"75 Hard" challenge (2 Viewers)

[Nugget]

Imgur worked for me (for the photo posting)

 

[gruecd]

So is @gruecd the only one following the letter of the law for the duration?

Do you care to comment on your results term? Do you feel like this was beneficial to you?

Yes. I was going to wait until the bitter end, and hopefully post before/after selfies at the same time.

With that in mind, what is the easiest free site to post half- naked photos of oneself for random middle aged dudes on the internet?

I’m also planning on getting blood work on day 76, so I can see how this impacted my A1c, lipids and kidney function.

Google photos lets you create a link that you can share.

I have a BodPod test scheduled for 7am Monday morning.

 

[gruecd]

So is @gruecd the only one following the letter of the law for the duration?

Kinda getting on a roll with this stuff. Up this morning at 4am, read my 10 pages while I was getting ready for my run, and out the door for my 10 miles at 5am. Got back, made a quick smoothie, and straight to the gym. 45-minute lift done, showered, and at the office by 8:30 with 48 ounces of water already consumed. I've got the rest of the day, and all I need to do is drink another 80 ounces of water. It really is all about being intentional with your time.

Next week I start a 15-week training cycle for the Berlin Marathon in September, so that'll add an interesting wrinkle to things.

I think he may have been caught on a technicality before he knew all the requirements.

Regardless, I think he’s going to end up with some amazing before and after results.

Yeah, I wasn’t aware of the 3-hour thing. But that was pretty early, and once I knew, I followed the letter of the law. Zero intentional violations.

 

[Bozeman Bruiser]

I lurked at the beginning of this thread, thought it was a great idea but was ultimately too lazy to commit, and have just started lurking again the past few days.

Congrats to all of you who took on the challenge, and especially to those who saw it through. Whether you stuck to it 100% or 98% or 80% that required an extraordinary amount of discipline and committment.

And an extra shout out to @Terminalxylem for his water consumption.

 

[DA RAIDERS]

So is @gruecd the only one following the letter of the law for the duration?

Do you care to comment on your results term? Do you feel like this was beneficial to you?

Yes. I was going to wait until the bitter end, and hopefully post before/after selfies at the same time.

With that in mind, what is the easiest free site to post half- naked photos of oneself for random middle aged dudes on the internet?

I’m also planning on getting blood work on day 76, so I can see how this impacted my A1c, lipids and kidney function.

Grindr

 

[Terminalxylem]

~20 mile hike today, with 3900 feet elevation gain, up to 7500 feet max.

No way I’m doing another 45 minutes.

Also, brutal watching other people eat pizza apres hike, as I’m probably several thousand net negative calories for the day.

 

[gruecd]

I have a BodPod test scheduled for 7am Monday morning.

Body composition test complete. Started this challenge around 215, weighed in this morning at 206.5. Last time I was tested was back in 2019 around the time I ran my 2:58:29 marathon PR, and I was 13.x%. body fat. This time I was 15.3%. I'll take it.

Like I said before, I plan on continue avoiding sweets and drinking the gallon of water. I'll also continue with the early wake-up calls and pre-dawn workouts. Won't necessarily work out twice every day, but I love getting one done right away in the morning and having that option later. I do look forward to the occasional beer/whiskey...

Here's my final before and after...

ETA: I can't fathom the dedication it takes to get the body fat percentage a whole lot lower...

 

[DA RAIDERS]

Very impressed. Congrats to you all!

 

[SteelCurtain]

I have a BodPod test scheduled for 7am Monday morning.

Body composition test complete. Started this challenge around 215, weighed in this morning at 206.5. Last time I was tested was back in 2019 around the time I ran my 2:58:29 marathon PR, and I was 13.x%. body fat. This time I was 15.3%. I'll take it.

Like I said before, I plan on continue avoiding sweets and drinking the gallon of water. I'll also continue with the early wake-up calls and pre-dawn workouts. Won't necessarily work out twice every day, but I love getting one done right away in the morning and having that option later. I do look forward to the occasional beer/whiskey...

Here's my final before and after...

ETA: I can't fathom the dedication it takes to get the body fat percentage a whole lot lower...

Nice work! Since you'll continue with pre-dawn workouts, I won't deal with any more "I don't understand you morning runners" texts?

 

[gruecd]

I have a BodPod test scheduled for 7am Monday morning.

Body composition test complete. Started this challenge around 215, weighed in this morning at 206.5. Last time I was tested was back in 2019 around the time I ran my 2:58:29 marathon PR, and I was 13.x%. body fat. This time I was 15.3%. I'll take it.

Like I said before, I plan on continue avoiding sweets and drinking the gallon of water. I'll also continue with the early wake-up calls and pre-dawn workouts. Won't necessarily work out twice every day, but I love getting one done right away in the morning and having that option later. I do look forward to the occasional beer/whiskey...

Here's my final before and after...

ETA: I can't fathom the dedication it takes to get the body fat percentage a whole lot lower...

Nice work! Since you'll continue with pre-dawn workouts, I won't deal with any more "I don't understand you morning runners" texts?

I suppose not.

 

[gruecd]

So I ran on the treadmill at lunch because it was downpouring outside. As a result, my second workout has to be outside, and it's supposed to rain nonstop pretty much all night. So my final workout of this challenge will likely a 3-mile brisk walk in the rain.

