#75 Harder

It’s been 3 years since my last blog on this site. And, 7 days since my last drink, pretzel thin, or slice of delicious gluten-rich sourdough bread.

I am not on social media, with the exception of a few glances/posts on X and an occasional look at LinkedIn. So, when a friend texted me a popular blog she thought I might like about Andy Frisella’s Mental Grit Program, called 75 Hard, I TUNED in! The timing was perfect too as I recently have been in a very reflective state of mind. I suppose this all goes hand in hand with being 50-ish, But, I was also about to take my very health-challenged mom to her sister’s memorial service and a handful of weeks later drop off my oldest son at college. The reality of soon being a partial empty nester, attending a funeral for a beloved Aunt and celebrating my 24th work anniversary was all swirling in my head. I knew I was ready to shake the proverbial tree branches in my life and in doing so, think and BE different in each of my roles as a parent, daughter, friend, employee, and goal-oriented woman with a whole lot of passion and dreams left inside of her!

Enter 75 days of hard, or in the first week of what I would jokingly say later to my friends as the 75-Harder challenge due to a hot mess of stuff happening in my life.

The 75 hard program has 5 main components that must be done daily, or you have to start over at day one.

Diet of your choosing ( zero alcohol, no cheat meals- sugar etc)
Two, 45- minute workouts a day, One must be done outside.
Drink 1 gallon of water (that’s 16 glasses!)
Read 10 pages in a book daily
Take a progress picture

I started the program with two of my cousins who live back east and a former coworker/good friend, in a quest to become a more disciplined, healthier-leaner, and more interesting human being. So, the create the best version of myself is now officially in progress. And, this blog is titled 75-Harder as I started days after I lost my job of 24 years , dropped my son off to college, and traveled home on a plane in a middle seat flanked by my ex husband and youngest son who both tested positive for COVID the next day. Needless to say, my health guardians were watching after me. I felt rundown this week and sleep was challenging but I got through it. The 75 hard tasks were checked off alongside periodic COVID testing, work and personal anxiety, and a sick son at home. There were days were the 2 workouts were both longer walks and I was in bed by 7p.m. But, I feel incredible already. The slight muffin tops that started to appear for the first time recently around my mid-section are no longer permanent squatters, my energy is up, and I find I have a much better disposition and attitude about everything. I am convinced my successful first week is due to diligent planning (which included a pre-week trial run of the program), lots of food prep (hard boiled eggs, air baked chicken, lettuce and veggies galore, protein balls, and lots of cashews and apples oh and lots of water) , fixed workout schedules and books to read, including the one and only book on Mental Toughness by the program founder, Andi Frisella and a tribe of support from my friends, family, and fellow #75-hard doers . After all, as the saying goes “Fail to Plan, Plan to Fail”. And, I have ZERO intention of starting back at day 1.

One week down, 11 to go. Woot.