75 Hard Update: Day 6-25 Improving Nutrition and New Gear

Yes, I am still doing the 75 hard. Yes it is, in fact, hard (duh).

Quick rant before we get started. Two workouts a day is a lot and I do not plan on doing it past these 75 days. Once a day is much more manageable and works better with my lifestyle. My work day starts early and ends mid afternoon. Fitting in two 45 minute workouts with 2 hours in between is taxing, and some days, annoying. Unfortunately, there were 3 days that I was unable to fit in a second workout so I did not count them. Technically I should be on day 26.

According to the rules I would have to start over but I’m going to be honest again…I ain’t doing that! Those days just won’t be counted, end of story.

At a certain point I forgot to document my days so I will not be going through every day between 6-25. Instead, I will provide two crucial updates regarding this challenge. Nutrition and equipment.

It’s getting serious y’all!

Lastly, this is a reminder that, like I said in my first 75 hard update, I am only doing the fitness and diet portion of 75 hard. I want to do the other parts during another round when my life is not as…full. I can barely keep up with the workouts, I have no business pretending like I can read as much as they want me to.

New Gear!

For me, variety is a must if I am going to be interested in something. That’s why I was never into the gym as much I felt I should be. As I said in my first update, I enjoy being active not just lifting weights. I love fitness because of how many activities exist within its definition. So it has been such a pleasure to explore what the activities I enjoy.

Besides the gym, I have been jumproping more, doing home HIIT or pilates, dance, and suprisingly, running (more on that another time).

With the increase in activity came the time for some upgrades. Something I had been eyeing for a while was a weighted vest. I’m low key obsessed with bone density in women. We loose bone density as we get older leading to several complications that can be prevented with proper weight training. Well, since I lift weights about 3x a week, I wanted to add a weighted vest to my cardio workouts.

In addition, I bought some wrist weights to add to the challenge.

On top of my weighted vest, I soon understood that if I wanted to take this seriously, I needed to start tracking my fitness. I needed to know how many calories my workouts burned as well as how many steps I was taking. Consequently, I soon found myself looking for a smart watch specifically for fitness. I came across a few on amazon and looked at some reviews. Ultimately, I wanted something reasonably priced (less than $80) but useful for my workouts and my daily needs.

Insert my new smart watch. You can click the pick above for the link but I already love it! It’s connected with an app that has fitness programs, tracking, and other customization features. I’m currently involved in their 3k beginner program to help me get better at running. Eventually, I’ll be able to graduate from their 3k to their 5k program.

Nutrition

I have always been relatively active and fit which led me to believe I knew a lot about fitness. Doing 2 workouts a day everyday has humbled me beyond what I ever expected. I used to jump rope all the time. But now that I am trying to incorporate jump rope and weightlifting, and jogging, and dancing, and HIIT workouts throughout my week, I have run into a couple of roadblocks.

As you may have guessed, the greatest of these hurdles has been my rudimentary understanding of nutrition.

I understood the basics.

There are healthy foods and unhealthy foods. If given the choice between a cupcake and an avocado…I’d probably choose the avocado.

However, the deeper understanding of why the avocado is healthier other than the fact that it’s natural and green was lost to me.

Healthy fats, fiber intake, complex versus simple carbs.

I needed to learn about proper nutrition and learn it quickly. Within the first 1-2 weeks, I was constantly tired throughout the day. As a result, my workouts were lackluster and being active became a chore.

The culprit? I was trying to do 2 workouts a day with a major increase in cardio on a low carb, high protein diet. Dear reader: carbs provide energy. Energy is needed for physical performance.

Especially high cardio workouts!

So I adapted and I am still adapting by paying attention to what I eat, how much I eat, and researching why I am eating it. Rather than low carb, I am paying attention to the type of carbs I am eating. This is not me developing an eating disorder or becoming hyperfixated on food. In fact, it is forcing myself to confront the incorrect beliefs I had toward food in general.

I’m not denying myself of food because I want to starve myself.

I love to eat and that will never change!

Rather, I am developing a deeper respect for what I choose to give my body to use throughout the day. My body deserves tasty food but it also deserves useful food. I

Now, instead of seeing food as either good or bad, I see it for its purpose. Food, I’m learning, is like its own language. And, ever so slowly, I am becoming fluent.

I’ll end this with a Pinterest Quote.

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