 

[AAABatteries]

I have a BodPod test scheduled for 7am Monday morning.

Body composition test complete. Started this challenge around 215, weighed in this morning at 206.5. Last time I was tested was back in 2019 around the time I ran my 2:58:29 marathon PR, and I was 13.x%. body fat. This time I was 15.3%. I'll take it.

Like I said before, I plan on continue avoiding sweets and drinking the gallon of water. I'll also continue with the early wake-up calls and pre-dawn workouts. Won't necessarily work out twice every day, but I love getting one done right away in the morning and having that option later. I do look forward to the occasional beer/whiskey...

Here's my final before and after...

ETA: I can't fathom the dedication it takes to get the body fat percentage a whole lot lower...

Man, you were fat.

 

[Terminalxylem]

So I ran on the treadmill at lunch because it was downpouring outside. As a result, my second workout has to be outside, and it's supposed to rain nonstop pretty much all night. So my final workout of this challenge will likely a 3-mile brisk walk in the rain.

It’s pouring outside atm, and I still have 45 min as well.

ETA Donezo

 

[gianmarco]

Congrats, gentlemen.

 

[beer 30]

Congrats all, been fun to follow along.

 

[AAABatteries]

Congrats, gentlemen.

I’m not congratulating anybody else until I see more pics. Cowards.

 

[ChiefD]

Congrats, gentlemen.

I’m not congratulating anybody else until I see more pics. Cowards.

Pervert.

 

[Terminalxylem]

To fully commit, my 75 flaccid:

1. Diet, OMAD. Pescatarian. No alcohol.
2. I'll exercise an hour and a half or more daily, at least 45 min outside. Might do it all in one block, climbing, hiking, or walking, at the minimum.
3. I'll drown my troubles in a gallon of H2O daily.
4. I bought a 700 page book, and have another 150+ e-book I've been halfway through for a while.
5. Two selfies: Before and After.

Gonna be tough in July and August, as I have a couple vacations with friends planned. June should be fine.

Well that was fun. As described above, I completed my 75 largely to the letter of the law. Between covid, traveling, and dealing with eating/digesting enough calories, it was certainly challenging.

To review my performance, and what I’ve learned:

Starting weight: 168 BMI 24.1
End weight: 145.8 BMI 20.9

1. OMAD is a crazy diet. From a hunger perspective, fasting most of the day, every day, wasn’t as hard as I imagined. I was rarely “starving”, except the days following long periods of exercise, like full day hikes. Being hangry is completely avoidable imo, once you attune your body to eating less often - which is probably a good idea anyway, health wise.

Really the hardest part was resisting social pressure to eat. I missed out on some good restaurant meals, a couple parties, and fresh catch due to poor timing. But you can’t expect everyone else to work around your dietary restrictions.

Eating enough calories was tough, within the confines of a largely plant-based diet, whilst exercising consistently. After losing too much weight, I ended up adding a lot of gratuitous desserts and calorically dense foods, such as cheese. That was kinda fun, but not great for the digestive process. I overate to the point of vomiting once (I blame water bloat), was constipated a few days (usually quite regular), and then had a couple explosive bowel movements, resulting from compensatory fiber-rich meals.

Avoiding alcohol was easy. That said, I made the same mistake as @BassNBrew, foolishly taking a sip of beer from a flight at a Seattle microbrewery. This was particularly egregious, considering I loathe beer, and the pretense of orchestrated alcohol tastings in general. Stupid peer pressure.

Anyway, my compliance was 99.9%. Difficulty 4/10. Moving forward, I‘ll skip more meals, and probably settle on 2 a day in a restricted window, eliminating snacking. This will allow enough time to metabolize sufficient protein, while still getting IF benefits. As an aside, both longevity books I’ve read extol the virtues of calorie- and time-restricted eating, while acknowledging the practical limitations of being overly restrictive. One guy also mentions the benefit of limiting some amino acids, which runs contrary to many contemporary, protein-rich diets. And for the bro scientists, he was even on Joe Rogan!

2. Exercising 1.5 hours daily and getting outdoors was easy. Breaking it into two 45-minute blocks was much harder, especially with the caveat of separating sessions by at least 3 hours. I frequently failed to comply with the latter, but disagree with potentially sacrificing sleep to be strict, if establishing healthy habits is the ultimate goal of the challenge.

I learned walking/hiking hills is great exercise, as it’s simple to ramp up the exertion level, by going faster or carrying weight, while being easier on the joints than long distance running.

Ignoring the 3-hour rule, 100% compliance, 3/10 difficulty. With that rule, compliance more like 75%, 6-7/10.

I‘ll continue exercising daily, 30-60 minutes of variable intensity (with high exertion as much as possible, ~80% max heart rate). Leisurely walks can occur on “rest” days, as a way to clear my mind or spend QT with the wife. On top of that, I‘ll get strength/balance/flexibility by climbing 3-4x/week.

3. Effing water. Remained miserable throughout the challenge. 100% compliant, 8/10 difficulty.

Moving forward, I’ll try to drink 1/2 gallon daily, including a liter first thing in the morning, to stave off hunger.

