The 75 Hard Challenge is Just Boring; Week Seven Update
50% of this challenge is boring, and the other 50% I enjoy.
This “challenge” is really give and take. I can understand why it is challenging for some people, having to completely change a lot of habits from one extreme to the next. However, since a lot of my lifestyle was already aligned with the “new habits,” I haven’t been faced with too much difficulty.
I have more so felt forced to finish the outside exercise in the rain, lose out on snagging a drink with a friend, or unable to take advantage of a date night out at a restaurant. But, all in all I am enjoying my consistent habits, except for the feeling of being bored.
Lets recap the rules I have to follow:
Stick to a diet.
No cheat meals.
No alcohol.
Exercise twice a day each for 45 minutes. One must be outside.
Progress photos.
One gallon of water a day.
Read 10 pages of non-fiction.
Out of these rules, I did the majority of them prior to this challenge.
I try my best to eat mindfully. My body is just one where I can spike and drop at extreme levels based on what I eat and at what time. So, I do my best to only eat when I am hungry, and foods that make me feel the best.
When it comes to cheat meals, I took this as eating out. Which was rare around here due to my allergy, but not something that never happened. We have completely cut it out. This has had its advantages when it comes to saving money and feeling healthy after meals, but posed a challenge when we have to scramble last minute to make food when we forgot to plan dinner. We don’t have the choice to order pizza as a backup.
I am already someone that exercises with a goal of five times a week, but would try for seven. This challenge has forced me to keep up with it. I thoroughly enjoy my new exercise routine that pushes my body like never before. There has become a difference between not going to the gym because I am lazy versus not going because the day was busy, time got away, and you don’t want to leave your house past 8pm to go to the gym. This is where the inconvenience-pressure comes from, despite being late at night I still have to go.
Same thing with the walks with the boys. We plan our outside exercise to be a family walk. Something we really enjoy 90% of the time. The other 10%? It’s forcing screaming kids into a stroller who do not want to be strapped down but rather be playing before bedtime. Once we start going and visit a giant ten-foot skeleton a few streets down, they cheer up. Family walks were something I had started prior to this challenge, but I didn’t force nightly. I would aim for at least three times a week.
And what happens when it rains for a week straight? You still have to go outside to catch a cold.
I will admit, progress photos are not my favorite. What I need to focus on is that I know I feel different. My clothes are fitting better. As of now, I have lost 8.5 pounds which feels amazing. However, I still do not like the idea of taking a picture when I am not as comfortable with my postpartum body as I want to be.
Water intake is something I pride myself on being good at. Always have.
Now, reading is where I switched things up. As you know, my 5:00am morning routine consists of journaling and reading. My reading has always been research or personal development to make me a better coach. I sit with a pen and paper in hand and take notes in order to bring the best information to my clients. This felt like a cheat if I counted something that was already so big in my life. Instead, I added night reading of fiction novels. I do more than 10 pages because I have a separate goal of reading two books a month (24 this whole year.) I am currently halfway through my fourth book which feels amazing!
So, why am I bored?
Because everything thought is consumed by this challenge. I have to always think about what I am doing to follow the rules. I am so over it. It is just so boring to constantly think about one thing.
It’s also boring because it has taken the freedom away of going out and enjoying yourself. I can’t say yes to snagging a drink with a friend, or going on a date night. These things are rare to begin with, but going 75 days without either is unlikely. Plus, you just don’t have time for anything else because your free time is prepping yourself for success or exercising.
I am not saying I won’t try this challenge in the future, but for now, being over halfway, I am just ready to get back to living.
This is not a sustainable lifestyle. It’s not mentally healthy. Yes, it teaches mental toughness and strength, but it strips you of your freedom to do things that naturally make you happy.
That is why I previously created The 90 Day Sustainable Routine Change Challenge. So you can have these huge goals and major habit changes, but still have balance of things that make you happy.
