121. My Thought on 75 Hard Challenge for Weight Loss

Since the start of the new year, you’ve undoubtedly heard all of the different challenges and quick fixes your friends and family have tried.

You may even be seeing some of their success stories online or in-person and you want that for yourself.

In today’s episode of The Live Diet-Free Podcast, I’m discussing one of the more popular challenges out there – 75 Hard Challenge.

I know a lot of women jump into completing a 75 Hard Challenge for weight loss without a lot of background information about what the program is or its intended purpose after hearing about someone else’s success.

Getting inspiration from other people is a great way to get started and having accountability from someone doing the same thing can even enhance your results.

But, there are things you need to think about before you jump into that great challenge you friend keeps tell you about.

These challenges or programs can actually set you back more than they help you if you don’t understand the intended purpose.

So if you’ve been considering doing a 75 Hard (or Soft) Challenge, listen to this episode first.

You can listen here or by clicking the link below.

Or keep reading the post below:

What is the 75 Hard Challenge

Let’s start first with what 75 Hard Challenge isn’t.

This isn’t a fitness program.

It isn’t a weight loss program.

75 Hard is a rigorous and restrictive mental toughness program.

Basically, you’re committing to doing five things every single day for the 75 days:

  1. Following any nutrition plan designed for your goals with zero alcohol and zero deviation from the plan.

  2. Completing two 45-minute workouts every day, one of which must be outside.

  3. Drinking a gallon of water every day.

  4. Reading 10 pages of an educational or self-improvement book every day.

  5. Taking a progress picture every day.

If you miss doing any of those five things throughout the 75 days, you are supposed to start back over at day one.

If you follow through, it may result in you becoming fitter or losing weight over the course of those 75 days simply because of the level of discipline it requires with following a nutrition plan and exercising.

But what happens on day 76?

What you will likely find is that you will do one of two things:

  1. You will have seen some quick results like you were hoping and you will try to continue the restriction to see even more results which will eventually end in burnout or

  2. You will end day 75 ready to take a break and once the restriction is gone, it becomes a free for all.

This happens because in those 75 days, you’ve been so focused on just doing what the program tells you to do that you haven’t actually developed the tools you need to make any changes last long-term.

Who Should Complete a 75 Hard Challenge

So you’ve looked at what 75 Hard Challenge actually is, but you’re not sure if it’s for you, I want to offer my thoughts on who should complete a 75 Hard Challenge:

a.      If it appeals to you from a non-weight loss standpoint

b.      If you are trying to take more ownership and control of your life

c.      If you want to see this as just a test of your grittiness

d.      If you are in the habit of letting yourself off the hook often and want to develop mental strength by proving you can stick with something even when it gets difficult

This type of program might be right for you.

You have to realize that when you commit to a 75 Hard Challenge, you are also committing to not beating yourself up if you slip up so that you don’t end up feeling worse in the end.

You also need to have a plan for days 76+ that takes a more moderate approach if you want to continue living this type of lifestyle without being bound to the intense restriction.

Is There an Alternative?

While there is some merit to what 75 Hard Challenge can offer, I believe that for most people there are other approaches that will lead to the type of success they’re actually looking for.

Instead of completing a 75 Hard Challenge for weight loss, what I would really rather see is you sitting down and creating your personal strategy to make you successful, not just right now, but long term.

There is something to be said for moving more often, being committed to eating in a way that supports your goals, hydrating, and focusing on self-improvement in some way, but I would rather have you create your own goals around those things.

When you try to force these cookie cutter type programs into your lifestyle rather than making the changes fit into your lifestyle, you’re adding an extra layer of difficulty that doesn’t need to be there in order to see results.

I would have you pick an exercise goal, a nutrition goal, and a lifestyle goal and shoot for doing those things 85+ percent of the time.

You can print off a blank calendar of the next couple months and create your own consistency tracker where you can look at the month to see how often you’re following through. Remembering that the ultimate goal is not to do something really hard for a short period of time, but rather to make lasting changes to your lifestyle that support the person that you want to be.

Both our group and 1-on-1 Gone for Good coaching programs will help you build the foundation for lasting change while helping you develop confidence and consistency along the way. And you’ll do it all in a way that’s sustainable for you with comprehensive support on your side. Check out www.estheravant.com/coaching for more information.

Rate, Review & Subscribe

If you are loving this podcast, please subscribe, rate and review! This helps even more people discover how to change their lifestyle, lose weight and live diet free.

And as a special thank you, if you send me a screenshot of your rating and review, I’ll send you my Weekend Survival Guide for free. This guide is typically only available to my clients, so you know it’s good!

Send your screenshot to admin@estheravant.com with the subject “Podcast Review”.

Thanks for listening!

Connect with Esther

And if health weight loss is the area that you’re struggling in, please reach out to me, talk to our team, we can help you with this.

About the Show

If you’re tired of gaining and losing the same weight, feeling like you’re the only person out there struggling, and want to learn how to lose weight and live your healthiest, happiest, and most confident life – without perpetual dieting – this podcast is for you.

Fitness industry veteran, certified personal trainer, sports nutritionist & coach, Esther Avant, will help you learn how to enjoy the process of truly changing your lifestyle and guest interviews will help you realize you are not alone in your struggles.

Click below to subscribe so you never miss an episode!!
iTunes | Spotify | Anchor | I Heart Radio

Share This Post

More like this

fREE: weight loss that lasts cheatsheet