Annnnd deep breath. Week 6 is in the books and some noticeable events took place over the last 7 days, including a couple of big milestones. Let’s talk about it.

ROADBLOCK (And a milestone of it’s own)

It happened. Wasn’t as bad as it could have been, but none the less it happened. Day 41 (Wednesday 9/24), I hit a mental and semi-emotional road block, and at around 9 AM I had questioned whether or not it was the day I was going to fail 75 Hard.

I’ve been starting my days with a walk between 4 and 4:30 am every morning. I get to work by 5:30, and by 9 AM I’ve completed my first workout, gotten my progress picture in, and gotten a third of the way through my water.

Except today, by 9 AM, I hadn’t done shit. I had woken up an hour late, skipped my walk, got to work, and got inundated with a pile of stress, and before I knew it I had found myself in a head spiral of doubt that I was going to actually be able to get through the day. I hadn’t even had my first drink of water yet.

A year ago, hell 2 or 3 months ago, I would have just said fuck it. I’d have gone out at lunch, dumped a shit load of whatever food would make me feel better into my body, cracked open a Dr Pepper, and called it a loss. I didn’t do that though. Instead I sat in my car at the 9:30 break (that I don’t normally ever take), and read my 10 pages. Took my progress picture, filled my water, and by lunch I had downed half of my gallon. Took a walk during lunch, had a nice salad from Jersey Mike’s, and continued with my day. By the time my buddies and I got into our D&D session at 7 PM I had finished the day and completed all my goals.

MILESTONE – Half Way

This past Saturday marked the halfway point of 75 Hard. Full transparency, I didn’t expect to make it here. I told my 75 Hard partner this too. I expected to fail at around a quarter or third of the way in. By the end of the day Saturday, though, I sat and reflected a bit about making t half way, and for the first time in awhile, I felt proud of something I had done. I know I didn’t do it alone, but I am fully aware that I was the one who did it. And I actually took the time to acknowledge that to myself. Anyone who knows me, knows that the fact I was able to do that, makes this entire challenge worth it.

MILESTONE – Weight Loss

I’ve tried not to talk about this much, as 75 Hard isn’t a fitness challenge, and though it promotes healthy habits by requiring you to stick to a diet and work out, it’s more about putting you in the mindset to treat yourself better.

I started walking about a month before starting 75 Hard. It wasn’t daily, but it was multiple times a  week. A couple weeks before that, I had weighed myself and the number was the lowest it had been in close to 15 years, but wasn’t one I was happy with

334 LBS.

So I started walking and drinking a gallon of water before I even agreed to do the challenge.

While I have been weighing myself along the way, I haven’t been openly talking about it on the blog, and only to people in my life who have asked. I’ve been told by multiple people that are in my day to day life that they can tell I’m losing weight. I havnt been able to see it. This morning, I weighed myself and took a deep breath and nodded. It wasn’t what I expected, and it did nothing by drive me further into making sure I complete 75 Hard.

310 LBS.

I’ve always wanted to get back down to 250 lbs. At 6’2”, it was the happiest I had been physically. I was around 23 or 24. I turned 43 this year, and I would never imagined I would see my weight start with the number 2 again in my life. But I’m not a firm believer that I can hit my 250 goal. My goal is to try and hit 299 before October is over. I think it’s doable. And the thought has me full of emotions.

Let’s Fucking Go!