4. Reading was easy, once I found enjoyable subject matter. 100% compliant, 2/10. Thanks again, @Sand.

I’ll complete a couple more longevity books. Not sure I’ll make it a habit thereafter.

5. Selfies remain stupid. 2.7% compliant, 10/10 difficulty (for me). Attention, @AAABatteries!

Day 1
Day 76

Overall impression?

It was really instructive, and taught me to live more purposefully. Discipline and time management are important for just about everything worth doing, and this challenge certainly put those skills to the test.

I‘ve also learned a lot about longevity, and will adapt my behavior accordingly, starting with the diet and exercise mentioned above. Will need to figure out something to improve sleep, which is a work in progress.

I’ve reframed my goal weight, after realizing 51-year-old me doesn’t carry nearly the same muscle mass as 21-year-old me. Despite all the BMI poo-pooing, it provides a healthy target for the vast majority of people, and seems reasonable for me to use. Even though 150 sounded obscenely thin at the start of the challenge, I really feel better at this weight. I’ll drop my old target from 165 to 150-155, for a BMI between 21 and 22.

Thanks @gruecd for starting the thread, and great job to all those who participated. It will be interesting to see how much sticks.

 

[AAABatteries]

Selfies remain stupid. 2.7% compliant, 10/10 difficulty (for me).

Congrats! Great accomplishment. The 10/10 difficulty is nuts though. Thinking they are stupid is valid but it literally would have taken 1 minute or less a day. I think your difficulty scale is way off.

 

[Terminalxylem]

Selfies remain stupid. 2.7% compliant, 10/10 difficulty (for me).

Congrats! Great accomplishment. The 10/10 difficulty is nuts though. Thinking they are stupid is valid but it literally would have taken 1 minute or less a day. I think your difficulty scale is way off.

I’m kidding. They aren’t difficult, but are 10/10 unnecessary.

 

[Nugget]

To fully commit, my 75 flaccid:

1. Diet, OMAD. Pescatarian. No alcohol.
2. I'll exercise an hour and a half or more daily, at least 45 min outside. Might do it all in one block, climbing, hiking, or walking, at the minimum.
3. I'll drown my troubles in a gallon of H2O daily.
4. I bought a 700 page book, and have another 150+ e-book I've been halfway through for a while.
5. Two selfies: Before and After.

Gonna be tough in July and August, as I have a couple vacations with friends planned. June should be fine.

Well that was fun. As described above, I completed my 75 largely to the letter of the law. Between covid, traveling, and dealing with eating/digesting enough calories, it was certainly challenging.

To review my performance, and what I’ve learned:

Starting weight: 168 BMI 24.1
End weight: 145.8 BMI 20.9

1. OMAD is a crazy diet. From a hunger perspective, fasting most of the day, every day, wasn’t as hard as I imagined. I was rarely “starving”, except the days following long periods of exercise, like full day hikes. Being hangry is completely avoidable imo, once you attune your body to eating less often - which is probably a good idea anyway, health wise.

Really the hardest part was resisting social pressure to eat. I missed out on some good restaurant meals, a couple parties, and fresh catch due to poor timing. But you can’t expect everyone else to work around your dietary restrictions.

Eating enough calories was tough, within the confines of a largely plant-based diet, whilst exercising consistently. After losing too much weight, I ended up adding a lot of gratuitous desserts and calorically dense foods, such as cheese. That was kinda fun, but not great for the digestive process. I overate to the point of vomiting once (I blame water bloat), was constipated a few days (usually quite regular), and then had a couple explosive bowel movements, resulting from compensatory fiber-rich meals.

Avoiding alcohol was easy. That said, I made the same mistake as @BassNBrew, foolishly taking a sip of beer from a flight at a Seattle microbrewery. This was particularly egregious, considering I loathe beer, and the pretense of orchestrated alcohol tastings in general. Stupid peer pressure.

Anyway, my compliance was 99.9%. Difficulty 4/10. Moving forward, I‘ll skip more meals, and probably settle on 2 a day in a restricted window, eliminating snacking. This will allow enough time to metabolize sufficient protein, while still getting IF benefits. As an aside, both longevity books I’ve read extol the virtues of calorie- and time-restricted eating, while acknowledging the practical limitations of being overly restrictive. One guy also mentions the benefit of limiting some amino acids, which runs contrary to many contemporary, protein-rich diets. And for the bro scientists, he was even on Joe Rogan!

2. Exercising 1.5 hours daily and getting outdoors was easy. Breaking it into two 45-minute blocks was much harder, especially with the caveat of separating sessions by at least 3 hours. I frequently failed to comply with the latter, but disagree with potentially sacrificing sleep to be strict, if establishing healthy habits is the ultimate goal of the challenge.

I learned walking/hiking hills is great exercise, as it’s simple to ramp up the exertion level, by going faster or carrying weight, while being easier on the joints than long distance running.

Ignoring the 3-hour rule, 100% compliance, 3/10 difficulty. With that rule, compliance more like 75%, 6-7/10.

I‘ll continue exercising daily, 30-60 minutes of variable intensity (with high exertion as much as possible, ~80% max heart rate). Leisurely walks can occur on “rest” days, as a way to clear my mind or spend QT with the wife. On top of that, I‘ll get strength/balance/flexibility by climbing 3-4x/week.

