How I Completed The 75 Hard Program As a Working Mom

The fitness and personal growth corners of social media have exploded with the 75 Hard {#75Hard} craze, and it’s definitely for good reason. Everyone from famous professional trainers to rookie change seekers has attempted the program and shared their results. As a fitness enthusiast and challenge lover I was intrigued, but honestly thought it was impossible for a working toddler mom.

You see, the 75 Hard program is 75 straight days {yep, NO days off} of completing these 5 non-negotiable tasks:

1.  2 separate 45-minute workouts, one of which has to be outdoors
2.  Drink a gallon of plain water 
3.  Take a progress picture 
4. No cheat meals, no alcohol, no junk food – follow your chosen nutrition plan 100% 
5.  10 pages of non-fiction personal growth reading

So as you can see, moms don’t have time for 75 HARD and I wasn’t even going to attempt it…or was I?

I couldn’t get the challenge out of my head and ultimately I succumbed to the temptation to prove something to myself. And guess what? I DID it! Like all the way, with physical and mental results beyond my wildest dreams, and with a discipline and a drive I didn’t know I had. Incredibly, I lost 16 pounds, got pre-baby-toned, and had energy levels soaring through the roof. I loved the daily time outdoors, the “gains”, and the way it felt to keep promises to myself without compromise.

But what really amazed me and what I really want to share with you are my takeaways from completing 75 Hard – this intense mental toughness challenge – as a mom:

I stopped feeling guilty for prioritizing myself.
It was definitely crazy squeezing all those tasks into each day on top of being a working mom and wife. There were absolutely days I felt guilty for taking time for myself when other things needed attention. But, my outdoor workouts included my daughter riding along in the stroller while I jogged, and my husband started handling bath time every night. So what at first appeared as selfish, ultimately provided more quality bonding time for all of us.  I learned that I can take time for myself and that my family will adapt, survive, and dare I say thrive. 

 I  am capable of so much more than I thought.
My fear that 75 Hard was too much for a mom was obliterated when I realized that moms are literally built for this. We spend our lives doing what needs to be done no matter what it takes, which is exactly what this program demands of you. And you can’t miss the “no days off” parallel either. It helped immensely that I have an extremely supportive husband who is a hands-on father, but ultimately, it was me checking off those tasks each night regardless of what the day had thrown at me. I was the one sweating it out on the treadmill after my family went to bed, reading my pages on lunch break, and taking the extra minute after my shower to get that daily progress pic without fail. I found the wellspring inside that feeds all moms as we are washing uniforms at midnight, nursing sick babies while replying to emails, making dinner after a too-long day, or shaving our legs for date night when we really want a good Netflix binge and a foot rub. Mothers do what we are too tired or too busy to do every single day. We already have mental toughness ingrained in us. 

There is peace in being a person apart from the parent that you are.
The physical demands were intense, and some days my body and mind were beyond exhausted, but I found a regenerative sense of peace in doing something that was solely for me.  I felt strong, and proud, and vital in ways that had nothing to do with my success as a parent, and it was definitely good for the soul. 

Our kids are definitely paying attention.
This lifestyle rubbed off on my daughter very quickly. After only a week she was asking if we were going to walk after daycare and prompting me to run from her seat in the stroller. When I was weight training she was close by picking up weights and resistance bands and moving her body along with me. She started asking for shakes instead of nuggets when we grabbed food in town. It was incredible to see how much of my behavior she was observing and mimicking. Our children may not always listen, but they are definitely paying attention. 

 I have learned to trust myself deeply. 
There is no outward accountability in this challenge. No coach, team, or check-ins. It’s just you and your commitment. By keeping promises to myself and doing more than  I thought I could do for 75 days in a row, I learned to trust myself in an entirely new way. As a mom this is priceless. We have to make tough decisions, split decisions, scary decisions and be in charge of so many things all the time and all at once. Having deep confidence and trust in yourself is probably one of the greatest tools a mother can have and probably the most gratifying takeaway from this challenge. 

Whether you choose to take on 75 Hard or some other program for personal growth, it will not only be worth it for you, but for your whole family. And don’t worry Mama, sometimes being a little selfish is a good thing.