Day Five.

Day Five. 

Day FREAKING Five. 

75Hard Day Five COMPLETE! 💥

I feel good today. Like really good. My body is adjusting and that is an amazing feeling! I can't even begin to explain what getting up and getting going early in the morning means to me this week ... I've not been a morning person ... yet I'm loving it! 

Picture:

Exercise:

This morning I did some yoga and stretching ... apparently the yoga wasn't vigorous enough because my watch kept asking me if I was done my workout ... no apple ... I'm breathing and stretching and goin to a different place! Leave me alone ... yoga is a struggle for me. Mainly because I can't find that "place" to go to.  

Walk in the neighborhood in the afternoon after work - ventured out to the other neighborhood down the hill ... again with the hills! It's warm out there today! 

Foods: 

On point as usual. Still no soda. Still no candy. 

BEST salad ever though! 

Reading: 

Pages: 77 - 96

• Everyone has their problems, and life isn't always perfect. It never will be. 
• Everything on your plate at this point in time is just another something in a sea of somethings.
• Everything is solvable. 
• Only reason you can't see solutions is because you're too close to the problem. 

Truth - all of that is truth. Today was hard to read. I'm always TOO close the the problems both for myself and others. 

Water: 

Still killing the water game. 144oz! 

"It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light."
- Aristotle

Day Four.

Well. Today kicked my butt. I woke up and hit the ground running. 

75Hard Day Four COMPLETE! 💥

I don't even really know what happened other than I accomplished everything I needed to accomplish ... and that was just good enough! 

On Wednesday I have three jobs, College work and now 75hard. I'm goin to be a little later goin to bed then I would have liked but it will all work out - I'll still be getting up at 4:30! 💪 

Picture: 

I did take my photo for the app but for some reason it didn't save it to my phone like it was supposed to ... so I don't have a record of it - but I definitely took it otherwise it wouldn't' let me close the day! I guess we can use my photo with my new glasses as the picture for today. 

Exercise: 

I did get some cardio in, in the morning as well as my walk in the afternoon. I didn't take photos of either ... ain't nobody got time for that today! 

Foods:

Had some more of that meatloaf for lunch ... still just as good a few days later! Otherwise, my fruits, vegetables and protein were on track today! Still no candy! Still no soda!

Reading: 

UNFU*K YOURSELF Pages 45-76

Today's reading really touched a nerve with me in that we need to start thinking of everything in our lives as a victory ... it's true. We do. 

• Instead of wasting time worrying about the things other people have, you'll start focusing on what's really important to you and your life. 
• EVERYTHING that happens is really a victory. 
• Dr. Bruce Lipton, the famous stem cell and DNA scientist, found that 95% of what we do in our day-to-day life is controlled by our subconscious. 
• Search out and connect all the different situations that come into play in your life. 

Water: 

Today I struggled with water. I was SOOO behind today and found myself chugging at night so I only got in 130oz today. 

"It is the power of the mind to be unconquerable" 
-Seneca

Day Three.

Day Three. 

It's DAY THREE! 

75Hard Day Three is COMPLETE! 💥

My thoughts for the day today? Pilates with resistance bands is NO JOKE y'all.  Serious workout this morning ... I always seem to forget what a workout Pilates actually is ... I'm over here thinking i'm going to have a nice morning. 

But ya know what? I GOT IT THE HECK DONE! Did I modify the crap out of it? YUP. Did I still sweat and burn calories? OH YEAH! ... I still did more then those who were still sleeping :) 

Picture: 

I really can't wait until I can do comparisons ... i'm not expecting results right away but still... 

Exercise: 

Today was a Pilates and remember I told you I sweated... I recommend anyone that needs a full body, low impact workout - it might be my new favorite and somethin I want to work to get better at! I need to video myself so that I can see what I'm doin and what I'm doin wrong! 

Next it was another walk around the complex - this time after I got home so it wasn't in the dark :) I hate walking my complex I feel like i'm constantly going up hill and i'm a turtle! It was a little muggy out today! 

Got all that sweat today -- which has me thinking ... my laundry is goin to be INSANE the next 75 days!

Foods: 

I really need to get better at food photos of my meals and snacks... otherwise this section is going to always be really boring. I was on track today with my foods. I did have to modify a bit but that's life! 

Reading: 

UNFU*K YOURSELF - Pages 31-44

Control and fate was the topic for these pages! 

• Willingness is a state in which we can engage with life and see a situation from a new perspective. It starts with you and ends with you. 
• Either you control your destiny, or your destiny will control you. Life won't stop for your pauses and procrastinations. It won't stop for your confusion or fear. It will continue right along without you, whether you pay an active part or not, the show will go on. 
• Face your reality. Once you adopt the mindset of "I AM WILLING," you will no longer be filled with guilt, resentment, or regret every time you see something you think you "Want.""

Water: 

Still with the 144oz ... it's becoming easier and my body is adjusting ... not having to go pee QUITE as much and I'm finding that I'm actually craving it at times now. I still miss my soda but I'm feeling better so I'm trying to remind myself of the tradeoff. 

