75 Hard before and after: what really changes in 75 days

Search "75 Hard before and after" and you will see side-by-side photos with huge changes. Some are real. Many show the best result out of thousands, in good light, after a pump. This page is about what a normal person can expect in 75 days, with the arithmetic, so you can set a goal you will hit.

What does a real 75 Hard result look like?

75 Hard is Andy Frisella's programme, and the name is a trademark. Its rules are two workouts a day, a diet with no cheat meals or alcohol, a gallon of water, 10 pages of reading and a daily photo, for 75 days. The softer community versions, 75 Medium and 75 Soft, ask for less.

If you follow any of them for 75 days, a realistic result looks like this:

• Weight: about 10 to 15 pounds down, if you eat at a steady deficit. The arithmetic is below.
• Waist: your belt and shirts fit differently before the scale moves much.
• Strength: if you lift, most beginners add weight to every lift for 10 weeks straight.
• Fitness: a 45-minute walk that felt long in week one feels easy by week six.
• Sleep and energy: many people report both improve within the first month. That is a report, not a promise.

The photo shows only some of it. The bigger change is often that you did what you said, 75 days in a row.

Can you lose 20 pounds in 75 days?

Possible for some people. Unrealistic for most. Here is the arithmetic.

• 75 days is about 10.7 weeks.
• A common safe pace is about 1 pound a week. Some people with more to lose can sustain 1.5 to 2 pounds a week.
• At 1 pound a week, you lose about 11 pounds in 75 days.
• At 2 pounds a week, you lose about 21 pounds.
• A pound of fat holds roughly 3,500 calories. 20 pounds in 75 days needs a deficit of about 930 calories a day, every day.

The first week fools people. The scale can drop 3 to 5 pounds in 7 days. Most of that is water and stored carbohydrate, not fat. The pace slows in week two, and that is normal, not a stall.

So a fair goal for most people is 10 to 15 pounds. More is a bonus. See a doctor before you start a hard programme, more so if you plan a big calorie cut or have a health condition.

What changes that a photo cannot show?

People who have lost weight say the changes in how others act surprised them most. Some liked it:

“People now tend to be a lot warmer than usual.”

Some found it strange, because they had not changed inside:

“I'm still the same shy, introverted guy I've always been”

And some found it hard:

“now it seems like people only see me as the guy who lost weight.”

All three are true for someone. Do the challenge for yourself, not for the reaction. The reaction is not up to you.

Why do some people see a big change and others don't?

Mostly food. The workouts burn maybe 300 to 600 calories a day. A diet with no plan can add that back by lunch. People with the biggest changes nearly always had a clear food plan and followed it.

The rest comes from where you start. Someone at 280 pounds can lose more in 75 days than someone at 180, and their photos will show it more.

How do I take before and after photos that show the change?

Bad photos hide real progress. Use the same setup every time:

• Same place. One spot, one wall, nothing behind you that moves.
• Same light. Morning, same lamp or same window. No flash.
• Same time. Right after you wake up, before food or water.
• Same clothes. Shorts, or the same tight shirt.
• Same pose. Front, side and back. Arms relaxed. Do not flex or suck in.
• Same distance. Use a tripod or a mark on the floor.
• Phone timer. 10 seconds, so your arm is not in the shot.

On 75 Hard you take one every day. On other versions, once a week is enough. Compare day 1 with day 75, not day 40 with day 41. Day to day, you will see nothing.

Where do I start if I don't like my before photo?

Many people start the day a photo shocks them:

“I didn't realize how bad it had gotten until I saw that full body photo.”

That photo is your day-one picture. Keep it. On day 75 it is the one you will be glad you took.

To choose a version, read 75 Soft vs 75 Medium vs 75 Hard. For the full list of rules, see 75 Hard rules explained. To track your days and photos, print the free 75 Hard checklist.

Fit75 is an iPhone app for 75-day challenges. Its 75 Hard plan includes the daily progress picture, so your photos stay in one place.

Fit75 is a 75-day challenge app and is not affiliated with 75 Hard.

The quiz below asks for your current and goal weight, and builds your 75 days around them.