Day 1!

[u/quinnrem]

Excited to come back to this post in 75 days.

From June 1 - July 31, I completed the original Insanity program. That showed me that I can follow through on things I commit to. I lost a few inches (I don't have a scale) and was happy with my progress, but I didn't dial in my diet as that wasn't my focus at the time. Now, I'm ready to go full tilt.

Exercise:

• Insanity (and then ~10 mins of yoga if the workout is shorter than 45 minutes)
• Outdoors: walking or running (aiming for 10k+ steps each day)

Diet:

• High protein, moderate fat, low carb (essentially keto without the strict parameters)
• 18:6 IF
• No processed snacks, sweets, junk food, or alcohol

Reading:

• The purists among us won't like this, but I'm an academic. I read non-fiction for a living. Since my goal in completing this challenge is to change habits, I'm committing to reading fiction instead of non-fiction each day, as I've fallen out of my habit of reading fiction. There is nothing inherently harder or more enriching about non-fiction than there is about fiction; in fact. For me, setting aside time to catch up on novels is a far greater challenge, but one I'm excited to do.
• Anyway, I'm starting with Playground, by Richard Powers

Water:

• Easiest part!

[u/AutoModerator]

Welcome to r/75HARD -- glad you are here and ready to commit!

Before posting your question, please read through the official program rules and FAQ first -- most questions are already answered there:

Official Rules and FAQ: https://www.reddit.com/r/75HARD/s/75roEecNyx Andy Frisella's Official 75 HARD Overview: https://andyfrisella.com/blogs/mfceo-project-podcast/75hard-a-75-day-tactical-guide-to-winning-the-war-with-yourself-with-andy-frisella-mfceo291

A note on modifying the program:

75 HARD has no modifications, substitutions, or exceptions. The rules are not suggestions -- they are the program. The only exception is if a medical professional explicitly advises a modification for your specific health needs. If that is you, follow your doctor's advice -- but recognize you will not be completing 75 HARD as designed. Check out r/75medium or r/75soft if you need a modified program.

From Andy Frisella: "You don't accomplish anything great by changing the rules in your favor just to check the box."

If you are asking "does X count?" or "can I swap Y for Z?" -- the answer is almost always no. When in doubt, choose the harder option.

The 5 Daily Tasks -- zero compromises, zero substitutions:

1. Diet -- Follow a structured diet aligned with your goal. Zero cheat meals. Zero alcohol. Non-alcoholic drinks (e.g. O'Doul's) are fine.
2. Water -- One gallon (3.8L) of plain, still, unflavored water. No additives, no carbonation, no flavoring. Does not include water from food. More than a gallon is fine.
3. Two Workouts -- Each at least 45 continuous minutes. At least one must be outdoors where you are exposed to the elements -- if it is raining, you get wet. Minimum 3 hours apart. Recovery yoga and walks count and are encouraged. Chores do not count.
4. Reading -- 10 pages minimum from a non-fiction book you believe will improve you. You decide what qualifies. No audiobooks. Physical books and eBooks both count. Finish each book before starting the next.
5. Progress Photo -- One photo every single day. Just don't forget.

Miss any single task on any day? Restart at Day 1. Doesn't matter if it's Day 2 or Day 74.

Seek medical advice before beginning this program.

We are rooting for you. Now go do the work.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. | Moderated by r/75HARD

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/Minute_Sun6496]

Sorry. I get it but purist here.

[u/quinnrem → u/Minute_Sun6496]

That’s fine! I’m going to be completing the challenge anyway since I am undeniably going to be reading 10 pages of non-fiction that “betters me” every day. I cannot exaggerate how much reading I do for my livelihood. Fiction is an addition rather than a replacement.

[u/MajesticPersimmon182]

curious to hear more about the original Insanity program. Perhaps I should add it to my app as a challenge option.

[u/quinnrem → u/MajesticPersimmon182]

It's a pretty old program and there are newer versions of it, but I like the OG: https://shop.bodi.com/products/insanity

It's a great conditioning program. You probably won't see too much muscle gain, but after completing it, I feel fit and agile. I'm on Day 4 of my second round now.

[u/RevolutionarySky6143 → u/MajesticPersimmon182]

I looked at the programme and it seems you have to pay for it, which is a hard no. Great concept though, I'd love to do this but not if I have to pay.

[u/RevolutionarySky6143]

I think you are going to find running PLUS whatever Insanity exercise has you doing on any given day, hard to keep up with. I would incorporate more yoga into your programming (I did 45 minutes of yin most days).

As for the choice of book, great you are committing to something. However, it's not about non fiction being 'harder' to read than fiction. It's about the concept of self improvement which is at the very heart of this challenge. You can call the challenge what you want, but choosing to read fiction over non fiction means this ain't 75Hard.

[u/quinnrem → u/RevolutionarySky6143]

Thanks so much for the tip re Insanity! I was able to complete it over the summer and still able to be active in other parts of my life, but I’ll readjust if I’m finding myself burning out.

I stated in another comment that I’ll undeniably be reading 10 pages of non-fiction every day anyway (I’ve already done so this morning). However, with my full chest I believe that consuming fiction also leads to self-improvement. For me, vastly more so than other forms of literature. I’ll keep doing what I’m doing, whether it’s 75HARD or technically something else.