My 75 Hard Journey

Written By Maria Grahl

Maria Hamlin does not hold any medical professional, nutritionist, therapist, or certified trainer credentials. Therefore, any utilization of her advice or guidance is at your own risk. Before initiating any workout, fitness, or nutrition regimen, it is highly recommended to consult with a medical professional before doing so.

Hello Everyone! 

My name is Maria Hamlin. Most people know me because I am Trevor Hamlin’s wife, the pro fisherman, and that gives me so much joy! 

Trevor Hamlin and his winning fish at The King of the Glades Series! Using only @ScenkoStix rods. Make sure to check Trevor out on The Hammie Life YouTube Channel!


First, Some of you know that I am going through the program 75 Hard from my social media platforms but if you haven’t seen me around yet, Welcome! I am on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok as @thehammiewife. I have been asked by multiple people to give a step-by-step overview of what I am doing on this journey. First, I want to give you the 75 Hard information. I only started this journey because of Andy Frisella, the man who created it. I am just along for the ride.

75 Hard | The 75-Day Tactical Guide to Winning the War with Yourself - This is the 75 Hard website. Please check them out and read about this challenge. 


“75 HARD IS A TRANSFORMATIVE MENTAL TOUGHNESS PROGRAM”


I wanted to start by sharing the rules with you; 

Two workouts for 45 minutes. One of those workouts HAS to be outside. 

The outdoor workout CANNOT be in a covered lanai, garage, or screened-in porch. This workout also HAS to be done no matter the weather. If it's raining, do it. Storming? Do it. Snowing? Do it. 75 HARD Workout Ideas | Andy Frisella 

Follow a diet, NO cheat meals & ZERO alcohol

I am going to go into more detail with this one once I get through the rules. A lot of people quit 75 Hard because of this rule. I will teach you. 

Reading 10 pages of a non-fiction book. A personal development book. 

This one is a great one for your mental health. I highly recommend taking this rule seriously and choosing a book for betterment. 

Take a progress picture 

Be careful with this one. This is the one rule that can sneak up on you. I had to start over on day 35 because I took my progress picture at 12:03 am instead of 11:00 pm. I will get more into that later. 

Drink one gallon of water 

This water HAS to be plain. Cannot have any kind of flavoring, lemon, or any type of veggies or fruits in the water. Plain water. 128 oz. 

“If you complete every one of those tasks without compromise for 75 days straight, you complete the 75 HARD program. If you fail on any of the tasks during the program, you must restart from Day 1. That means if you forget to read on Day 74 ... you have to start over on Day 1. No, this isn't a health or fitness program. Are there physical benefits to completing the program? Of course. Is the purpose of the program to lose weight, gain weight, or improve your physical health? No. The entire purpose of the program is to develop the mental toughness you need to unlock your true potential in life.” 

Okay, so you have to go into this challenge finding something that you are aiming to be. For me, I am turning 30 years old in 2024 and I was climbing up passed 220 pounds I want my 30’s to be the best years of my life and how do I do that? Bettering myself. I am about to get into the good stuff. Remember that people make the rules of 75 Hard complicated. The rules are simple. They are what they are, don’t get mad at them, just do it. 


My Journey

Maria Hamlin does not hold any medical professional, nutritionist, therapist, or certified trainer credentials. Therefore, any utilization of her advice or guidance is at your own risk. Before initiating any workout, fitness, or nutrition regimen, it is highly recommended to consult with a medical professional before doing so.

Maria Hamlin - Exactly What I Do

*I will be listing all of the products I use & examples of meals and the meal products I purchase on the last page.*





I want to start with this; NONE of this is going to be easy. BUT I know you can do this if you put your mind to it and focus. I want to let you know that I will never talk about “easy fixes, surgeries, or injections to help you lose weight”. I do this COMPLETELY naturally. I firmly believe that is the best and only way to do it. I have friends who have gone different ways and that's okay but I do not recommend going about this that way. You do not want “instant” gratification. You want lasting gratification. Put in the work and you will see the results. Show yourself what you didn’t think you could do or be. 

