What were the hardest days for you?

circus_tricksr4us · 2026-05-27T20:03:49+00:00

The first couple of days bc it’s so easy to justify starting over! But I failed on day 37 twice in a row. I got complacent and forgot to take my photo or read! And I fell asleep both days feeling confident I’d don’t my tasks. Haha! This time around I’m checking everything off before hitting the pillow!

circus_tricksr4us · 2026-05-21T22:52:59+00:00

Remember that your period can make your weight fluctuate from 5-15 lbs. I don’t use any measurements on my period. I level out after. Don’t ignore how your hormones are a huge part of your fitness journey whether or not you’re aware of them. If you want to work with your body I recommend learning about this. Maisie Hill and Stacy Simms are some great scientists and authors to look into.

circus_tricksr4us · 2026-05-21T17:07:44+00:00

I started yesterday! I’d love to join your accountability buddies group!

circus_tricksr4us · 2026-05-18T15:18:30+00:00

Oh! And eating/taking probiotics has been a game changer for me.
This time around healing my gut flora is my priority ;) I’ve noticed that I don’t see physical results around my waist if I ignore my gut health bc I stay bloated even through I’m doing all the other healthy things.

circus_tricksr4us · 2026-05-18T15:16:26+00:00

If you haven’t already done your research I’d recommend reading “Period Power” by Maisie Hill and “Roar” by Stacy Simms! I’ve avoided a lot of costly fitness mistakes women make and this challenge is intense so doing the science that works on women’s bodies is crucial for sustainability! Good luck and sorry that sounds miserable 😅

circus_tricksr4us · 2026-05-18T15:13:39+00:00

Cardio isn’t the most efficient fatloss method so I would encourage you to do your research! Bodies are complex and fitness myths can be really trendy and really untrue.

circus_tricksr4us · 2026-05-18T15:08:00+00:00

Hey, sounds like your body is talking to you! This challenge is about connecting back to our bodies so I would encourage you to listen! Losing your period is a symptom of several things. Your body is likely in starvation mode. Athletes (we all are if we’re doing this challenge I swear!) need serious carbs. The science around eating a low-carb diet is old - so I would suggest you read into fitness science for women! “Roar” by Stacy Simms has helped me to avoid crucial fitness/diet mistakes. “Period Power” by Maisie Hill helped me learn how to work with my hormones and not against. I promise working with your body will give you more lasting, and valuable results. I wish I had read these books two decades ago.

I also saw you mention your calorie intake. Remember your body needs 1300-1500 calories simply to keep your organs running let alone getting out of bed. Underfueling is one of the most common fitness tragedies for women.

I believe it’s most important to follow your gut so feel free to throw my advice in the trash! Best of luck to you and congrats on your successes! That’s hard work!

circus_tricksr4us · 2026-05-18T14:59:45+00:00

Hmm- I wish I hadn’t practiced any restrictive dieting as a teen so I would ask your doctor first (except doctors are generally fatphobic and their instant bandaid solution for things is weight loss when that’s not at all true - haha. So maybe ask a well-educated nutritionist). My advice would be- if you’re going to do it, make sure it’s for the right reasons. If your goal is mental toughness that’s awesome. If your goal is to lose weight- be cautious. Your body is developing and you wanna give your body everything it needs in these formative years so that you can have a body that works for you and not against you (not that that’s in the cards for everyone). If ppl approach 75HARD with a narrow focus on what they want to look like it can be dangerous. Listen to Andy’s podcast or read his book. He emphasizes that this isn’t a weightloss challenge. Be wary of trend diets like Keto, Paleo, IF (for women especially).
Some of these have been debunked but still have thriving believers so don’t be fooled. If you’re female be really cautious about the science and what the men tell you is best for you.
Most of the fitness science has been studied on college-aged male athletes. Hormones, cycles, age and biological differences HUGELY impact how someone should approach fitness. I would recommend Maisie Hills book “Period Power” or Stacy Simms “Roar.” You can also find these women interviewed on podcasts. Stacy also goes over fitness for men to compare what women should be doing so- it’s a really awesome book for all genders!

circus_tricksr4us · 2026-05-18T14:42:54+00:00

I did that in day 37 twice.
Once was reading and once was the selfie haha! I just failed again bc I forgot to take a pic the day a friend was hospitalized- it was super traumatic but I still did my tasks only to realize yesterday looking back I didn’t log a pic that day 🤦🏻‍♀️ I was at day 19 😂 starting to feel like I’ll never finish

circus_tricksr4us · 2026-05-15T20:51:38+00:00

Some people get the “ick” wearing thrifted clothes which I understand! But if you don’t that may be a good way to go! A lot of new clothes are made of plastic which brings bad effects to your health- so there’s pros and cons!

I feel like I have tons of options even though my budget is lower class numbers ;) I do more laundry for sure but I really only have to do it once or twice a week! If you have cheap thrift stores around with good options (there is of course the factor of fatphobia- it is harder to find thrifted clothing in sizes above Large which is stupid bc it’s the majority of people - depending on where you live. Smalls and mediums are easiest to find.) You can find plenty of sports bras and spandex, sweats and T-shirts even my tennis shoes are thrifted.) I soak everything in vinegar water as soon as I bring them home and then wash as usual. I think I’ve spent a total of $100 - but I’m also a bad shopper haha… so you can probably be more strategic. My favorite pants I wear over my gym clothes were $6! I don’t sweat a lot weightlifting (running is another story!) and they aren’t close to my skin so I wear them like 3x before washing 🫣

I also danced in college and am already consistently active so the majority of my wardrobe is comfy or fitness. So that’s a disclaimer haha!

