My 75 Hard
I haven't gone two weeks without a drink since I was 17
Then I did 75 Hard: no alcohol, not a sip, for 75 days straight. Here's what I learned along the way, and the beer I built after.
To recap
75 Hard is a “mental challenge”
For 75 days straight, you have to:
- Work out 2x per day (once outside) for at least 45 minutes each
- Follow a diet
- Give up drinking alcohol completely (not a sip)
- Read at least 10 pages per day
- Drink a gallon of water
- Take a progress picture
If you don't do any of these in a day, you have to start over.
What I learned
7 lessons from 75 days
1. Get a win in the morning
Every day was not perfect, but 95% of the days, I worked out and drank half a gallon of water by 7am. That gave me the momentum to win the day.
2. Track everything
I used MyFitnessPal and followed a healthy macro-based diet. I realized that eating regular food and tracking to ensure I had a deficit was a better long-term plan versus a ketogenic or other specific diet. If you get hungry (which you will on the deficit), tell yourself that your body is burning fat.
3. Be consistent
Nearly every morning, I'd work out and have a protein drink: blueberries, banana, almond milk, spinach, and protein powder. I ate 90% of my meals at home, which was MUCH easier to track.
4. Get an accountability partner
My wife Heather did this with me. More than the results, we were in this together. I also had an awesome peer group — we just created a text group to make it as easy as possible to interact.
5. Push yourself
It's easy to check a box and say you did something. Of the two workouts a day, I made sure at least one was intense. To not get bored, I mixed in CrossFit at home, runs and walks, Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai, and strength training.
6. It isn't all about fitness
I read quite a bit but found retention was lacking. Reading on the Kindle app let me highlight and make notes on the essential parts, then keep them all in one folder for a quick summary.
7. Things always get easier
I'm embarrassed to admit this, but I haven't gone more than two weeks without a drink since I was 17 years old. For the first 60 days, I was planning in my head what I wanted on day 76. Would we get IPAs at the pub, or go crazy with tacos and margaritas? No joke — at day 60, it all started to sound appalling.
My results
Day 75, done
- Read five books, including Man's Search for Meaning and Grit
- Lost 15 pounds
- Ran my fastest mile in just over 7 minutes
- Had zero arguments with my wife (there's something to this)
- Had not a single hangover
Whether you do a challenge like this or not, I've found just committing to do something uncomfortable at least once per day makes all the difference. Just start small if you are stuck. If I can do it, you can too!
What came next
Some nights, I still just wanted a beer
Week after week, my cravings for alcohol started to subside. But some nights, I still just wanted a beer. I needed something to satisfy that craving but help me stay on the path.
That's when I turned to non-alcoholic beer. And when Heather and I couldn't find many options we actually loved, the idea of Go Brewing emerged.
Joe Chura
Founder, Go Brewing · Read the full story
From people who stopped, or cut back
Verified buyers on gobrewing.com and Amazon. Unedited, trimmed for length.
★★★★★
“If you are looking to cut back on alcohol or simply want to enjoy a few beers with friends while still being able to drive safely, this is exactly what you need.”
★★★★★
“I've been drinking na beers for a few years now since I stopped drinking and I think had nearly all of the brands at some point. Go Brewing is flat out NEXT level.”
★★★★★
“Hands down the best NA beer I've ever had, it's been a cornerstone in my sober journey!”
★★★★★
“I was handed one of these at the finish line of a Hyrox race. … now that I've tried this, I'm sold. Super flavorful.”
The beer I wanted on day 60
Craft beer taste, no alcohol. Start with the four beers our customers love most.
Customer Faves: Starter Kit – Non-Alcoholic Beer Sampler
Salty AF Chelada, Sunbeam Pilsner, Disarm Hazy IPA and New School Sour Berry.
$59.96
Cold Standard
Our crisp everyday lite beer. 45 calories.
$14.99
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Each 6-pack you add is $1 less: $14.99, $13.99, $12.99… up to 15.
Questions
Does non-alcoholic beer break 75 Hard?
The 75 Hard rule is no alcohol, not a sip. Our beers are non-alcoholic (under 0.5% ABV). If you're doing the challenge by the book, check the official 75 Hard rules and make the call for yourself before you start.
Do you ship?
Yes. We ship thousands of packages a month all over the country, with free shipping on four six-packs or more.
Can I find Go Brewing in stores?
We're in nearly 10,000 locations nationwide. Use the Go Finder to see what's near you.