Next, this is giving yourself the grace to get the hang of things. The first couple of days are rough because you are starting something completely new to you and your body. If you have to start over at some point in this journey just remember, You got this. You have the power to start over and influence everyone around you with your perseverance. Overcoming defeat is hard. I had to start my journey over on day 35. I went into a deep depression for about five days. I slacked, I still made my tasks but my head space was depleted. I was “riding the high” of not failing and then I crashed and realized that I was still human. It will humble you. If this happens, I encourage you to start again that same day. Don’t have a “pity party cheat day” like I was going to. Don’t go out and eat everything under the sun that is bad for you, just start again. Last thing before I begin; do this challenge with integrity. A lot of people will be watching you, seeing your success, seeing your challenges, seeing you get pissed off when you have to work out in the pouring rain or the thunderstorms. But the thing is, you get to look at yourself in the mirror and say, “I did this. I AM a badass. For ME.” I had to start over because of taking my progress picture at 12:03 am. That was a hard blow. I had to it because I wanted to have integrity for my followers and the people that love me and are watching my journey. I did this for the people I influenced along the way. If I want them to follow and do this journey too I don’t want them to cheat themselves out of it. I want to show them that if I can do it right, so can they. I love you guys so much for following along on this crazy journey. Keep watching, and do this for you. This quote helped me halfway through; 

“Once she stopped rushing through life she was amazed at how truly blessed she was.” 

I look at the quote above and think about all the days that I looked in the mirror and didn’t see enough results to my liking. “Why isn’t my tummy smaller, why aren’t my bat wings going up into muscle”. My husband is my BIGGEST supporter in this journey and he said something to me that I hope resonates with you too on this journey, “Baby, why are you focusing on the end instead of enjoying the process.” Wow, that changed my entire outlook on this journey. I stopped and I thought about all the things that are happening now; the friends I’m meeting that are becoming family, the coaches that are so unbelievably inspiring and that are so underappreciated, the body that I have been blessed with that is slowly changing, and most of all the mental healing that is slowly taking place every single day because of my choice. *tears are falling while writing this* Think about your why. Why do you want this? To get “skinny” << that was me too at the beginning. As you go through 75 Hard I am going to personally pray for everyone who begins this journey to move from the mindset of “getting skinny” to getting “healthy” to getting “mentally stable” to achieving “self-love” just the way we are. I also pray that you will give Jesus a chance during this journey as well. I am always open to questions on faith. I will never pressure you, I will just walk with you through life, even if it's virtual. 

I am going to go through each of the rules and put bullet points of what I do to achieve these goals and to get where I am right now.


Two 45-minute workouts, one outside. 

This one is a lot of the reason why my physical body changed because I work very hard. My morning workouts consist of HIIT classes at Crunch Fitness  Cape Coral | Crunch Fitness . Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday are lead classes in the morning before work at 6 am & 8:00 am on Sundays before church. Wednesdays & Saturdays are heavy-lifting days. There are times I will go an hour early and lift before class. I have a hard time lifting by myself with none of my friends with me, you may be different. All you have to do is try.

Monday - 6 am HIIT class at Crunch

Tuesday - 6 am HIIT class at Crunch

Wednesday - 5:45 am Heavy Lifting - 2 hours max (sauna after)

Thursday - 6 am HIIT class at Crunch

Friday - 6 am HIIT class at Crunch 

Saturday - Heavy Lifting - 2 hours max (sauna after) 

Sunday - 8 am HIIT class at Crunch 

Two 45-minute workouts, one outside.


Follow A Diet 

Okay, so I have had a lot of people mention to me that they have tried 75 Hard and failed because of not being able to choose a diet that is sustainable for 75 days. I firmly believe that these “fab diets” will never work. They will help you lose weight in the short term but are not sustainable for the long term. If it is for the long term, you could end up with a lot of other underlying health issues that you didn’t know about because that's what diets can do, there is no balance. 

