I Tried Intermittent Fasting for 30 Days and Here's What Actually Happened
Mike (yeah, the pizza guy) has been doing 16:8 fasting for a year. "Alex, just skip breakfast. So simple."
I love breakfast. Eggs, toast, coffee — the whole thing. But I was stuck at 177 for three weeks. Plateau.
So I tried it. 30 days. Eat between 12 PM and 8 PM. Water and black coffee only before noon.
Day 1-3: Awful. Hungry by 10 AM. Irritable. Couldn't focus. Almost quit.
Day 4-7: Still hungry but less awful. More water. Sparkling water helps for some reason.
Day 8-14: Shift happened. Not hungry mornings anymore. Energy stable. No crashes.
Day 15-21: Weight moved. 176.8. 176.2. 175.5. 174.9. Four pounds in two weeks. After being stuck.
Day 22-30: Routine. Don't think about it. Weight: 174.1. Total loss: 2.9 pounds.
Surprise? It wasn't the weight loss. It was simplicity. One less daily decision. No "what's for breakfast?" No "grab a bagel?" Just nothing until noon.
Saved money too. Maybe $30-40 less weekly on breakfast and snacks.
Downside? Social. Brunch got awkward. "Just coffee" gets looks. Sometimes wanted Saturday breakfast. Felt left out.
After 30 days, stopped strict 16:8. Now: skip breakfast weekdays, normal weekends. Flexible.
Weight since: 174-176. Stable. Happy.
Recommend it? Maybe. If you like structure and hate breakfast. Love breakfast? Don't torture yourself.
— Alex
P.S. Mike and I PK'd during my fasting month. Both doing 16:8. BMIs almost identical. Boring but funny.
P.P.S. Still eat pizza Fridays. Fasting doesn't fix that.