Don’t panic! I haven’t quit or tripped myself up. I was just gobsmacked that I’m already on day 42 of the 75 Hard Challenge.
It feels like it’s become a way of life now. My routines are in place and things are running almost like clockwork. My day starts off with a walk and then I do a 45-minute indoor workout. I read my 10 pages of a book and take a progress picture of myself before I get showered and dressed. By lunchtime, I’m drinking my 4th pint of water and I know there are 3 left to fit in before the end of the day.
Sunday meal planning sessions have resumed since doing this challenge which means the ‘diet’ side of it takes care of itself. All is good as long as I stay away from chocolate or snacks. Although admittedly, I have wanted chocolate and cake over the past few weeks. But never fear, I haven’t given in. Instead, I’ve focused on feeding my body with healthy and nutritious food, focusing on ‘goodness’ that I’m flooding my system with.
What I’ve noticed after 42 days
First of all, my skin looks and feels amazing. And I’m pretty sure that my wrinkles seem smoother. I’m assuming that the extra water intake is responsible for this, although I suspect the change in diet is giving everything a boost too.
I feel like I’ve got more energy. I don’t feel as drained at the end of the day and rarely wake up feeling tired now. Don’t get me wrong, I still get times when I feel tired but it’s noticeably less often than before. I also feel like I’m able to focus better and when I am working, I’m more productive. This could be linked to the diet and exercise but I also think it’s because of what I’ve been reading.
I’ve been reading The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. It suggests planning in weeks rather than days and to be prepared to shuffle tasks around as necessary. So now I spend 30 minutes on a Sunday mapping out the week ahead. I’ve committed to stick with it for the next six weeks and decide afterwards whether I continue with it or not. It’s had a positive impact so far. I also try to spend the majority of my days doing Quadrant 2 activities to help escape the ‘urgency loop’.
My body feels better. I’ve taken a different approach to working out and have been focusing on strength training. The little aches and pains that had started to creep in have disappeared and I feel more flexible and comfortable in my body. I’ve also lost some weight (which was never the intention of this challenge) – 4lbs so far. My clothes feel looser despite eating more than I have in a long time.
Keep it or tweak it?
I’ve been thinking about what I’ll do when I’ve completed the challenge. What to keep and what to tweak. There’s a lot I’ll keep – reading (and implementing) 10 pages of a non-fiction book, eating a mainly plant-based diet, exercising outdoors for 45 minutes along with 45 minutes of strength training (I got a bargain 2nd hand book on strength training for women which I’m excited to put into practice).
I’ll continue to drink plenty of water but I think I’ll reduce this a little. Rather than 7 pints, I’ll aim for 5 or 6. The reason being that the last pint tends to fall late in the day and then I find myself waking up in the middle of the night and needing to do a toilet dash. Sticking to 6 pints should help alleviate this problem.
I won’t continue with a daily progress picture – perhaps weekly or monthly if at all. I’ll also allow myself to live a little and enjoy a Guinness, some cake or chocolate. I’ve really missed the social aspect of this – turning down one of my Mum’s homemade biscuits has been hard, and so has avoiding ‘treat nights’. But I know that when I do begin to partake in their deliciousness again, I’ll truly savour the moment.
33 days to go
So now I’m over the hump of the challenge and there are just 33 more days to go. It really doesn’t feel like there’s much more time left until I’m done. And as I head into day 43, I’m both excited and curious about what else I’m going to discover on this journey.
I hope you’ll follow along – and if you’ve done or are doing the 75 Hard (or 75 Soft) then let me know how it’s going, I’d love to hear your thoughts and cheer you on!
Image courtesy of Josh Couch