What I do for my personal “diet” of 75 Hard;

I went on Google and I googled, BMR Calculator to see what my resting calorie burn is. I suggest clicking on the link and finding yours. I then calculated and created a calorie deficit for myself. I cannot go above a certain calorie count a day. I can be under but I try not to go under too much and I chose to not eat bread for the entirety of the 75 days. Now, is this a “fab diet” that I chose? No. I want it to be sustainable even after my 75 Hard journey is over. Why? Because I have lost weight and gained it ALL back two months after finishing a “challenge”. That is why I chose this. Then when you get to your “goal weight” or your goal of muscle definition all you do is maintain that weight and continue the fitness training. I highly HIGHLY do NOT recommend you choose to do Keto on this challenge. I only know from some that have mentioned to me and my own experience being on keto myself for three months. My hair fell out, my skin could not get clear. Be careful! I highly recommend choosing a “lifestyle change” rather than a fab diet. I also read a thing about the “Three Bite Rule” I live by this rule especially when I want something really sweet but am in my calorie deficit. You take three bites of something and are done with it. Now, will people stretch this rule and take three HUGE bites and have the pastry gone? Yes. You have to use integrity when using this rule. The consequence of cheating yourself or abusing this rule is not seeing the results that you are desiring and unfortunately, we tend to try to blame other people for our sin. When in reality, we are the ones who chose to abuse the gift that was given. Watch your calorie count and Satisfy Cravings With The 3-Bite Rule. 

The next thing on the menu is TRACKING. Now, I don’t necessarily track macros. I look at my calorie bank that I have left and if I go over by even half a calorie I have to start the 75 Hard challenge over at day 1. So, with that being said I try to leave at least 20 calories below the daily calorie limit I ensure if something that I tracked has more calories than the app stated I don’t have to start over. I track only with My Fitness Pal, https://www.myfitnesspal.com/ 

Next is… Starbucks. https://www.starbucks.com/ . I have had numerous people ask me about what I order at Starbucks because let's be honest… it's hard to go days without some sort of coffee and I don’t know about you but I HATE black coffee. Now, what I am going to tell you will either hurt your feelings or you won’t care lol. I get a very specific drink every single time I go. Again, I log EVERYTHING into my calorie bank. The drink I order goes like this; 

Venti Iced Blonde Americano 

Heavy Cream (I do my best to track the amount of heavy cream used or you can hold the heavy cream and add your own when you get home or if you are bougie like sometimes you’ll have your own in the car)

2 Stevia

Cinnamon Powder 

I do this because it is low calorie and I have decided to stay away from the syrups. Yes, including the sugar-free vanilla flavor. I know! It has no sugar in it. For me, I cannot have the syrups because of my skin and having it break out so bad the moment I even drink one. You have to do what is right for you BUT remember, you want to savor your calorie amount for good protein and balanced rich foods, not junk. In essence, a Grande Matcha Tea from Starbucks has 32g of added sugars in the drink. I try not to count macros because it stresses me out but if you decide not to count the macros and do it this way then you have to reroute your mind to “think organic”. 

Side note*** You WILL hit a plateau, it happens to everyone. Don’t get discouraged. When I hit a plateau in weight I will take ONE day and shoot down in calories for that day and by the next day my plateau breaks. CAUTION though, you HAVE to listen to your own body. This may not work for everyone. If you get dizzy or shaky, don’t do it. 


I wanted to guide you to my personal Pinterest Board with some recipes I use on my own 75 Hard journey, 

https://www.pinterest.com/sweetsunshineco/75-hard-food-plan/ . I will be adding more and more recipes as I go. Stay tuned. Products and food sources will be linked on the last page of the program. 


Read 10 Pages of a Non-Fiction Self Help Book

 A lot of people get frustrated at this one because it is a “self-help” book and it has to be non-fiction. The rules are simple and you just have to follow them without question. It may be annoying and I understand that there are a million great self-help or betterment books that are fiction stories, but those are not the ones for this challenge. 

