75 Hard…Love It or Leave It?

Ever wonder what is happening in the lives of 75 Hard Challengers or the Biggest Loser contestants a year later? The very sad and harsh reality is that the majority are right back to where they started…or in some cases worse off. This is the unfortunate hard truth regarding most fitness/diet challenges out there.

So why the following and hype? Every where you look nowadays you see posts with the hashtag #75hard. In today’s world it is more the norm that the popular salesman or social media celebrity has a tremendous number of followers, rather than the fitness and nutrition experts who have years of education and knowledge. Bigger, better, faster, more is the mantra of today’s society and these influencers feed the dysmorphia and anxiety of the general population. Especially those who are unhappy with themselves.

The creator of 75 Hard has zero education or certification in nutrition, fitness, exercise science or personal training. He is however, a world renowned entrepreneur and salesman. He knows exactly which buttons to push to get people to buy into his challenge.

But wait…there are so many amazing before and after photos of people who have completed his challenge. This is true; however, have you seen photos of those same contestants a year later? And do those photos show the real cost of 2.5 months of over training and dieting?

Those that have managed to complete 75 days in a row of over exercising and under eating are ecstatic at first that they were “tough enough” to complete such a hard endeavor, but most of them have not planned for the aftereffects. Many of these effects can contribute to a decrease in mental health in the long run. If and when they are no longer completing 90 minutes of exercise a day and they are no longer following the diet, they have not planned for a reverse diet and a plan to ease themselves back into a more normalized lifestyle. If their diet has had them cut out all or most of certain food groups, for example breads and other starchy carbohydrates, their bodies will rebel, gain back weight in an extremely short amount of time and they will feel more defeated than when they began their challenge.

In addition, many end up with overuse injuries such as tendonitis and even stress fractures as they never gave their bodies a chance to recover properly in between workouts. These injuries create longer down times, which typically adds to more weight gain and even further decreased mental health.

So, what would be better? It’s not nearly as glamorous but following more realistic programming that takes into consideration your own body with its background and needs. One that purposely builds in rest days to recover so you can build muscle and get stronger without overstressing joints, tendons and ligaments. And a long-term nutrition plan that becomes part of your lifestyle rather than a diet. The idea is to improve healthy behaviors for life.

Not sure where to begin? Do your research. Look past the hype of popular trends for solutions that will last long term. Need help? Find a qualified professional that takes into consideration your lifestyle, background and needs and can create a plan that works specifically for you.

Ultimately what’s your endgame? 75 hard days…or a lifelong pursuit of feeling healthy???