3. Effing water. Remained miserable throughout the challenge. 100% compliant, 8/10 difficulty.

Moving forward, I’ll try to drink 1/2 gallon daily, including a liter first thing in the morning, to stave off hunger.

4. Reading was easy, once I found enjoyable subject matter. 100% compliant, 2/10. Thanks again, @Sand.

I’ll complete a couple more longevity books. Not sure I’ll make it a habit thereafter.

5. Selfies remain stupid. 2.7% compliant, 10/10 difficulty (for me). Attention, @AAABatteries!

Day 1
Day 76

Overall impression?

It was really instructive, and taught me to live more purposefully. Discipline and time management are important for just about everything worth doing, and this challenge certainly put those skills to the test.

I‘ve also learned a lot about longevity, and will adapt my behavior accordingly, starting with the diet and exercise mentioned above. Will need to figure out something to improve sleep, which is a work in progress.

I’ve reframed my goal weight, after realizing 51-year-old me doesn’t carry nearly the same muscle mass as 21-year-old me. Despite all the BMI poo-pooing, it provides a healthy target for the vast majority of people, and seems reasonable for me to use. Even though 150 sounded obscenely thin at the start of the challenge, I really feel better at this weight. I’ll drop my old target from 165 to 150-155, for a BMI between 21 and 22.

Thanks @gruecd for starting the thread, and great job to all those who participated. It will be interesting to see how much sticks.

Great work! What books did you read? We need a FBG book club.

 

[Terminalxylem]

Great work! What books did you read? We need a FBG book club.

And a longevity thread. The books were Outlive by Peter Attia and Lifespan by David Sinclair.

I also read most of my cousin’s unpublished autobiography, a climbing self-improvement book, and compendium of evidence-based physical examination.

 

[Terminalxylem]

I think I'm going to roll on with this for another 25 days and shoot for 100.

How was your 100 hard?

 

[Ilov80s]

I started running a bit more but I still greatly prefer walking. I think I am about done running unless I need to get a lot of cardio into a short time. Like was said above, use hills, speed up the walk, go rucking (weights in a backpack/ruck sack). It's soooo much easier on the joints and can be just as good of a workout IMO. Now even on my treadmill, I just crank up the incline or carry some weight instead of running. Best part of adapting all these changes over the summer is my blood pressure dropped a very significant amount. Went from creeping into low 140s to basically being right at 118-120 this week with no meds.

 

[Terminalxylem]

I started running a bit more but I still greatly prefer walking. I think I am about done running unless I need to get a lot of cardio into a short time. Like was said above, use hills, speed up the walk, go rucking (weights in a backpack/ruck sack). It's soooo much easier on the joints and can be just as good of a workout IMO. Now even on my treadmill, I just crank up the incline or carry some weight instead of running. Best part of adapting all these changes over the summer is my blood pressure dropped a very significant amount. Went from creeping into low 140s to basically being right at 118-120 all this week with no meds.

Agree 100%. No reason to destroy your joints, when you can easily modulate walking/hiking to get your heart going. Only issue is it takes more time to burn an equivalent amount of calories.

I’m still exercising at least 90 minutes daily, and it’s mostly hiking up hills. Only missed one day since June 1, when I was flying from NYC to Honolulu.

 

[Softballguy]

You guys inspired me to take the plunge. I'm a week in and so far so good.

Currently my weekdays are looking like rowing in the morning before work and a walk either before or after dinner. The walk has been by far my favorite part of this... I really look forward to it every night, even the late night walks just to get the 2nd 45 in. Completely cutting out alcohol is long overdue, hasn't been difficult (despite being at three events over the weekend where I'd normally have more than a few), and is making my wife very happy. Taking the advice of @gruecd I picked up "Grit" and it's been a good read so far. First I've read a physical book in years. Water hasn't been as hard for me as it's been for many of you, but man... the number of bathroom trips has been insane. Clean eating has been the most difficult. With three kids, our pantry is always stocked with extremely tasty, unhealthy food. I swear it calls to me at night. I'm also left eating my own meals half the nights since I can't expect everyone to conform to my diet. The good thing is that I work at a place with a full cafeteria, including an excellent salad bar. I really don't mind a salad each day at work as my only meal.

Everyone I know who finds out I'm doing this says, "You couldn't pay me enough to do that" or "That sounds awful." That makes me want to push through this even more.

 

[gruecd]

I think I'm gonna start this again next week, with one small tweak - I'm going to allow myself to drink alcohol one day each week.

 

[Caveman33]

I relapsed on the weed last month but now I am back to sobriety. Using that as the pillar of my own personal Hard 180. Had a minor setback at lunch today when a young punk punched me in the face. I chased him down and injured my hand while trying to penetrate his turtle defense. I don't think it's broken again but it's a good reminder that I suck at fighting. He even had a fake gun in his waistband. Hopefully he doesn't catch me in the back with a knife. I'm pretty stupid, but at least I can get myself into better shape.

eta: Trying to beat this guy up was one heck of a workout. I was winded within seconds. I had to rest my knee on his neck for a while. Everyone on the street was hollering and recording but I hope to never see the video. It was embarrassing, like a slow motion dream. I should have punched him in the gut since he was protecting his face. Tried to get him with some knees but wasn't able to draw blood. Eventually people warned me that the police would come so I left.

