Ok! It is getting closer to the start of my challenge, on Jan 31, 2022! I wanted to share the things that I have been planning so that I am prepared and feel confident in a successful 75 Day Challenge. Calendar, Books, Water, Exercise Plan, Menu Ideas.
HERE ARE THE RULES:
- Drink 1 Gallon of Water a day
- 2- 45 min exercises (1 of them MUST be outside and needs to be at least 2 hours between the 2 workouts).
- Stick to a specific diet (you can pick what you prefer) *NO Cheating
- No Alcohol
- Read 10 pages from a non-fiction /self-help book a day
- Take a daily progress picture
Click here to go read my post on my first 75Day Challenge.
One of my favorite things that I did for my previous challenge was having a set calendar that I used every day specific for my challenge. I looked up some 75-day Hard challenge calendars on Etsy and other locations, and they just seemed to have TOO much paper for what I want. I don’t want to write down my weight and inches every day. I don’t want to have a page for each week for a menu. I wanted a simple calendar with the rules, a place for breakfast/lunch ideas (considering I usually eat the same stuff for those meals or I am fasting through them), a place to put the dinner plan for each night, and counting up and counting down of the challenge. These are what I personally like. Now, if you want something more detailed, there are people who are selling more detailed calendars. You can see the link below to get the personalized calendar that I made specific to this Challenge starting on Jan 31, 2022.
CALENDAR
I created a calendar specifically for this challenge starting on Jan 31, 2022. If any of you want to join this challenge with me, you are welcome to use this one that I created.
Not ready to start yet? Here is the 2022 Calendar with the Rules. You can print this one out and add your own count down on it, for when you are ready to start.
WATER
For this challenge, I decided to order a 1 Gallon water jug so that I don’t have to refill my 1/2 gallon in the middle of the day. This is the one I found. I personally like using my 32 oz tumbler so that my water is ice cold all day long. This jug will allow me to fill it up once a day to refill my tumbler.
BOOKS
I have already ordered several new books so that I have plenty to start me off on my challenge. Here is the list of books I am starting with for this challenge. During the challenge, I will let you know any other books that I am reading.
- Don’t Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table – Louie Giglio
- The Best Yes- Lysa TerKeurst
- The Wisdom Pattern – Richard Rohr
- Throne Room Prophecy – Hank Kunneman
- Speaking Things into Existence by Faith- Prayer M. Madueke
- Anxious for Nothing – Max Lucado
- How You Can Be Led by the Spirit of God – Kenneth E. Hagin
- The Believer’s Authority – Kenneth E. Hagin
MENU
When it comes to planning out my menu, the first thing I think about is when am I going to set specific times to fast, and when am I going to PLAN to eat Breakfast and Lunch.
I also want to say, when you are not used to drinking 1 gallon of water a day, you will realize that water does keep you pretty full. So, don’t feel weird when you aren’t hungry when you usually are.
Fasting Mondays– I found that doing a full 24 hour fast (6 pm Sunday night -6 pm Monday night) was a great way to jump-start every week. My fast was strict with water, coffee, tea, and sometimes bone broth. If there were some days that I needed more than water or coffee, I would drink some bone broth. This bone broth has to be my favorite for cooking and for sipping.
Breakfast/Snacks – On most days, I would just skip breakfast. However, I do have some great and easy recipes you can use if you really need something light and easy. Sometimes just a hard-boiled egg or a handful of mixed nuts holds me over until lunch or even dinner.
Dinner
In our family, dinner is the meal we all sit down together and enjoy a meal together and talk about our day, so I really like to think out what dinners we will be having for the week.
Next week I will have a post with my planned menu for the first week of the challenge.
Mixing up proteins
Having a good mix of seafood, chicken, beef, and pork so that we are not getting the same meat protein the whole week. For example, if we have grilled chicken and veggies one night, the next night, I would make goulash with ground beef (probably eat it 2 nights in a row), then have fish tacos one night, then breakfast for dinner.
