I didn’t even know what the 75 Hard Challenge was until a few days ago. My friend Joe texted that he wasn’t going to be able to eat junk food starting next Sunday. So I inquired as to why. And he told me about this 75 day challenge. Funny enough, I’d been seeing posts about it on Facebook, but I didn’t know what people meant by #75hard. Coming from completing the Whole30 in January for the second time, I am very familiar with challenges such as this! But I have not done a challenge involving fitness or had anything fitness related to blog about in a very long time! And thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, a.k.a. quarantine: I am in awful shape!

Type in #75hard on Facebook or Instagram and you cannot help but be amazed at what these people have accomplished! Just like Whole30, 75 Hard seems to be a jumping off point for a lot of people for losing weight and changing their lives for the better. Typically when you complete a program like that, you come away from it a stronger, better version of yourself! Andy Friscella is a lot like Melissa Hartwig Urban in that he talks about “mental toughness” a lot! And he’s gives you that tough talk at the beginning! 75 days is a lot longer than 30! But Joe pointed out that you get to create your own diet plan, so I wrote down the diet that I would call the WholeEmily. It’s all the things that I love about the Whole30, but I’ve added in a few things that no longer cause discomfort in my body and allow for some meal flexibility. And who did black beans ever hurt?? Lol.

Here’s a picture of what I wrote down. 75 Hard is all about “no cheating!” just like Whole30. If you cheat you have to start all over!

I specifically made notes about corn because I know my relationship to corn chips is an unhealthy one! And it would be so easy to eat corn tortillas every time I wanted a taco (which is nearly every day) when I know there are healthier versions of the taco shell that I have the knowledge and skills to create! In regards to “mental toughness” and “no cheating” I wanted to make sure I wasn’t adding something that would feel like a cheat! Dairy was a tricky one but I don’t feel like a I have an unhealthy relationship with diary and if I limit myself to goat cheese, low fat cheese, zero fat/zero sugar Greek yogurt, then I should be ok. I won’t have any crackers to spread my cheese on so I’m just leaving the option for salads and burgers, etc.

I feel most comfortable following the Whole30 rules about sugar! They trained me well! I still feel guilty adding sugar to tea or coffee after doing the Whole30. It just seems so unnecessary now! And I’ve preferred almond and cashew milk to real milk for years, so that isn’t an issue.

No baked goods of any kind is also from Whole30. There is a mental toughness that comes just from avoiding baked goods even if they are gluten free or low fat.

Anyway, 75 Hard starts today and my last day will be June 25th! Here are the basic rules:

Challenging? I’d say so! Drinking a gallon of water will definitely be hard. I’ve tried it before and failed. I’ve heard from many people that this challenge teaches you a lot about time management! You have to really plan out your day to get in 2 separate workouts and drink a gallon of water. And you better make sure you get outside for one of those workouts!

What am I thinking starting this in the middle of a pandemic?? Well, I have way more time on my hands than I’m used to having! I won’t have to worry about peeing every hour at work because I’m working from home! I can exercise almost any time of the day because I’m on such a flexible schedule. I’ve already gained 5 lbs since this coronavirus craziness started! Yes, not drinking alcohol during quarantine will suck. But drinking alone is pretty lame. And nothing hurts my body more than alcohol! So it’s really a no brainer!

I am not known for being mentally tough! But I will say that I’ve come a long way in 33 years! And I believe that fibromyalgia (before it even had a name) definitely has played a role in making me a better version of myself! If I’d never had to find solutions to problems, I’d probably be living a rather boring life. I’m a doer. And I hate staying idle! I’ve already watched way too many TV shows in the last month! It’s time to shake things up and get moving!

And last but not least, I have to ask myself these very important questions…. How much better will I feel in 75 days? Will the fibromyalgia symptoms lessen?

We shall see!

Meanwhile, I did not sleep well and woke up to a crazy thunderstorm! I was nervous about getting outside for 45 minutes, but things cleared up and I went for a really nice walk in the neighborhood. Tonight I’m doing some yoga to help me stretch and relax. Motivating myself to complete two 45 minute exercises a day will definitely be a challenge! And I still have half a gallon of water to drink! Eeek!

For more information on the 75 Hard Challenge, go to 75hard.com.