 

[Terminalxylem]

I think I'm gonna start this again next week, with one small tweak - I'm going to allow myself to drink alcohol one day each week.

Shocking to see you willing to compromise the rules, but bravo on recommitting to lifestyle change. Did you attain any PR after the first challenge?

FTR, I'm still exercising 1.5 hr daily (missed two days since June 1, both while traveling), drinking a half gallon of water, and skipping several meals a week. Fallen off the wagon reading, and no selfies.

But the challenge definitely influenced healthful behavior. It will be interesting to check-in in a year or so, to see how much of the 75 hard stuck with participants - weight loss, sobriety, fitness, etc.

 

[AAABatteries]

I think I'm gonna start this again next week, with one small tweak - I'm going to allow myself to drink alcohol one day each week.

I got your back GB - I’ll drink the other 6 days and abstain the day your drink.

 

[gruecd]

I think I'm gonna start this again next week, with one small tweak - I'm going to allow myself to drink alcohol one day each week.

Shocking to see you willing to compromise the rules, but bravo on recommitting to lifestyle change. Did you attain any PR after the first challenge?

Yeah, I split Bucks season tickets with a buddy of mine, and I'll be going to at least 4 Packers games and a few other events. It's simply not as fun doing all those things sober, and I doubt it'll have much/any impact on the results.

Sadly no PR this fall. Ran two marathons, but the weather was way too warm for the first one, and the second one was too soon afterwards to really even attempt a fast race. Ran 3:20ish at both.

 

[beer 30]

Great work! What books did you read? We need a FBG book club.

ORLY?

 

[Softballguy]

I'm nearing the halfway point... Day 34 today. I've been perfect on all the requirements (except selfies every day) so far, even though it's meant some really early workouts and long walks outside in the cold and rain.

The good: my mind is definitely more clear - which is extremely helpful at work, I mostly feel better (the exception being my knees and feet from lots of walking, but that seems to be improving), and it's good to know that I have the mental toughness to complete something that isn't easy. Total sobriety was something I needed and has had huge benefits on my anxiety, energy, and mental clarity. That will be the most complicated hurdle after 75 days... I absolutely can't go back to where I was before, but my insistence on perfectly completing this challenge gives me hope that I have the willpower to continue something that takes effort and sacrifice. I also love walking... basically just being outside. I work inside all day, so these long walks every night (and on weekends, morning as well) have been extremely enjoyable. I live in Wisconsin, so we'll see how it goes come December. But the joy I get from listening to podcasts and going for an hour-long walk by myself has been a huge surprise.

The bad: I still don't enjoy morning workouts. I just feel tired and unmotivated. It hasn't stopped me, and it won't, but ugh... I'm also a bit disappointed in my weight loss. I've stuck to my diet... sixteen hour fast each day, low carb/keto... but I'm only down about 8 or 9 pounds. I used to drop that in a week without much effort; now I'm working out/walking two hours a day, not drinking, and keeping a good diet, but the weight isn't coming off. I'm only doing selfies on day 1, 25, 50, and 75... There's a definitely noticeable difference from day 1 and day 25, and I'm hoping day 50 will continue that trend, but it's so discouraging every day seeing the scale stuck on what it's been for two weeks. I wonder if my body is just holding on to all this water being thrown at it. I may need to do a 48 hour fast or something just so I can see that damn number drop. Or reconsider the diet... I'm not sure.

The meh: Water has been super easy. 32 ounces gone by 7am during my morning workout, another 32 done by lunch, another 32 before I head home from work, and then it's just 32 ounces the rest of the night. I've also been drinking 2-5 cups of coffee each day, and a big Gatorade Zero every other day or so. I think I could do 2 gallons a day without a huge problem, though I'm not going to try it. I'll definitely keep up with the extra water consumption when this is over. Probably not a gallon every day, but more than likely most days. Reading has been ok... the books have been good, but it's mostly kind of been a PITA chore at the end of the day. When I've had some free time and read during the day it's been quite enjoyable. My guess is that I won't continue reading at all since it's not a priority for me.

Overall it's been easier than I thought. I've had a few social events... my friends and I saw Bill Burr at the Fiserv last Sunday... it would have been nice to have a few drinks with them, but the mindset of not cheating -even a bit, ever- has made it easier than expected. I like gruecd's idea of doing a modified version of this again. I may do that based on how my routine changes after the 75 days is up. This challenge is making me healthier and needs to continue way past 75 days in some form or another.

 

[gianmarco]

I think I'm gonna start this again next week, with one small tweak - I'm going to allow myself to drink alcohol one day each week.

Alright, I'm in.

And **** you.

 

[beer 30]

Alright, I'm in.

And **** you.

He says with a familiar gleam in his eye

 

[AAABatteries]

Alright, I'm in.

And **** you.

He says with a familiar gleam in his eye

Gian being hard for grue maybe the least surprising news I’ve heard all week.

 

[AAABatteries]

And yes, I’m jealous.

 

[gruecd]

my friends and I saw Bill Burr at the Fiserv last Sunday...

We were there, too. How did you like it?

 

[Terminalxylem]

I'm nearing the halfway point... Day 34 today. I've been perfect on all the requirements (except selfies every day) so far, even though it's meant some really early workouts and long walks outside in the cold and rain.

