TGIF with Debb: 75 Hard, Halfway There & Living Life MY Way :)
Dear Diary,
Here we are. DAY 39. Which means I've officially passed the halfway point to completing 75 Hard. Only 36 days to go! Lol … If you'd told me a few months ago that I'd be doing two workouts a day, drinking a gallon of water, reading every day, eating according to a plan, and saying no to beer, wings, and chocolate for 75 days straight, I probably would’ve laughed in your face. Well ... here we are! So, let's catch up. There's been a lot happening in my little world lately, and as much as this blog post is about 75 Hard, it's also about something bigger: learning to trust ourselves, take care of ourselves, and live a life that actually feels like OURS. Grab your coffee, tea, or whatever your drink of choice is and let's dive in!
What the Hell is 75 Hard anyway?
For anyone new around here, 75 Hard is a 75-day mental toughness challenge created by Andy Frisella. There are five daily tasks you have to complete, and if you miss one, you start again at Day 1. Yep. You read that correctly. Start. Again. (Not extreme at all Andy. I'm not following that task btw. If I "mess up" I will continue on my journey. This is about progress for me. Not perfection). Ok, rant over. Where was I? Ok yes, the tasks. Here they are. Follow a diet. You choose your eating plan, but no cheat meals and no alcohol. I don’t really like the word diet. I like to think of it as a nutritional plan. For me, I’m tracking my meals and macros, making sure I get enough protein, fat and carbs for my body and my daily workouts and I'm avoiding fried foods, wheat and sweets. Complete two 45-minute workouts every day. One must be outdoors, regardless of the weather. Obviously if there’s a tornado, use your brain. Drink one gallon of water a day. That's about 3.8 litres. Read 10 pages of a nonfiction book. Think personal development, learning, growth, that kind of thing. Audiobooks don't count. Take a progress photo every day. (I’ve ditched this task because for me, this is not about how I look. And every day seems a bit obsessive to me. I've had body image struggles and this task is simply not healthy for me. This is about how I feel. Challenging my mind and getting stronger … physically, mentally and energetically. No exceptions because it's Thanksgiving, a birthday party, Halloween, or because someone brought out a tray of chocolate brownies. Which brings me to…
Thanksgiving, Birthday Cake & the Wings That Got Away
Let's talk about Thanksgiving weekend. Saturday was my uncle's 85th surprise birthday party at a pub. There was food, there was beer, there was celebrating life. And there was me, drinking my zero-alcohol beer and choosing food that fit my plan. No beer. No wings. If you've been following along, you know how much I love my beer and wings. I have mentioned it more than once. Probably more than necessary. But honestly … I felt really proud of myself. I made a choice that aligned with the goal I set for myself. And the funny thing is, I didn’t feel deprived at all. I still had fun connecting with family I hadn’t seen in a while, I enjoyed the food and my zero-alcohol Peroni.
Then came Sunday Thanksgiving at my mom's. If you know my mom, you know there was FOOD. And when I say food, I mean food food. There were about 25 of us, which turned into an impromptu first birthday party for my little cousin. So now we've got Thanksgiving dinner, birthday cake, desserts, and more reasons to celebrate. What's Debb having? No cake. No alcohol. Again, not sure who I am right now, but I didn't really miss it. That was probably the biggest surprise for me. I wasn't sitting there feeling sorry for myself or counting down the minutes until I could have a glass of wine. I was enjoying my family, the conversation, the chaos, and the day. That morning, I got my workout in. When Rui and I got home, we went for a walk. And I felt really good. Not just physically, but mentally, too.
There's something pretty cool about keeping a promise to yourself, especially when it's not the easiest or most convenient thing to do. I'm not saying everyone needs to give up beer, wings, or birthday cake. Definitely not. I'm just saying that for ME, right now, this challenge is teaching me that I can enjoy a celebration without needing to have everything that's being served. What did I have? Turkey, salad, roasted vegetables, a sweet potato/brussel sprout dish with a little goat cheese and cranberries. Yum! And some fruit for dessert. So there ya go … I can survive Thanksgiving without wine and cake. Who knew?
