‘After Struggling With Postpartum Anxiety, I Followed The 75 Hard Program And Lost 20 Pounds’
My name is Melissa Gardner (@getfitwithmeliss). I am 25 years old and live in Utah, where I work as a full-time registered behavior tech, and I also am a certified personal trainer and online coach. After dealing with postpartum anxiety, I discovered Andy Frisella’s 75 Hard mental toughness program and lost 20 pounds. In total, with the help of calorie counting, I’ve lost 64 pounds.
I have lost 50-plus pounds twice. The first time was in 2017. I was in a rut. I kept going to the gym with my husband but would find myself punishing my body for what I ate instead of moving it because my body deserved it.
One day I was running on the treadmill at the gym when an incredible woman jumped on the treadmill next to me. She began running and she ran six miles in less than 50 minutes, while I was complaining about running one mile. I went home that day and said enough is enough—it was time to get out of my own head and start committing to the lifestyle I needed and wanted.
I weighed 180 pounds, then gradually dropped below 128 pounds by practicing calorie counting (and staying in a calorie deficit for weight loss) and exercising five to six days a week. I also ran every day for those first three months.
But that wasn’t the end of my weight-loss journey—the road to pregnancy introduced new emotional and physical challenges.
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After I hit that weight-loss goal, I started trying to get pregnant but struggled for about six months. We almost called it quits, but then January 2019 came, and I finally found out I was pregnant. I didn’t love pregnancy because I felt exhausted all the time, but I *loved* that I was creating life inside of me.
I stayed moving during pregnancy and worked out at a lower intensity. I gained over 60-plus pounds, and the day I went into labor I weighed 192 pounds. My ob-gyn was worried about me, but luckily I did not have any complications, and my son was born weighing 5 pounds and 15 ounces.
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After having my son, postpartum anxiety hit me hard, giving me all the more reason to re-focus on my health.
I had anxiety before pregnancy too, but adding a small baby that I had to protect made it worse. I was prescribed Zoloft by my OB, but I knew the minute he cleared me that I’d be able to manage some of my anxiety with exercise. Exercise had always helped me control my anxiety and depression. I lost 40 pounds over the next seven months, but I wasn’t at my feeling my best yet.
My turning point was in October of 2020. I felt exhausted from work, my weight had plateaued, my exercises weren’t feeling fulfilling, and my husband and I were totally fatigued by raising our little human.
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I began listening to entrepreneur Andy Frisella’s podcasts, and l learned about 75 Hard.
If you’re not familiar, 75 Hard is a mental toughness program created by Frisella, that he says can also come with physical changes. For 75 days you cannot have cheat meals or alcohol, you have to work out twice a day for 45 minutes a day (one workout must be outside), follow a healthy diet, drink a gallon of water per day, read 10 pages of a nonfiction book, and take a progress picture.
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My husband and I started on a Sunday so we could set ourselves to succeed the first day, and from there we told each other that giving up wasn’t an option. During the program I was able to lose the remaining 20 pounds of pregnancy-related weight, find love for my workouts again, eat nutritiously, and recommit to myself as a person who doesn’t quit just because things feel hard.
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Currently, I still count calories but I no longer eat in a deficit.
I reverse-dieted out of that (adding calories slowly back), and now I am just maintaining my weight while utilizing progressive overload (challenging your muscles by going higher in weight or reps over time) during my workouts.
Calorie counting using the MyFitnessPal app has always worked for me because anything I ate I tracked, and always ensured through my Apple Watch that I was burning more than I was eating. My total calories burned for the day were always more than what I consumed, that is what is important when trying to lose weight.
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Here’s what I eat in a day now:
- Breakfast: Protein shake (on weekends I have eggs, sausage, turkey bacon, and spinach)
- Lunch: My lunches are always my dinners the night before, so today I’m having chicken sausage spinach pasta
- Snacks: Built bars, cheese sticks, jerky
- Dinner: We love to grill up some chicken and put it in bowls with rice, or in salads. I love making Chipotle-style bowls at home!
- Dessert: Yasso yogurt bars, Halo Top ice cream, or sugar-free chocolate
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I started exercising around age 18, and I did the basics—anything with a machine. Now at age 25, my exercise is at least 15 minutes of running on weekdays, and 45 minutes of lifting. On Sundays I run about six to 20 miles because I am currently training for a marathon. The iFit app helped me get into training for a marathon. I train with Tommy Rivers Puzey every day on iFit!
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These three changes made the biggest difference in my weight-loss results.
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Overall I have lost 64 pounds total over 16 months.
It took me about 14 months to do it after having my baby. I truly don’t think I would’ve come this far without 75 Hard and my husband’s help in holding me accountable.
I want other women to know if that you are more than capable and worthy. You don’t have to be already fit to get fit. You don’t have to give up your dreams and goals because it FEELS like it’s unrealistic. My mantra is: Are you going to keep saying “one day” or will you begin day one? I get to choose.
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