If you’ve been following along with me on Instagram, you’ve definitely heard/seen me talking about the 60 Hard Challenge Shane and I are doing. If this is the first you’re hearing about it, then you’re in luck because I’m doing a full recap on the first half of the challenge with a Q&A from all of you!

Shane and I started our 60 Hard Challenge on July 9th. Although the original challenge was supposed to be for 75 days, we shortened it to 60 because it lined up perfectly with the day before we leave for Hawaii in September. While I’m planning to get deeper into the details of the challenge in the Q&A below, I know everyone is probably wondering why I even decided to do it in the first place.

If you’ve been a follower for a while, you’ll probably remember when my health journey began in 2018. When I wrote that post, I was in the best shape I could ever remember being, and I felt more confident than ever going into my senior year of college. I even kept the weight I had lost for over a year… and then COVID hit. It was a slow progression, but as the months went by, my clothes started to fit tighter and tighter. This past February, I felt miserable in my body and decided enough was enough. In an attempt to regain control and feel like me again, I followed the same diet I did in 2018 and lost the 20 pounds I had regained. After hitting my goal in April, I coasted for a bit and tried transitioning into a lifestyle plan until July, when Shane and I decided to do this challenge. So, why did I choose to do the 60 Hard Challenge, you’re probably asking? My best answer is that it felt like a perfect exercise in discipline, and I thought it would help me develop healthy lifestyle habits I could carry beyond the 60 Days.

So, that’s that! If you read the Q&A below, I promise it will answer all your questions, and I’ll try my best not to leave out any details!

Q&A

What is it? 

The original challenge that inspired Shane’s and my 60 Hard is Andy Frisella’s 75 Hard Challenge. 75 Hard is a Mental and Physical Toughness challenge that requires you to practice discipline in all aspects of your life by following six simple rules:

• Do two 45-minute workouts per day (one of which has to be outside)
• Follow a diet (any diet)
• No drinking alcohol
• Read ten pages of a nonfiction/self-help book every day
• Drink a gallon of water per day
• Take a progress picture every day

Shane and I have been following each of these rules for the past 39 days, and it has been challenging but in a really life-altering way. The one difference between what we’re doing and the original 75 Hard Challenge is that we’re only doing it for 60 days instead of 75.

How come you’re only doing 60 days?

We decided to do 60 days because it lined up perfectly with our calendars to end the day before we leave on a 10-day trip to Hawaii in September. Otherwise, we would have done the full 75 days.

How good do you feel?

As I mentioned above, when I first wrote about my health journey in 2018, I was in the best shape I had ever been in. I can confidently say that I am NOW in the best shape I’ve ever been in in my entire life. I feel more confident and stronger than I’ve ever felt before. I have way more energy (although that was definitely hard in the beginning), and I’ve felt such a sense of accomplishment and freedom from all the discipline I’ve had to practice.

What diet are you following?

This is by far the number one question I’ve been getting asked whenever I talk about this challenge (both with people in person and via DM). When I decided I wanted to do the challenge, I knew that whatever habits and practices I introduced into my life needed to be sustainable for the long term. I decided to start working with my friend Laura from Busy Gal Nutrition to develop a personalized eating plan that met my specific needs. Since I had just gotten off a super strict diet in April and lost a good chunk of weight, weight loss hasn’t actually been my top priority during this challenge. When Laura and I started working together and discussing goals, I told her that my main priority was my relationship with food and learning how to eat to fuel my body properly in a way I could follow forever. I have been SO grateful to Laura for everything she has done for me so far. I can honestly say I’ve never had a more stable relationship with food in my life, AND I really am getting to eat what I want (within reason). We’re focusing on eating balanced meals that leave me feeling satiated and give me energy throughout the day. So far, I’ve lost about 5 pounds, but what’s more exciting to me is that I’ve lost over 1% body fat! My clothes are already fitting me so differently, which is so cool.

I’m honestly just so excited and happy about everything I’m learning along this journey, and I know these habits are something I will take with me far beyond just this challenge.