So day two was successful. I have an amazing accountability partner and I've prepared my meals and plans for the day which has made it be uber successful! 

Tomorrow may be a different story. It's a longgggggg day with a lot happening ... it will be a true test to see if I can make it past today in the challenge! 

"Fate leads the willing and drags along the reluctant."
- Seneca

 

Day Two.

Hey friends! 

It's MONDAY! [Never Miss A Monday]

75Hard Day Two is COMPLETE! 💥 

Today was the first day of doin the program and work too! The true test. It wasn't horrid ... I think I can do this as long as I'm structured enough to hit the sack on time each day! Surprisingly I got up at 4:30am on the first alarm. I used to get up on the 8th alarm when it would go off at 6am. My body is so weird. 

I was a bit tired about mid day. Nothing a little more coffee can't help with :) Just trying to keep it before 2 so I can still not only hit my bedtime and actually fall asleep ... crossed fingers. 

Had my go-to breakfast ... I'm not a huge egg fan but I'm trying. I do it for the bread and peanut butter ... let's be honest. 

Picture: 

Here is today's photo ...

See any changes? Yeah me neither :) I think every Sunday I'm goin to do a side by side with day one since I started on a sunday ... that might help ... hopefully. 

Exercise: 

Today I did another Beachbody workout with the 21 day fix extreme program. Some are harder than others. Thankfully I got a sweat worked up! I love to sweat!! 

For my outdoor walk it was later in the day ... I got sidetracked by doing some college work so it was a night time walk around the complex. It's pretty safe I just would have rather been winding down for bed not winding up my body... it's going to make it hard to relax enough. 

Foods: 

I stayed on point today with my foods ... however, my boss, as lovely as he is, has put ME in charge of the company candy ... why? why me! Oh and I went to the bank to make the deposit and I was asked if I wanted a lollipop.  I mean sure ... who doesn't want a lollipop but I politely declined. A day of test. But happy to say that even though the bag has all my favorite candies in it non went in my mouth! :) Did I mention it was a bag full of 150 pieces? UGH! 

Reading: 

Still reading UNFU*K YOURSELF and still enjoying it. It's a very easy read. Sometimes you find yourself going um yeah duh to yourself but realizing as you're reading that it's still not stuff  you're doin ... even though they clearly seem pretty simple and that you're agreeing with. Time to start making some changes! 

Notes from Today: Pages 16-30

• It's not that you have to find the answer, you ARE the answer. 
• Assertive self-talk is when you stake a claim for this moment of time, right here and now. 
• Stop blaming luck. Stop blaming other people. Stop pointing to outside influences or circumstances. 
• You have the life you're willing to put up with. 

Water: 

144 ounces - on track - it was easier today since i'm at my desk all day :) 

Today was a good day to figure out my schedule - still lots to learn! 

"Circumstances don't make the man; they only reveal him to himself."
-Epictetus

I hope everyone is rocking the week! 

Day One.

Man ... I wish all 75 days could be this good! I was productive, I felt good, stayed on point and had time for everything! This will be one of the only few days I can promise you that though ... it's about to get real. 

75Hard Day One is COMPLETE! 💥

My Picture:
(I told y'all I was goin to be real ... be kind!) 

My Exercises: 

First workout of the day was a Plyo workout from Beachbody and then yoga/stretching Forgot to take photos of my watch at the time so the time is later in the day when I remembered! 

Second workout of the day was a 45 minute walk around the local school track. I attempted to do some running/jogging but my knees were hurting from all the jumping in Plyo that it just wasn't happening so it was a SLOW walk at that but I moved for 45 straight minutes so it's a win!  

My Foods: 

Not that great at remembering to take photos of my food today but here is part of breakfast and dinner! Dinner was Turkey Quinoa meatloaf with a side of sweet potatoes and very burnt Brussel sprouts 😃 

                             

My Reading: 

My book of choice is UNFU*K YOURSELF by Gary John Bishop
Read Pages: 1-15

Notes from my reading: 

• Studies say we have over 50 thousand thoughts per day!
• Reject your sense of injury and the injury itself disappears - Marcus Aurelius
• The language you use to describe your circumstances determines how you see, experience , and participate in them and dramatically affects how you deal with your life and confront problems both big and small! 
• It's not that you have to find the answer, you ARE the answer! 

My Water: 

144oz Complete - nothing added just PLAIN water! 💪

Day Zero.

Tomorrow I start a journey.
Join a movement. 

The movement is called 75 hard. 

Some of you may know I’ve tried this program two times before and failed each time. 

My close friends aren’t really sure if I’ll succeed this time either but this time, I’ve surrounded myself with a group of people who are doing it too, so hopefully the accountability will be there. Plus, I’ve gotten lots of “eye rolls” and the “okay … I’ll join you for a beer in two weeks”. 

No. 

You’ll join me for that beer on January 1, 2021. 

I’m going to make this a very public attempt. I’m going to be sharing my journey, my videos and putting myself out there. 

Why?
Because why not. 