What I decided to do; 

Many of you know of my spiritual beliefs, I am a Christian Jesus follower. I chose to take this part of my challenge seriously to pray for specific things in my life and to have the Lord's Will in my and Trevor's lives. I chose to take this time to read books that are on marriage and pray for my husband and his joy, peace, and his life in general. I chose also to do bible studies and things while reading the 10 pages. I will list the books I have read so far on the last page of this program along with the products and things I use. 


Take a Progress Picture Everyday

This one is pretty self-explanatory. I suggest taking the progress pictures in the same way every day. I try to take my progress pictures at the same angle and against the same wall so that everyone can see the progress with the same background. Also, people on social media are relentless, they will say you are not the same person and that you photoshopped yourself. I also HIGHLY suggest you set an alarm to take it every day as this is the one that caused me to have to start over on day 35. As 75 Hard becomes a routine it is easy to think you already completed the task and can go to sleep. Don’t do that, double and triple check your 75 Hard app, 75 Hard on the App Store . 


Drink a Gallon of Water a Day

This one is great too BUT make sure you drink and sip throughout the day! I, regularly have to chug a half gallon of water before I go to bed because I forget to regulate it throughout the day. Trevor always reminds me to drink water LOL. I highly suggest setting alarms to drink water. I have products that I use specifically for this too! Look at the links on the last page of the program. 

Products & Food I Purchased

Intek Evolution Preworkout - NTEK™ Nutrition, Intek Advanced Body Solutions — Pre Workout Evolution. Experience your best workout ever, every time you train, every time you take “Pre Workout Evolution.” ( you can get this brand at Total Nutrition as well - that's where I get mine)





  • Force-Tek Nutrition BCAA Complex - I am going to have to find a new BCAA that I enjoy because unfortunately these are going off the shelves now and I do not believe they are available anymore. 



























  • This is essential for your health and pressure points. Trevor got me this for Christmas and it does WONDERS on my pressure points and also if I have a panic attack. When you begin to feel the panic attack coming lay softly on this and it MAY help sooth those certain pressure points. A friend of mine recommended this to me and I 10/10 recommend as well - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00I1QCPF8?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1 














Food & Recipes

Trevor and I usually shop at our local Farmer Joes or local farmers' markets. We purchase our beef locally at M&M Farms. We also get our raw milk from Farmer Joes. 



Oatmeal Pumpkin Pancakes - Oatmeal Pumpkin Pancakes (in the blender!) - Hannah Magee RD

Chocolate Covered Cookie Dough Balls (for the sweet tooth) -  Healthy Chocolate Covered Cookie Dough Balls - Calla's Clean Eats 

Cheesy Broccoli Chick and Rice Casserole - Cheesy Broccoli Chicken and Rice Casserole - Veronika's Kitchen 

Chicken Teriyaki - One-Pan Pineapple Chicken Teriyaki {Whole30} | Shuangy's Kitchen Sink 

Greek Chicken Meatballs - Greek Chicken Meatballs - All the Healthy Things 

Chia Pudding (yummy!) - Raspberry Chia Pudding 

THIS IS THE REAL DEAL lol This is the recipe that Trevor asks me to make him at LEAST twice a month. It is delicious and uses organic ingredients. https://www.thisisnotdietfood.com/big-mac-tater-tot-cassserole/ 



I love you guys, I think that is all of the links that I have for you. I bless you on this journey of 75 Hard and I pray you make it through with no re-dos but if you do please remember to give yourself grace and humble yourself enough to start over. You all mean so much to me and are so close to my heart. I thank Jesus to be able to share this information with you. If you have any questions at all please feel free to contact me on any of my social media or email me at mrsmariahamlin21@gmail.com . 



**I do not get paid or affiliate marketing from Amazon or any of the links. I will never ask for your credit card information or ask for any sort of payment.** 




Good Luck & I’m rooting for you, 



Maria Grahl