Why You Should NOT Complete the 75 Hard Challenge
The 75 hard challenge is a mental toughness program that when used as a diet can have negative effects.
Have you heard of the 75 hard?
While scrolling on social media you may see people attempting the 75 hard challenge. The 75 hard challenge is 75 days following a diet (no cheats allowed), no alcohol, two 45-minute workouts daily (one has to be outside), drink 4 liters of water a day, read 10 minutes of non-fiction a day, and take progress photos daily.
The first time I heard about the 75 hard challenge I wanted to jump on board and do it too!
I am all for bettering yourself, building healthy habits, and I love a challenge. However, the more I looked into the 75 hard the more red flags I noticed.
10 Reasons not to complete the 75 Hard Challenge\
1. Too many changes at once
Starting a diet is a consistent predictor of future weight gain. Slowly adding in sustainable healthy habits works long term. Diets don’t work and can set you up for future weight gain.
2. Do you really need that much water?
Water is good for you, but everyone’s body and activity level is different. You may not need 4 liters of water daily.
3. All or nothing mentality
The all-or-nothing mentality can make you feel like a failure even when you have made progress. If you mess up even on day 74 you have to start over again at day 1.
4. Too much focus on physical progress
The focus is only on physical progress. How do you feel? Are you sleeping well? Do you have energy? Is your stress level low or high? Learning to connect to your body allows you to learn healthy habits and is essential for long-term health and weight loss.
5. Restrictive Diets
Diets and challenges that severely restrict food can create a negative relationship between a person and food. This can lead to eating disorders and binge eating. When you label food as a cheat it can cause cravings, guilt, and shame.
6. No rest days
Working out twice a day could lead to injury, fatigue, burnout, and added stress on your body. How much did you work out before? Where are you getting your workouts from are you working with a coach or professional or just picking random workouts that are not a good fit for your body or lifestyle.
7. Stress
Prolonged stress leads to inflammation, inflammation leads to weight gain and health issues. By working out twice a day and setting high standards to complete daily can put unwanted stress on your body.
8. Your health!
The 75 hard could be harmful to your mental or physical health. There are no professionals or accountability making sure you are making diet and fitness choices that are good for your body. Excessive exercise and restrictive dieting can have harmful effects including adrenal fatigue and your hormone health.
9. Strict Rules
You can get results without these extremes! You can get results with a plan that fits into your lifestyle instead of changing your life to fit the challenge.
10. Not a long-term plan
There is no plan for when you complete the 75 hard challenge. And if you don’t complete it then your confidence could suffer. Either way, it is not a win.
I’m all for getting outside, drinking more water, eating healthier, and reading to learn. However, I would not recommend the 75 hard challenge.
The best way to have sustainable weight loss is to create healthy habits that become a part of your lifestyle. The 75 hard challenge is not a way of life most people can keep up long term. Besides, who wants to train your body to need two workouts a day to lose weight or maintain weight loss?
Conclusion
I understand the 75-hard is supposed to be a mental-toughness program and not a diet or weight loss program. However, it seems to focus a lot on physical progress and I have seen many attempts for physical reasons rather than mental toughness.
As with any diet or lifestyle change, you can succeed in doing the 75-hard in a healthier way. However, I would recommend doing a program that is more personalized to you, your needs, and your lifestyle.
*This content is for educational purposes only, and does not substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other medical providers.
Thank you for writing this. I’ve been having hesitations about doing the 75 Hard with my friends because of these kinds of reasons. I might be doing some kind of modified version that works better for my body and mental health, but I feel better now about doing that and not committing to something so regimented!
I agree that 75 Hard is not for everyone. Also, it’s not meant to keep with the regiment after 75 hard. There are multiple phases after the program and after some research I understood the base purpose of the program. I choose to modify some of this program (even though he says don’t) because my body doesn’t need 1 gallon of water, so I opted for 64oz. I still lost 20 lbs, gain muscle, feel healthier, rest better and over all feel better at 43 than I have ever felt in my life. It was hard and stressful at times. Use caution and don’t be so hard on yourself.
I’m currently on Day 49 of the 75 Hard challenge and have done it one other time successfully! I agree it can be tough, stressful and strenuous but that’s the purpose. It allows you to prove to yourself that you’re capable of more than you realize. That’s something huge I took away, along with the ability to structure my days/schedule so much better! I think in order to get the full concept you have to do a lot of research and be creative and openminded. The “diet” doesn’t have to be some fad, restrictive diet. You choose your diet so if you prefer to not be so “restrictive”, don’t. There are no “rest” days but you can have “light” days. A good stretch and walk are considered a workout and can both be easily done indoors/outdoors. It can be as strenuous as you choose. They don’t give you some crazy workout routine to follow. You are right about the all or nothing mentality, however, but I can’t say that I agree it’s a bad thing. Personally, I needed the push and the drastic change. I was coming close to hitting 200 pounds for the first time in my life, I was feeling depressed, I was taking short cuts at work, and I wasn’t practicing any self-care. This “drastic” change got my butt in gear quick and I’m so thankful for it. I needed the structure more than I realized. The non-fiction, motivational books were a fantastic addition! I highly recommend the challenge!!
I enjoyed reading these reasons/explanations from a different perspective. I have often said this same thing. I agree that 75 hard is more of a challenge of one’s mental fortitude and the weight loss can be a result in the end. But yes, it is very extreme. Personally I am not working out outdoors everyday. I am an avid fitness junkie but I prefer indoor workouts when the weather is a factor (too hot/cold). I am too old to be outside in the rain/snow/high temps or whatever it is I feel will be a detriment to my health. There should be some alternatives to some of these rules.
Great article! Thanks
I think you have to look at it from a different perspective. Todays society has ruined people. We aren’t mentally/physically challenged beyond what we’re comfortable with and everything is so easily accessible. Adults are as undisciplined as ever. Yes, 75 hard is extreme, but that is the point. Too often we criticize hard things and make it out as a dangerous entry into something that it’s not. To me, this signals a deeper rooted issue with that individual. It’s a challenge for 75 days, it’s not meant to be long term. Doing hard things creates resilience, mental strength, and overall growth.