A Little Kitchen Experimentation
One thing I've noticed during this challenge is that I'm trying more recipes. Ok full transparency, mostly just desserts. I do miss my daily dark chocolate square. I’ve decided though that if I want to have it, it’s healthy right? But since the challenge started, I haven’t had any. When you're being intentional about what you're eating, you start looking for ways to make healthy food delicious, satisfying, and something you actually want to eat. Hello cottage cheese chocolate brownies. Yes, cottage cheese. In brownies. They were awesome! Here's the recipe if you want to try it out!
High-Protein Cottage Cheese Brownies
Ingredients
1 cup cottage cheese
2 eggs
½ cup oats
⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I used the Organic PC brand)
¼ cup honey or maple syrup (I used honey)
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp baking powder
¼ cup chocolate chips (instead of chocolate chips, I put in one scoop of Vega One chocolate protein powder and I added walnuts too ... aka healthy fats and good for the brain)
Directions
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
Blend the cottage cheese, eggs, oats, cocoa powder, (plus protein powder) sweetener, vanilla, and baking powder until smooth.
Pour into a lined baking dish or divide the batter into muffin cups.
Bake for approximately 20–25 minutes, checking for doneness. Smaller cupcakes may need less time.
Let them cool before digging in!
Give them a try and let me know what you think! There was enough “batter” for 6 muffins by the way. Healthy eating doesn't have to mean boring eating and if I can find a way to enjoy chocolate while working toward my goals, I'm definitely going to explore that option.
Mel Robbins, Neuroplasticity & the Fact That We Can Change
As per usual, I've been listening to Mel Robbins. This week, one of her episodes really caught my attention. (Again, as per usual). She spoke with neuroscientist Dr. Lara Boyd about neuroplasticity (the brain's ability to change and adapt through experience, learning, and practice). Super interesting! I LOVE this shit. The idea that our brains aren't fixed in place, that we can learn new patterns and develop new ways of thinking and behaving, is very encouraging. Think about how often we say things like: "I'm not a morning person." "I've always been this way." "I could never do that." "I'm terrible at sticking to things." "I'm too old to change." What if those statements aren't permanent truths about who we are? What if some of them are just habits, beliefs, or patterns we've repeated for so long that they feel like facts?
Neuroplasticity doesn't mean we can magically become anyone we want overnight, obviously. It means our brains can adapt, and what we repeatedly practice matters. A lot. That's where this challenge comes in for me. Every day I get up and make choices that reinforce the person I'm trying to become. A lot of the choices I make the day before too. I move my body when I'd rather stay on the couch. I read when I could scroll my phone. I practice following through when it's inconvenient, like doing my own workout after I’ve taught 3 classes in a hot room back to back. Ok, that was just twice during this challenge, but still. It's a lot. Cheers to hydration!
I'm not just trying to balance my hormones, feel more energized and feel strong in my body. I'm practicing new habits and building trust in myself. Here's something worth thinking about …
What are you telling yourself you can't do simply because you've never done it before? Maybe you aren't bad at routines. Maybe you haven't found a routine that works for you yet. Maybe you are capable of change. Maybe you're just uncomfortable being a beginner. Maybe the next version of you doesn't require a complete life overhaul. Maybe it starts with one small decision, repeated often enough that it becomes part of who you are. One page. One walk. One ritual. One choice. One day at a time. That's the stuff I'm thinking a lot about lately.
The Barefoot Contessa, Following Your Passion & Figuring It Out as You Go
The other Mel Robbins episode I listened to featured Ina Garten, aka the Barefoot Contessa, and I really loved it. Yes, the woman with her own TV show, author of cookbooks etc. Here's a woman who worked in a government job before taking a chance on buying a specialty food store. She didn't have some perfect master plan for building the career she has today. She learned as she went, experimented, took risks, and eventually moved into cookbooks and TV. What stood out to me was the idea of creating a life around what you genuinely enjoy, even when you don't know exactly where it's going to lead. She didn't have to see the whole path before taking the first step. It kinda got me thinking about my own life.
