Yes — you can drink coffee on 75 Hard. Black coffee is allowed as long as it fits the diet you've chosen, and for most plans it does. Two hard caveats: coffee never counts toward your gallon of water, and whatever you put in it (sugar, syrups, sweet creamers) must comply with your diet. Alcohol, by contrast, is banned completely for all 75 days — no exceptions.
The Complete 75 Hard Drink Rules
| Drink | Allowed? | Counts as water? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plain water | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | The only thing that counts toward the gallon |
| Black coffee | ✓ Yes | ✗ No | Fits virtually every diet |
| Coffee with cream/sugar | Depends | ✗ No | Must comply with your diet — clean eating usually means black or unsweetened |
| Unsweetened tea | ✓ Yes | ✗ No | Same status as coffee |
| Sparkling water | ✓ Yes | ✗ No | Fine to drink; purist reading says only plain water counts toward the gallon |
| Diet soda | Depends | ✗ No | Legal if your diet allows artificial sweeteners; many plans don't |
| Energy drinks (sugar-free) | Depends | ✗ No | Diet-dependent; watch late-day caffeine with two workouts to recover from |
| Protein shakes | ✓ Yes | ✗ No | Part of your nutrition plan, not your hydration |
| Juice / sugary soda | Usually no | ✗ No | Breaks most structured diets |
| Alcohol (any) | ✗ Never | ✗ No | One drink = restart at Day 1 |
| Non-alcoholic beer | Risky | ✗ No | Often up to 0.5% ABV — the spirit of the rule says skip it |
The one-sentence rule: drink whatever your diet plan explicitly allows — but the gallon is plain water only, and alcohol is never on the table. Write your drink rules down before Day 1; "does this count?" debates at a restaurant are how days die.
Caffeine Strategy for Two-a-Days
Most people lean on coffee harder during 75 Hard — two daily workouts will do that. Three practical guardrails: keep the last caffeine at least 8 hours before bed (sleep is your recovery tool), don't let coffee displace morning water (16 oz of water before the first cup is the classic pattern), and if you use pre-workout, count its caffeine in your daily total. Beverage guidance from the program's own official FAQ confirms: coffee is fine, water is water.
Tracking drinks in the 75 Hard app
- Water task = plain water only. Tap "1 Gallon of water" green only when the actual gallon is done — coffee doesn't move that needle.
- Diet task covers your drink rules. The "no cheat meal / no alcohol" checkbox is where your diet-soda-and-creamer policy gets enforced daily.
- Add a custom task like "no soda" or "caffeine before 2 PM" if drinks are your weak spot — it sits right in the daily checklist.
- Journal the cravings — Day 20 you will thank Day 3 you for the note about surviving happy hour with sparkling water.
Know the Rules. Track Them Honestly.
Free 75 Hard tracker for iPhone — water, diet, workouts, reading and photo in a one-tap daily checklist.
Download 75 Hard — Workout ChallengeDrinks on 75 Hard: FAQ
Does coffee count toward the water requirement?
No — only plain water counts toward the 128 oz gallon.
Can you drink diet soda?
If your chosen diet allows it, technically yes. Decide before Day 1 and write it into your plan.
Are energy drinks allowed?
Diet-permitting, yes — sugar-free versions fit most plans. They never count as water.
What about alcohol-free beer?
Most contain trace alcohol; the safe and honest call is to skip it for the 75 days.