I’ll say the first three weeks were the hardest for me with sleep deprivation from my baby so I failed throughout the first month multiple times and had to restart. I loved that you can choose your own nutrition plan, so I spent a lot of prep time figuring that out and purging my home of anything that doesn’t align. My husband went so far as to only have desserts at work or hide them from me lol I definitely recommend purging your life of things that won’t align with the program - including apps on your phone that would allow you to order things! I think access to UberEats, DoorDash, Amazon, and InstaCart makes it harder.
I can be externally motivated, or at least, I like to make lists and visually see progress, so I used the free version of the app to track but I also printed a 75 day calendar sheet where I added each requirement per day so I could highlight them as I went. I put it on my refrigerator. It was cool to be able to see progress and I felt accomplished highlighting each item as I completed it. I’ve done this before when I followed other training programs for surfing and marathons, so I knew it helped me visually see it daily right at a place I always go to - the refrigerator.
I think the more prep you put into it, the easier it can be. I tried to do it recently without preparing, and I failed. But it may also have to do with the fact that my 1 year old isn’t sleeping through the night, and I’m just exhausted. I’d be open to trying again and following along with anyone who wants to do it! Now I have two kids (2 year old and 1 year old), so it’s a bit more challenging for me. But I truly believe prep work helps tremendously - like choosing your books, meals, and workout plans, so you don’t have to spend extra time doing these things during the challenge.