I get paid to do something I love. I teach yoga and Pilates, I run retreats, and I connect with people. That's my jam. I love making people laugh, creating community, helping people feel good in their bodies, and reminding them that life doesn't have to be so f*ckin' serious all the time. Teaching is one of my ways of connecting with people. It's one of the things that makes me feel most like myself. But lately, I've also been asking myself: How else can I turn the things I love into something meaningful? Hello TGIF with Debb’s Dear Diary Blog. Hello upcoming projects I’m creating behind the scenes. Hello to all the little ideas bouncing around in my head that may or may not turn into something … lol.
I love writing these blogs. I love sharing my experiences, the lessons I'm learning, the things that make me laugh, and the things that make me think. And now I'm ready to share my little “secret project” that I mentioned in a previous blog that I’ve been working on. I’m creating a gratitude journal! It’s called MY BEST YEAR YET: 365 Days of Gratitude, Intention & Wellness, which I'm planning to launch in November. It includes monthly themes, daily affirmations and inspiration (and some Debb humour obviously, maybe a little swearing and rawness). It's my new baby. 💜 A journal designed to help people pause, reflect, practice gratitude, and take care of themselves in small, meaningful ways. Will it be perfect? Definitely not. Am I going to figure it out as I go? Definitely yes. And that's kind of the point. Like the Barefoot Contessa. You don't need to know every step before you begin. You can start with an idea, see what happens, learn along the way, and adjust.
Which brings me to a little announcement…. If you're subscribed to my YogaDebb updates, you'll receive a discount when the journal launches. If you'd like to be added to my email list for future discounts and opportunities, send me your email address and I'll pop you on the list. Or you can go to my homepage. yogadebb.com, scroll to the bottom and pop in your email address. Don't worry, I'm not about to start sending you a bunch of advertisements. Just my weekly blog in your inbox and any exciting things I’m up to like this new baby of mine. Speaking of babies ….
The Question Everyone Seems to be Asking Me Lately: When Are You Having a Baby?
Ok ... Let's go there because it seems like this has become the question of the week, especially at fam jams. "When are you and Rui having a baby?" "What are you waiting for?" "You'd have such cute babies!" Obviously. Duh … lol … My typical response … "I'm 47. Do I really want to have a 13-year-old when I'm 60? I'll be going to parent-teacher interviews wearing Depends just in case I sneeze too hard, and asking the teacher if we can hurry up before my bedtime." lol … I make jokes because that's how I process things sometimes. But the reality is that this is a deeply personal subject, and people don't really know what's happening behind closed doors. What if someone has experienced a miscarriage? What if someone can't conceive? What if their partner has fertility challenges? What if they've decided not to have children? What if they're still figuring out what they want? What if they're perfectly happy with the life they have? You just never know.
I understand that most people asking these questions aren't trying to be hurtful. They're curious. They're excited for you! They imagine how wonderful it would be to see a little version of you running around. I get it. But sometimes, I think we need to remember that not every personal decision is an open invitation to discuss publicly. The truth is, I've never been someone who has spent her entire life desperately wanting to be a mom. Have I thought about it? Of course, especially with Rui, who is seriously the kindest person on the planet and so good with his nephews, my nieces and all the little people in our lives. I can see what an amazing dad he would be. And I also think about the other side of that decision. What a life without children could look like. What we could experience, create, explore, and build together. And right now, that life is looking pretty damn good, too.