The good: my mind is definitely more clear - which is extremely helpful at work, I mostly feel better (the exception being my knees and feet from lots of walking, but that seems to be improving), and it's good to know that I have the mental toughness to complete something that isn't easy. Total sobriety was something I needed and has had huge benefits on my anxiety, energy, and mental clarity. That will be the most complicated hurdle after 75 days... I absolutely can't go back to where I was before, but my insistence on perfectly completing this challenge gives me hope that I have the willpower to continue something that takes effort and sacrifice. I also love walking... basically just being outside. I work inside all day, so these long walks every night (and on weekends, morning as well) have been extremely enjoyable. I live in Wisconsin, so we'll see how it goes come December. But the joy I get from listening to podcasts and going for an hour-long walk by myself has been a huge surprise.

While podcasts can certainly be enriching, try exercising outside without any electronic stimuli. Leave your phone and ear buds at home. You may be surprised at all the small things you notice. I also think it’s better to organize your thoughts, and clear the mind.

Oh yeah, great job with all that ****ing water.

 

[Softballguy]

my friends and I saw Bill Burr at the Fiserv last Sunday...

We were there, too. How did you like it?

We all liked it quite a bit. Not as much as a few of his shows at the Pabst/Riverside, but I think right now he's really working out some new bits and doesn't have a ton of polished material. It also didn't help that we had total ******** behind us who were annoying as hell. And I was stone sober, so....

 

[Softballguy]

I'm nearing the halfway point... Day 34 today. I've been perfect on all the requirements (except selfies every day) so far, even though it's meant some really early workouts and long walks outside in the cold and rain.

The good: my mind is definitely more clear - which is extremely helpful at work, I mostly feel better (the exception being my knees and feet from lots of walking, but that seems to be improving), and it's good to know that I have the mental toughness to complete something that isn't easy. Total sobriety was something I needed and has had huge benefits on my anxiety, energy, and mental clarity. That will be the most complicated hurdle after 75 days... I absolutely can't go back to where I was before, but my insistence on perfectly completing this challenge gives me hope that I have the willpower to continue something that takes effort and sacrifice. I also love walking... basically just being outside. I work inside all day, so these long walks every night (and on weekends, morning as well) have been extremely enjoyable. I live in Wisconsin, so we'll see how it goes come December. But the joy I get from listening to podcasts and going for an hour-long walk by myself has been a huge surprise.

While podcasts can certainly be enriching, try exercising outside without any electronic stimuli. Leave your phone and ear buds at home. You may be surprised at all the small things you notice. I also think it’s better to organize your thoughts, and clear the mind.

Oh yeah, great job with all that ****ing water.

Most definitely. I almost always walk the same trail that is just outside of town, along cornfields and a wooded area... very quiet. Some nights I go without ear buds (sometimes because I just forget them) and I agree that it can be beneficial to be alone with my thoughts. But my brain never shuts the hell up (which is why sleep is a huge problem for me, but that has been better thanks to this challenge), so often I'm more relaxed with an interesting podcast to steal attention away from my thoughts.

And sometimes I turn the ear buds off when there are shady characters milling about the trail when it gets dark. It's honestly the perfect place to mug someone so I need to be a bit more alert to my surroundings at times. Still, the element of danger adds excitement in my dumb monkey brain so I admit I enjoy it.

 

[tri-man 47]

Alright, I'm in.

And **** you.

He says with a familiar gleam in his eye

Gian being hard for grue maybe the least surprising news I’ve heard all week.

He's trying to hold back the @ChiefD intrusion.

 

[BassNBrew]

I'm nearing the halfway point... Day 34 today. I've been perfect on all the requirements (except selfies every day) so far, even though it's meant some really early workouts and long walks outside in the cold and rain.

The good: my mind is definitely more clear - which is extremely helpful at work, I mostly feel better (the exception being my knees and feet from lots of walking, but that seems to be improving), and it's good to know that I have the mental toughness to complete something that isn't easy. Total sobriety was something I needed and has had huge benefits on my anxiety, energy, and mental clarity. That will be the most complicated hurdle after 75 days... I absolutely can't go back to where I was before, but my insistence on perfectly completing this challenge gives me hope that I have the willpower to continue something that takes effort and sacrifice. I also love walking... basically just being outside. I work inside all day, so these long walks every night (and on weekends, morning as well) have been extremely enjoyable. I live in Wisconsin, so we'll see how it goes come December. But the joy I get from listening to podcasts and going for an hour-long walk by myself has been a huge surprise.

The bad: I still don't enjoy morning workouts. I just feel tired and unmotivated. It hasn't stopped me, and it won't, but ugh... I'm also a bit disappointed in my weight loss. I've stuck to my diet... sixteen hour fast each day, low carb/keto... but I'm only down about 8 or 9 pounds. I used to drop that in a week without much effort; now I'm working out/walking two hours a day, not drinking, and keeping a good diet, but the weight isn't coming off. I'm only doing selfies on day 1, 25, 50, and 75... There's a definitely noticeable difference from day 1 and day 25, and I'm hoping day 50 will continue that trend, but it's so discouraging every day seeing the scale stuck on what it's been for two weeks. I wonder if my body is just holding on to all this water being thrown at it. I may need to do a 48 hour fast or something just so I can see that damn number drop. Or reconsider the diet... I'm not sure.

