The 75 Hard diet rule is deceptively open: pick any structured diet and follow it with 100% compliance — no cheat meals, no alcohol — for 75 consecutive days. The program doesn't care whether you choose keto or calorie counting. It cares that you never break, because a single off-plan bite means restarting at Day 1.
That makes diet selection the highest-stakes decision of your entire challenge. Most failed attempts die in the kitchen, not the gym.
What the Diet Rule Actually Requires
- A defined plan. "Eating healthy-ish" isn't a diet — you need rules you could explain to someone else, tied to a goal.
- Zero cheat meals. Not one slice at a birthday, not one "it's a special occasion." 75 days, on-plan, every meal.
- Zero alcohol. This is absolute and separate from your food choices — even one drink is a restart. (Coffee and other drinks have their own rules — see what you can drink on 75 Hard.)
Popular 75 Hard Diet Options, Compared
| Diet | Rules feel like | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clean eating | Whole foods, no processed junk, no added sugar | First-timers who hate weighing food | Vague edges — define "processed" up front |
| Calorie target | Daily calorie budget, anything fits | Fat loss with flexibility | Requires logging every meal honestly |
| Macro tracking | Protein/carb/fat targets | Lifters preserving muscle | Most admin work of any option |
| Mediterranean | Fish, olive oil, whole grains, vegetables | Sustainable health focus | Loose by default — add concrete limits |
| Keto | <30–50g carbs daily | People who've done keto before | Brutal alongside two-a-day workouts if you're new |
| Paleo / Whole30-style | Meat, produce, no grains/dairy/sugar | Rule-lovers who want bright lines | Social meals get hard; plan restaurant orders |
The honest recommendation: if you're training twice a day for the first time, don't stack an aggressive deficit on top. A moderate calorie target built on whole foods survives 75 days; a crash diet survives about 18.
Five Rules for Making Your Diet Survivable
- Write your rules down before Day 1 — including edge cases: sauces, sweeteners, protein bars, restaurant meals.
- Prep for the 4 PM crash. Have on-plan snacks ready; hunger plus decision fatigue is how cheat meals happen.
- Plan restaurants in advance. Look at menus before you go; order first at the table.
- Batch-cook twice a week. 75 days of improvised dinners is 75 chances to fail.
- Track compliance daily, not weekly. Checking the diet box every night keeps the streak psychology working for you.
Tracking your diet in the 75 Hard app
- Two dedicated checklist tasks — "stick to a healthy diet" and "no cheat meal / no alcohol" — get one tap each at the end of the day.
- Log calories and weight on the Day Details screen to watch the trend across all 75 days.
- Journal the cravings. A one-line note on the hard days ("almost caved at the office party") builds the mental audit trail the program is really about.
- Milestone share cards at Day 25/50/75 give you public accountability — the strongest cheat-meal repellent known.
75 Days. Zero Cheat Meals. One Tracker.
Free 75 Hard tracker for iPhone — diet compliance, calories, weight and all six daily tasks in one tap.
Download 75 Hard — Workout Challenge75 Hard Diet: FAQ
Do I have to count calories?
No — any structured plan works. Counting is one valid option, not a requirement.
Can I have a cheat meal?
No. Zero cheat meals is an explicit rule for all 75 days; one off-plan meal restarts the challenge.
Are protein shakes allowed?
Yes, if they fit your plan — they just don't count toward the daily gallon of water.
What's the best diet for 75 Hard?
The one you can hold for 75 straight days while training twice daily. Defined rules, moderate deficit at most, foods you actually like. Experts reviewing the program (e.g. Forbes Health) consistently warn against pairing it with extreme restriction.