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“Human behaviour is always changing: situation to situation, moment to moment, second to second. But this book is about what doesn’t change. It’s about the fundamentals of human behaviour. The lasting principles you can rely on year after year. The ideas you can build a business around, build a family around, build a life around.”
- James Clear (Atomic Habits)
Her Specialty? Masterminding Bad Ideas!
Born and raised in an Afghan household, I’ve come to understand the complexities of dealing with mental and physical health. Things such as weight gain/loss, the silent taboos around discussing mental health issues, body-shaming, and a general indifference towards personal suffering are all too familiar.
Fast forward to 2023, the year I turned 40, and heard the whispers of the infamous ‘mid-life crisis.’ Some say it’s a time of existential dread, of worrying about getting old and mortality. Others tell me it’s about buying eccentric cars and questionable nightlife adventures.
All of this led to my partner-in-crime (the mastermind of bad ideas) suggesting the 75 Hard Challenge. Maybe I should’ve opted for dyeing my hair blue or buying a Mustang. Instead, I impulsively agreed.
The challenge starts this Monday, and honestly, I’m a bit nervous. Sure, I’m no stranger to workouts and dietary regimes, but this challenge is an entirely different beast.
75 Hard Challenge (75HARD)
The 75 Hard Challenge is the brainchild of Andy Frisella. He is a podcaster and motivational speaker. You can listen to him bellow where he explains the challenge:
75HARD is essentially a 75-day boot camp for your mind and body.
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The challenge consists of 5 simple rules that you need to complete daily:
Follow a diet (any diet, just pick one! As long as you’re not on some crazy ‘Super Size Me’ fastfood diet you should be okay. Mine is going to be a combination of low carb, high protein, internmitent fasting kind of regime).
Complete two 45-minute workouts (one of which must be outdoors - Vitamin D!).
Drink 4 liters of water (basically enough water to fill up a small pond).
Read 10 pages of non-fiction (no comic books, no fairy tales; remember Harry Potter is fiction! I chose Atomic Habits because I believe the quality of our lives often depends on the quality of our habits. I want to build better habits to improve the quality of my life).
Take a progress photo (this way you can keep track of your progress during the 75 hard challenge and as a narcissist you have an excuse to look at yourself every day; how awesome is that!).
Simple right? But here is the catch: if you don’t follow one of the rules for one day, you start all over again!
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After completing the initial 75 days, you may add performing a Random Act of Kindness (quite a tough task for some people) and taking a 5-minute cold shower to your daily routine (a simple act of torture to boost your immune-system).
Also, you’re not allowed to drink alcohol or eat cheat meals. Probably the two toughest rules of the entire regime! I love a glass of wine now and then and a cheat-meal is something I look forward to every weekend. So a burger and beer are not an option during the 75 hard challenge. In fact, having French fries as a ‘cheat meal’ on day 72 means you start from scratch the next day. Lovely, isn’t it? Do you now understand why the 75 Hard Challenge has “hard” in the name? I do.
According to Mr. Frisella this is how you build mental toughness.
I have to say: it really is a rigorous test of willpower and discipline.
Now, let’s dive into the benefits and potential pitfalls of the 75HARD regime.
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Benefits
The 75 Hard program claims to improve your:
Confidence
Self-esteem
Perseverance
Self-worth
Self-belief
Fortitude
Grittiness
The claim is that if you stick with the program, you’ll end up reading around 750 pages! You will change your life-style by building new habits and routines. Your diet will be a lot more healthy, you’ll stay hydrated, and your self-esteem will help you transform into a confident human being.
Experts agree that a well-defined health plan has all sorts of benefits. Dietitians tell us that by paying more attention to our diet and exercise, we improve our overall health and well-being. Mindset coaches and personal trainers highlight its positive impacts on mental and physical capacity noting significant lifestyle changes like quitting smoking and drinking alcohol.
But there are also potential drawbacks.
Potential Drawbacks
It’s important to note that 75 Hard is not backed by scientific research. Mr. Frisella is not a psychologist nor a dietician. It’s all based on his instincts. Therefore, we should be sceptical and ask how effective and safe the 75 Hard Challenge is for us. Diets do not always work in the long term and cheat meals are said to help you stick to a diet (not something I am making up; look it up, it’s been proven). In addition, drinking 4 liters of water every day is probably not that wise for everyone either.
Moreover, when taking the progress photos during the 75 Hard Challenge, you are supposed to stand shirtless in front of the mirror or camera. That can mean two things. For some, it is a good exercise to keep track of their progress which can motivate them. But for others it can lead to a negative self-image. And that can in turn lead to anorexia or even bigorexia nervosa.
Also, it’s important to be aware of the so-called ‘pendulum swings’ after the 75 days have passed. Whenever we make dramatic lifestyle changes like doing 75 Hard, we run the risk of losing sight of the bigger picture regarding moderation. My personal opinion is that 75 Hard could be a good program for someone who’s already active. I don’t think it’s really suitable for beginners. For instance, the daily list of activities and tasks to be completed can feel daunting for someone who is just getting into fitness.
Nevertheless, the challenge can indeed produce the most amazing results (you can look up the before-after transformation fotos of participants online). But the 75 Hard Challenge may not be the right choice for everyone.
My advice is to always speak to your health care provider before beginning a new exercise or wellness program to make sure it’s right for you, specially if you’re suffering from a chronic condition like diabetes or high blood pressure.
So, is this the right programme for you?
To 75HARD Or Not To 75HARD?
Like so much else in life, it depends.
When choosing any lifestyle change program ask yourself the following questions:
What do I really want to achieve and why?
How will 75HARD improve my current life-style?
Is 75HARD something I can maintain forever, or will it become unrealistic once I am “done”?
I’m giving 75HARD a try.
I suppose I’ll find out if it’s a good fit for my lifestyle. I’ll keep you guys updated about my progress. Who knows, I might even share a few shirtless pictures. Kidding, she will decapitate me in my sleep.
Pray for me and I shall pray for you if you decide to join the challenge.
May Zeus be with us!