The meh: Water has been super easy. 32 ounces gone by 7am during my morning workout, another 32 done by lunch, another 32 before I head home from work, and then it's just 32 ounces the rest of the night. I've also been drinking 2-5 cups of coffee each day, and a big Gatorade Zero every other day or so. I think I could do 2 gallons a day without a huge problem, though I'm not going to try it. I'll definitely keep up with the extra water consumption when this is over. Probably not a gallon every day, but more than likely most days. Reading has been ok... the books have been good, but it's mostly kind of been a PITA chore at the end of the day. When I've had some free time and read during the day it's been quite enjoyable. My guess is that I won't continue reading at all since it's not a priority for me.

Overall it's been easier than I thought. I've had a few social events... my friends and I saw Bill Burr at the Fiserv last Sunday... it would have been nice to have a few drinks with them, but the mindset of not cheating -even a bit, ever- has made it easier than expected. I like gruecd's idea of doing a modified version of this again. I may do that based on how my routine changes after the 75 days is up. This challenge is making me healthier and needs to continue way past 75 days in some form or another.

Interested in hearing more about the diet and are you lifting weights?

Best thing I did during this process was keeping the calories up. When I finished I think I had reset my metabolism and the crap didn't go to my waistline.

 

[BassNBrew]

I think I'm going to roll on with this for another 25 days and shoot for 100.

How was your 100 hard?

A big fail.

Ended up having to drive for a funeral. I was hanging on by a thread at day 85 with most of the second workouts sliding to after midnight and even 3am. The last day I hit the road around 5 pm and found a hotel at midnight. Wasn't going to workout at midnight and then sit up until 4am to workout again to get up and drive more.

Did manage to get in a 20+ mile hike on the AT during that trip. That ended my no alcohol stint and healthy eating. I went out about 10 miles and saw a brewery about 1/2 off the trail. Did a flight of beers, ate a pizza and then proceeded to negative split the return trip to the car in mid 80 day weather.

 

[Softballguy]

I'm nearing the halfway point... Day 34 today. I've been perfect on all the requirements (except selfies every day) so far, even though it's meant some really early workouts and long walks outside in the cold and rain.

The good: my mind is definitely more clear - which is extremely helpful at work, I mostly feel better (the exception being my knees and feet from lots of walking, but that seems to be improving), and it's good to know that I have the mental toughness to complete something that isn't easy. Total sobriety was something I needed and has had huge benefits on my anxiety, energy, and mental clarity. That will be the most complicated hurdle after 75 days... I absolutely can't go back to where I was before, but my insistence on perfectly completing this challenge gives me hope that I have the willpower to continue something that takes effort and sacrifice. I also love walking... basically just being outside. I work inside all day, so these long walks every night (and on weekends, morning as well) have been extremely enjoyable. I live in Wisconsin, so we'll see how it goes come December. But the joy I get from listening to podcasts and going for an hour-long walk by myself has been a huge surprise.

The bad: I still don't enjoy morning workouts. I just feel tired and unmotivated. It hasn't stopped me, and it won't, but ugh... I'm also a bit disappointed in my weight loss. I've stuck to my diet... sixteen hour fast each day, low carb/keto... but I'm only down about 8 or 9 pounds. I used to drop that in a week without much effort; now I'm working out/walking two hours a day, not drinking, and keeping a good diet, but the weight isn't coming off. I'm only doing selfies on day 1, 25, 50, and 75... There's a definitely noticeable difference from day 1 and day 25, and I'm hoping day 50 will continue that trend, but it's so discouraging every day seeing the scale stuck on what it's been for two weeks. I wonder if my body is just holding on to all this water being thrown at it. I may need to do a 48 hour fast or something just so I can see that damn number drop. Or reconsider the diet... I'm not sure.

The meh: Water has been super easy. 32 ounces gone by 7am during my morning workout, another 32 done by lunch, another 32 before I head home from work, and then it's just 32 ounces the rest of the night. I've also been drinking 2-5 cups of coffee each day, and a big Gatorade Zero every other day or so. I think I could do 2 gallons a day without a huge problem, though I'm not going to try it. I'll definitely keep up with the extra water consumption when this is over. Probably not a gallon every day, but more than likely most days. Reading has been ok... the books have been good, but it's mostly kind of been a PITA chore at the end of the day. When I've had some free time and read during the day it's been quite enjoyable. My guess is that I won't continue reading at all since it's not a priority for me.

Overall it's been easier than I thought. I've had a few social events... my friends and I saw Bill Burr at the Fiserv last Sunday... it would have been nice to have a few drinks with them, but the mindset of not cheating -even a bit, ever- has made it easier than expected. I like gruecd's idea of doing a modified version of this again. I may do that based on how my routine changes after the 75 days is up. This challenge is making me healthier and needs to continue way past 75 days in some form or another.

Interested in hearing more about the diet and are you lifting weights?

Best thing I did during this process was keeping the calories up. When I finished I think I had reset my metabolism and the crap didn't go to my waistline.