What kind of workouts are you doing? What’s your workout Schedule?

My main workouts are Walking, Pilates, Yoga/Stretching, and Spin. For the most part, I do at least one walk a day, and that’s typically my outdoor workout for the day. Sometimes I do two walks in one day if I feel like it or I can’t find time to go to a workout class, but I’ve been really trying to just listen to my body and give it what it needs. Typically a week of workouts has looked like this:

• Walk every day
• Pilates 3-4x per week
• Spin 1x per week
• Yoga/Stretching 1-2x per week

Reformer Pilates has been my FAVORITE thing that I have introduced into my regimen since starting this challenge. A friend of mine encouraged me to go to my first class, and I was hooked after just a few sessions. I now have an unlimited membership at my pilates studio, and it’s some of the best money I’m spending because the classes make me feel so good. Honestly, since I started pilates is when I’ve seen the most significant physical changes in my body, and it’s actually pretty incredible. Even my parents and Shane can’t believe it! If you’ve ever thought about maybe trying a pilates class, I can not recommend it enough.

What has been the toughest part?

So far, the most challenging part for me has been the double workouts every day. Honestly, it’s more just a matter of me finding the time to do both of them without feeling totally burnt out. It’s gotten much easier, but it was definitely a struggle in the beginning because I was just so tired. I try to bookend my workday with the workouts when I can to help give a little bit more structure to my day and provide some separation between work and life. I will say, overall, every aspect of the challenge has gotten easier over time. Now, most of it is just second nature to me.

Will you decide to drink less moving forward? 

The no drinking thing has been so interesting throughout this process because I honestly thought I’d miss alcohol so much more than I do. Now, that’s not to say that I haven’t missed a chilled glass of rosé on a hot summer afternoon and a dirty martini at special dinners because I have. But, this challenge has shown me just how much better I feel without alcohol in my life and with a little bit more balance. I think my drinking habits will be soooo different when we’re done. While I was never a big weeknight (Monday-Thursday) drinker before the challenge, I’ve been known to overindulge in my fair share of wine and cocktails, only to feel miserable the next day. It has been SO NICE never waking up hungover. This whole process has made me take a look at the role I want alcohol to play in my life, and I’ve realized I’m ready to cut back on it in a significant way moving forward. I’m not going to never drink again, but I’ll definitely be more selective about when I do decide to indulge.

What’s the best thing you’ve cooked?

As lame as this sounds, the best thing I’ve cooked has been sweet potatoes! A random thing about me is that sweet potatoes are one of my favorite foods, and when I was on my diet in February, I wasn’t allowed to eat them at all. Immediately when I started working with Laura, she was like, “Of course, you can have sweet potatoes!” I’ve been making them in all different kinds of ways, and I’ve never been happier! I’ve been loving taking recipe inspiration from some accounts I follow on Instagram, like Brocc Your Body, Sweat and Tell, Brett’s Bites, and Half Baked Harvest.

How Sustainable is it? 

So here’s the thing. The challenge itself *in my opinion,* is not sustainable long term. For me, I know I wouldn’t be able to workout twice a day every day with no breaks for the rest of my life. However, the way the challenge is built is great because you can tailor it to your needs and make it as sustainable as you want. You can follow ANY diet. You can do ANY workouts. You can read ANY nonfiction book. That freedom is really helpful! Some people will do this challenge and go super hard and intense for the full 60 (or 75) days, which is impressive, but when the challenge is over, it can be hard to carry those habits long term and transition into a lifestyle. I knew from the beginning that my goal was a healthy balanced lifestyle, in the end, so I’ve tailored everything I’ve done towards that goal by doing workouts that challenge me and make me feel good (not like I’m dying) by following a diet that makes me feel empowered and happy instead of deprived and depressed, and by reading books that inspire and motivate me. It’s really up to you!

Hopefully, you found that Q& A helpful! I’ll be sure to do another full recap post about it with all my thoughts and results once I’ve finished. I might even share some before and after photos if I feel confident enough to share! In the meantime, my DM’s are always open if you have more questions or want to chat!