I’m constantly watching other people’s journey, so maybe someone will be able to watch mine and it be their motivation. Feel free to like my posts, comments, cheer and join me if you want! I’m sure the negative comments in front, or behind my back will be there, but hey… welcome to my life! I’m 39 and have been experiencing all that for probably close to 31 of them. It’s time I stop letting it affect me. Words hurt but my actions and reactions can beat them. 

You may be asking what is 75 hard? 

75 Hard is a movement that was created and designed by Andy Frisella.  If you’ve never heard of him or his story, I invite you to read up on him, but here’s your language warning. It’s a free program and it’s taken off … or maybe because I’m reading up on it, I’m just noticing it more. Either way, it looks easy but let me tell ya, it’s not. It’s not a weight loss program, however, that is a side benefit of it for most people. It’s a mental toughness challenge. It’s meant to make you mentally tough and get through those “hard” things. It’s got 4 sections that are meant to work through an entire year. I’m doing the first section. 

For the next 75 days, which will bring me through Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years I will be doing the following: 

Drinking 1 gallon of water a day.
Water.
PLAIN WATER.
Nothing added and that means no lemons, no cucumbers, no flavoring, nothing. Water. If you’re female, start budgeting for the ‘ol TP especially if we start going into stock piling / panic mode thanks to the corona virus again. 

Reading a minimum of 10 pages of a personal development / entrepreneur book a day. However, let’s be honest, I love to read so it will be more than 10 pages, and this will be the easiest task for me each day. 

Two 45-minute workouts a day. There is a catch. Both workouts need to be consistent 45 minutes each, set breaks are fine. The workouts need to be at least 3 to 4 hours apart. This is set so that they are intentional and that you have to plan your day and make that effort. ONE of the two workouts need to be outside. In the elements regardless of what they are. However, he does say to use common sense and if you’re in a hurricane and shit is flying by you or if it’s a bad lightning storm to be smart. Being outside for your workout also means that you can’t be running in a parking deck in the rain, it doesn’t mean that you can be working out in your garage with the door open.
That’s not HARD.
Be outside. 

Take one progress photo a day. This can be just for you and is not required to be shared in any aspect, but you can if you want. However, it’s meant to show you that the scale lies and to also be disciplined.
One progress photo.
EVERY day. 

Stick to a diet or a food plan. It doesn’t need to be a “diet” but it does need to be a plan that does not involve sweet or cheat meals. The diet is task is vague, but I feel it’s vague for a reason. Whichever plan you choose is the one you need to stick with for 75 days so plan accordingly. Just remember, if you choose to count your macros, even though you may fit ice cream in your macros that’s a no-no for 75 days! 

NO ALCOHOL & NO CHEATS.
Yup… you read that right. ZERO alcohol for 75 days. Me personally? This is easy. I can take it or leave it – I drink socially, but more often than not, even if I go out with friends I still don’t drink. However, for some? This is going to be the hardest part. Yet if you’re ever looked the success stories the chains that people are able to break with alcohol and able to reclaim their life and budget are amazing! 

That’s it. 

That’s #75HARD. 

Day 1 = October 18th, 2020
Day 75 = December 31st, 2020. 

Support me.
Join me.
Wish me luck. 

The bottom is a dark place.

We all have that one excuse.  

That one thing that makes what we are experiencing not THAT bad because we haven't reached that point?  When we reach that point it will finally be THAT bad --- but we aren't there yet so no need to panic. 

HOWEVER, when you do in fact reach THAT point ... life crumbles ... the walls close in ... the floor fades away.  There are no more excuses.  No more "but I haven't"(s)....

I stepped on the scale. 

Yes, I know I did it at night and we should never step on the scale at night -- they say -- who ever they are...

I spent the early part of 2020 really trying to get in shape and I've lost 20-ish pounds since my heaviest.  Good right? Well I've been in a stale mate the last few months. I've been finding that I've been letting things slide, you know, just one piece of candy here ... and then again there ... oh look the candy bowl again just a few minutes later. 

It adds up. 

I am weak. 

Do I want to some day be able to have that piece of candy or two and go on with life? 

ABSOLUTELY. 

The reality is that time is not now. 

About a month ago I can across the phenomenon of #75Hard ... it's the craze these days ... or maybe it's been the craze for awhile but I'm just now seeing it. Who knows? Who cares? I am a firm believer in signs. That was my sign.  I mean it's just 75 freaking days ... and looking at it - it couldn't be THAT hard. 

I STILL HAD EXCUSES! 

I still said oh well my schedule won't let me do it. I can't afford all the toilet paper I'll need. (Man I wish I was a guy for that part) ... and truth was ... my excuses were right. They won. I've attempted this program TWO times already and failed both of them. I've never made it to the double digit days. Nope. Never. I failed and I failed twice. 

I'm done with excuses. There are hundreds, no thousands, of people that have done this program and succeeded that have more roadblocks than me. 

I need to be TOUGH. 

I need to be STRONG. 

I need to be BETTER. 

Tomorrow I start, again, for the last time. 

October 18th, 2020 the day I start to BUILD BRENDA! 

75HARD here I come. 

Lord help me to still have a job and friends when this is over.... wish me luck -- it's about to get interesting.