I saw a meme recently that said something along the lines of, "Can we normalize women without children being tired, too?" lol … I can relate to that because guess what, I get tired. If you say you're exhausted, sometimes someone will respond with, "Well, imagine if you had kids!" You're right. I can only imagine. I have nieces, nephews, godchildren, friends with kids, and a lot of experience being around kids. I love them. Children are awesome! (for the most part lol). They’re curious little humans who deserve all the love and protection we can give them. But loving children doesn't automatically mean that every woman must want to have her own. I just don't have that overwhelming biological urge people talk about. I'm not walking around with my ovaries screaming, "We need a baby!" Maybe that’s strange to some people. Does it make me less of a woman? No. Do I sometimes feel less than or not enough if I don’t have a baby? Sometimes. Maybe my feelings will change. Maybe they won't. I'm allowed to sit with that uncertainty without having to explain myself to everyone. Jus sayin' ;)
Here's what I've been realizing … there isn't one single version of a successful, fulfilled, meaningful life. For some women, that life includes motherhood. For others, (like Dolly Parton and Ina Garten), it doesn't. For some, the path is complicated, painful, or entirely different from what they imagined. We don't know each other's whole stories. So maybe instead of asking women when they're having babies, we could ask them what they're excited about in their lives right now. What are they creating? What are they learning? What makes them feel alive? What are they looking forward to? Those are pretty great questions, too.
So, what is my Baby Right Now? ME 💜
I'm 38 days into a challenge that's asking me to be intentional about my daily choices. I'm thinking about my health, my hormones, my sleep, my strength, my energy, and how I feel in my body. I'm learning new recipes, listening to podcasts, writing a journal, teaching classes, connecting with people, and figuring out what I want the next chapter of my life to look like. I'm not saying I'll never have a child. I'm not making some grand declaration about what the rest of my life will look like. I'm simply saying that right now, I'm investing in the life I have today. And that includes investing in myself. What does that look like? It looks like asking myself: Did I move my body today? Have I had enough water? Did I eat food that makes me feel good? Did I read something that challenged my thinking? Am I sleeping well? Am I making time for the people I love? Am I doing things that bring me joy? Am I building something that matters to me? Am I listening to my own voice, or am I getting distracted by everyone else's opinions about how my life should look?
Those are the questions that matter to me right now. None of us knows exactly what tomorrow will bring. We can make plans. We can set goals. We can dream about the future. But we don't get to control every outcome. What we can do is pay attention to the choices in front of us today. We can take care of ourselves. We can try something new. We can change our minds. We can create something meaningful. We can build a life that feels good to live, not just one that looks good to other people. And we can do all of that without having every answer figured out.
A Little Something to Think About This Week
What if you stopped measuring your life against someone else's timeline? What if you gave yourself permission to want something different? What if you stopped explaining your decisions to people who aren't living your life? What if you started paying attention to what makes YOU feel healthy, happy, fulfilled, and alive? You don't need to follow my path. You don't need to do 75 Hard. You don't need to start a business, write a journal, have children, or decide today what the rest of your life will look like.
What I do hope is that you give yourself permission to explore what matters to you. Take the pieces that make you feel stronger, healthier, happier, and more like yourself. Toss the rest in the garbage. If there's something you've been thinking about trying, maybe this is your reminder to take the first step. You don't have to see the entire path … remember? You just have to decide whether you want to take the next step.
As for me … I'm going to keep showing up for my workouts, drinking my water, reading my pages, writing my blog, building my little journal baby, loving my people, and figuring out the rest as I go.
And yes, one day, I will have wings and beer again. Because let's be realistic.
Cheers to living a life that's yours!
P.S. If you've ever felt pressured to live your life a certain way because of your age, relationship status, career, or whether you have children, I'd love to hear your thoughts. What does living life on your own terms look like for you? When I was single (forever the ultimate Single Girl basically until Rui came along), the constant question was “why are you still single?” My response in my brain … “why are you still annoying?) lol ….
TGIF ... until next Friday!
Truth.
Growth.
Inspiration.
Fun.
Building strength, mindset, and real-life consistency… one breath at a time. :)
💜 Yoga Debb
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