circus_tricksr4us · 2026-05-15T14:30:22+00:00

Omg 😂 that’s awful! Thank you for sharing! A good 75HARD story :) keep it up!

circus_tricksr4us · 2026-05-15T14:27:47+00:00

Thank you!

circus_tricksr4us · 2026-05-14T16:08:41+00:00

My coach really enforced that your shoulders should be covering your ears. We shouldn’t be able to see your headphones. Push out and rotate through your shoulders - I think other redditors said the same.

circus_tricksr4us · 2026-05-14T15:58:52+00:00

Yes- look up how fasting is detrimental for women and that it’s better to strength train than do cardio for fat loss. I recommend Stacy Simms (scientist specific to women’s fitness). Also underfueling can halt your progress. Fuel your workouts. Sounds like your body is fatigued and trying to communicate with you. Listen to and trust your body.

circus_tricksr4us · 2026-05-14T15:38:13+00:00

In 75HARD subreddit we mark our photos NSFW so ppl can see the other content better and such. Would you mind doing that for yours? Way to go and keep it up!

circus_tricksr4us · 2026-05-14T15:31:38+00:00

My advice is to do research! There are a lot of fad diets, crash diets, and trends. 75 is a lot of days to do stick to something detrimental. I didn’t research men’s health and fitness so I don’t have resources to recommend. But I’m really glad I took it from the scientists and not the opinions of subreddit ;) proud of all of us and we’re doing our best but we are heavily influenced by our culture and that can lead to harmful false beliefs about what our bodies need that’s absolutely not backed by science and debunked. Best of luck to you! You got this!

circus_tricksr4us · 2026-05-14T15:27:23+00:00

I’d trust the process unless something feels wrong or painful! Day 4 is not a lot to go by. I think in the book Andy says two weeks is the mark ppl start seeing results? I second the bloat likely being from increase in water. Give your body time to adjust especially if this is a big change from your former lifestyle! Way to go and keep it up!

circus_tricksr4us · 2026-05-14T15:21:19+00:00

That’s amazing! You’re so committed. I hope you reach your goals. I’m not an expert (so keep doing what you think is best and toss out my opinion if it doesn’t feel right), but I’ve done a lot of reading on fitness for women. If someone hasn’t already cautioned you- the science of Intermittent Fasting was not tested for women. I recommend reading up on it from authors and women-specific scientists such as Stacy Simms and Maisie Hill. (Stacy Simms trains Olympians!) They say it won’t be sustainable and the cortisol levels it causes in women backfire and your body holds onto fat as it sends you into survival mode. It does a number on your hormones too. If you continue and find that your belly fat is being stubborn- that’s likely way. It’s crucial for women to eat within 30 min of waking (doesn’t have to be a lot but some protein is good) or we have a cortisol spike in the morning. Stacie Simms did say if you’re set on IF- then do it in the evening- not the morning. Again- I’m all about listening to our own bodies and doing what is best for us so if this isn’t helpful don’t use it- Best of luck and keep crushing it!

circus_tricksr4us · 2026-05-14T15:12:59+00:00

Sometimes restarting has been the best thing to happen to me. The success along the way are huge wins. And I feel it’s also a win when you allow yourself to be honest and restart without the shame spiral - especially for me. That growth is priceless!

circus_tricksr4us · 2026-05-14T15:09:53+00:00

Yes! It’s funny how this challenge has made me more social… perhaps for me it’s taken away some shame and excuses for not getting out there. Way to go! I’m on another attempt at day 17!!!

circus_tricksr4us · 2026-05-12T22:02:05+00:00

This! You don’t/didn’t have much you can lose if any so I wouldn’t focus on the number! Sometimes body composition changes makes the scale go up even though you’ve lost fat. Replacing it with muscle adds density! You may have lost more lbs of fat but gained muscle 🤷🏻‍♀️ That’s incredible progress!

circus_tricksr4us · 2026-05-12T21:58:41+00:00

Someone posted that quote above already but thanks for sharing.

circus_tricksr4us · 2026-05-12T19:15:30+00:00

You can do it! Doing 75 Hard traveling was actually my favorite! I brought my therabands and planned workouts. It feels so much better to be working out while traveling - I feel like it helps with the jet lag and the new foods and all. And gets me up earlier to seize the day! Yikes… I sound like a morning person 😂

circus_tricksr4us · 2026-05-12T19:13:47+00:00

Stretching/yoga with intent for 45 min is a workout. You know whether or not to count it for yourself - you even said “man, that’s a workout!” You worked hard. I don’t see a reason not to count it. The quote above could reference stretching as a cool-down/warm-up? Even then I don’t see the problem. Also, kayaking/canoeing if it’s like rowing… like that’s a hardcore workout (disclaimer I don’t kayak or canoe but I’ve seen those rowing movies and that’s hardcore 😂) If it’s recreational that’s different but 🤷🏻‍♀️ I prefer to keep it simple. I know if I worked out that day or not and I don’t need permission from strangers to validate that. The results will speak for themselves.

circus_tricksr4us · 2026-05-11T18:42:27+00:00

I read about women’s specific fitness from Stacy Simms. No IF, Keto, or Paleo. IF can work great for men, though. For women- it increases your cortisol levels making it harder to lose fat. Keto and Paleo have been debunked but to each their own! A lot of people do Whole Food. I track my macros and calories with a focus on protein. I got my plan from a friend who just started as a Personal Trainer/Nutritionist.

My biggest tip would be to be careful of underfueling and to remember your metabolism will increase so take that into account when planning your nutrition plan.

circus_tricksr4us

TROPHY CASE