Two-fer meals
I also like to make sure at least 1 of my meals can be used 2 nights in a row. Spaghetti, Soup, or Ghoulash are great examples where I FLUFF up my dinners to extend for another full dinner.
Breakfast for Dinner!
Breakfast is such an easy meal, and why not enjoy it for dinner?
Take out!
Now- This is really, really important! As much as I like to cook, I don’t necessarily like to cook EVERY SINGLE DAY. Having the ability to still eat with our family while doing an easy take-out/delivery dinner will keep you on track and keep up your motivation without getting burned out. Do your research on some of your family’s favorite restaurants and see what items they have that will fit into your diet plan.
PIZZA
We like pizza! We have a local pizza shop, Jackpot Pizza, that has cauliflower crust pizza (actual cauliflower crust with ONLY 4 net carbs!) If your pizza shop offers cauliflower pizza, please make sure you ask for carb count, if you are trying to be strict, A lot of those crusts have rice flour in them which is very high in carbs.
If you don’t have a pizza joint like that, I would look for pizza places with good salads and non-breaded wings. I am also not ashamed to admit I have eaten just the toppings off the pizza and tossed the crust. 🙂
Burger Joints
I like a good burger, and if my family wants some burgers and fries. I will usually order a double meat cheeseburger and either ask for no bun or just take it off the bun when I get it. Some burger places will have an option for a lettuce bun, or you can get your burger on a bed of lettuce. No fries for me, but that is OK. only 75 days.
Mexican Food
This one is a favorite! You can easily order fajitas without the rice/beans. You can ask for fajita salad. I will even use my own chips/pork rinds for dipping in the salsa or cheese dip.
Sandwiches
A lot of sandwich shops these days will make your sandwich with lettuce, or you can ask for your sandwich with no bun, but on a bed of extra lettuce. You may get weird looks, but oh well, and it still tastes great!
BBQ
Sausage, brisket, turkey, and chicken smoked is, by far, one of my favorite ways to eat my proteins. Most BBQ places have high-carb sides, so you may want to see which ones have some good side options. The sides that I would be looking for are green beans, sauteed or steamed veggies, or salad.
EXERCISE
I did a lot of research for my first 75 Day Hard Challenge, and some people said that it was best to change up your exercises. However, if you are like me, I don’t like to exercise. AT ALL. So, I found it was best to stick with what I did best. WALKING.
OUTSIDE EXERCISE
I always recommend doing the outside exercise first. That way it is done, and if your day gets away from you, you don’t have to go do your outside exercise in the dark. I had walked in the pouring rain a few times. I have been that person in a raincoat and umbrella walking my neighborhood jamming to my favorite Christian Pandora station. I was never miserable, I was actually usually laughing when the rain came down, knowing I would enjoy a nice hot shower afterward.
I am blessed to live in a pretty nice neighborhood, and I was able to find the EXACT 45-minute route I could take every day without going down every culdesac or without circling twice. I was able to do the same route, just the opposite direction for my second exercise. If you live in a neighborhood, I would recommend trying out some routes to find your favorite.
INSIDE EXERCISE
I think I did 95% of my exercises outside on my first challenge. I love to walk, and my neighbors are all so nice. So, If you prefer. todo all of your exercises outside, like me, That is perfectly fine. However, if your outside exercise is already done, and it is now inclement weather, inside exercise may be preferred.
I do have some HIIT workout books that I used on my first 75-day challenge. If you read my post on that, you will not be surprised to hear me say, I will NOT be doing that again. However, If you like that, I say- GO FOR IT.
If you have a gym membership, now is the time to use it for your indoor workout.
I think a lot of people have either elliptical, treadmills, or stationary bikes already in their homes. And those are great indoor options.
Thankfully, I will be using my husband’s elliptical that we have in our garage this time. Yay!
QUESTIONS? WANT TO JOIN?
If you have any questions for me, please let me know. If you decide to join me in the challenge, I would love to hear from you.
Need Accountability? I started a Facebook Group that allows people to share their tips and success stories.