That's interesting. My diet is a lot of vegetables... usually just a big salad for lunch and then lightly sautéed broccoli, peppers, mushrooms, and onion for dinner, along with mostly chick breast and sometimes beef or pork. Snacks are usually almonds, pistachios, or something that facilitates peanut butter into my mouth like celery or apples. Probably too many low carb wraps as well. No breakfast, 16hrs between dinner and lunch.

I lift weights three times a week. I'm 45 and don't have any aspirations of gaining back muscle, and I'm certainly not looking to take on the diet I would need to do so. My lifts are just the basic ones I did back in college with dumbbells and a bench. I'll be honest though... I'm not completely sure what I'm intending to get out of weight lifting. It probably can't hurt, but I'm not convinced it will help all that much either.

 

[ChiefD]

Alright, I'm in.

And **** you.

He says with a familiar gleam in his eye

Gian being hard for grue maybe the least surprising news I’ve heard all week.

He's trying to hold back the @ChiefD intrusion.

I want no piece of 75 Hard with those two involved. I do have morals.

 

[tri-man 47]

Alright, I'm in.

And **** you.

He says with a familiar gleam in his eye

Gian being hard for grue maybe the least surprising news I’ve heard all week.

He's trying to hold back the @ChiefD intrusion.

I want no piece of 75 Hard with those two involved. I do have morals.

Not to mention your dilemma that big phat Cokes don't count in the fluid intake category.

 

[Bozeman Bruiser]

Funny to see this bumped this week. I am planning on starting tomorrow, which would end on 12/30 meaning I could eat like a pig and get **** faced on NYE.

Did anyone substitute any of the habits? For example, I pretty much quit drinking already, maybe 20 beers all year all in June/July, so that isn't even a challenge. I was thinking of swapping no alcohol for something like no screen time until after 6 pm (except for work stuff). That would have a much bigger impact than not drinking the alcohol I already don't drink.

Also, would doing body weight exercises and stretching/yoga count as a workout? I will be traveling a lot for work and won't have access to a gym 7 days a week.

 

[Caveman33]

Funny to see this bumped this week. I am planning on starting tomorrow, which would end on 12/30 meaning I could eat like a pig and get **** faced on NYE.

Did anyone substitute any of the habits? For example, I pretty much quit drinking already, maybe 20 beers all year all in June/July, so that isn't even a challenge. I was thinking of swapping no alcohol for something like no screen time until after 6 pm (except for work stuff). That would have a much bigger impact than not drinking the alcohol I already don't drink.

Also, would doing body weight exercises and stretching/yoga count as a workout? I will be traveling a lot for work and won't have access to a gym 7 days a week.

I think body weight exercises and yoga count as a workout. No screen time after 6 pm would be a huge accomplishment. It's all about making positive, lasting changes for yourself. I didn't strictly follow anything aside from stopping MJ. I swear my hairline started to improve as a result of the 3 months without smoking. Now I'm trying to go without for 6 months. My weightlifting routine is only 3 days a week but I have become addicted to it. I enjoy the slow and steady progress and I try to get at least 6 hours of sleep a night because I think that is vital to locking in the gains. I stay active with walking, biking and now running throughout the week. I think an achievable routine that you come to enjoy is better than one that you dread and avoid.

 

[tri-man 47]

I'm nearing the halfway point... Day 34 today. I've been perfect on all the requirements (except selfies every day) so far, even though it's meant some really early workouts and long walks outside in the cold and rain.

The good: my mind is definitely more clear - which is extremely helpful at work, I mostly feel better (the exception being my knees and feet from lots of walking, but that seems to be improving), and it's good to know that I have the mental toughness to complete something that isn't easy. Total sobriety was something I needed and has had huge benefits on my anxiety, energy, and mental clarity. That will be the most complicated hurdle after 75 days... I absolutely can't go back to where I was before, but my insistence on perfectly completing this challenge gives me hope that I have the willpower to continue something that takes effort and sacrifice. I also love walking... basically just being outside. I work inside all day, so these long walks every night (and on weekends, morning as well) have been extremely enjoyable. I live in Wisconsin, so we'll see how it goes come December. But the joy I get from listening to podcasts and going for an hour-long walk by myself has been a huge surprise.

While podcasts can certainly be enriching, try exercising outside without any electronic stimuli. Leave your phone and ear buds at home. You may be surprised at all the small things you notice. I also think it’s better to organize your thoughts, and clear the mind.

Oh yeah, great job with all that ****ing water.

Most definitely. I almost always walk the same trail that is just outside of town, along cornfields and a wooded area... very quiet. Some nights I go without ear buds (sometimes because I just forget them) and I agree that it can be beneficial to be alone with my thoughts. But my brain never shuts the hell up (which is why sleep is a huge problem for me, but that has been better thanks to this challenge), so often I'm more relaxed with an interesting podcast to steal attention away from my thoughts.

And sometimes I turn the ear buds off when there are shady characters milling about the trail when it gets dark. It's honestly the perfect place to mug someone so I need to be a bit more alert to my surroundings at times. Still, the element of danger adds excitement in my dumb monkey brain so I admit I enjoy it.

Say, in terms of not sleeping due to your brain not shutting up - I recently got a sound machine for nighttime, and I love it. Just enough background noise to keep my mind from getting too active. Plenty of sound options to choose from.