Alright, let’s talk about this “intermittent fasting,” the 18/6 kind, you know, the one where you eat only for 6 hours and then don’t eat for 18. I tried it for a whole month, and let me tell ya, it was somethin’ else. Don’t expect no fancy words from me, I’m just gonna tell it like it is.
What is this 18/6 stuff anyway?
Well, from what I gather, it ain’t rocket science. You pick a 6-hour window to eat all your food, and then you don’t eat nothin’ for the rest of the day, just water and maybe some plain tea or coffee. Some folks say it helps you lose weight, some say it’s good for your health. I just wanted to see if it would make my pants fit a little looser, you know what I mean?
My Month of 18/6 Fasting
I started this whole thing on, let’s see, it was around the… the 25th of last month, yeah March 25th. I figured I’d give it a good go for a whole month and see what happened. Now, I ain’t no spring chicken, so changing my eatin’ habits ain’t the easiest thing. But I stuck to it, mostly. Some days were harder than others, especially in the beginning. That belly of mine would start grumbling somethin’ fierce around hour 15!
First few days, oh boy, I was hungry as a bear in springtime. I’d be watchin’ the clock, waitin’ for that 6-hour window to open up. And when it did, I’d eat like there was no tomorrow. Probably ate too much, to be honest. But after a week or so, my stomach started gettin’ used to it. The hunger pangs weren’t so bad, and I didn’t feel the need to stuff myself silly during my eatin’ time.
- Week 1: Hungry all the time, felt a little cranky, but managed to stick to the schedule.
- Week 2: Hunger pangs got better, started eatin’ a little less during my 6-hour window.
- Week 3: Felt more energetic, my clothes started feelin’ a bit looser.
- Week 4: Pretty much got used to the routine, didn’t feel deprived or overly hungry.
So, did it work? Did I lose weight?
Well, I ain’t got no fancy scale that tells you all the decimals and whatnot. But my pants definitely feel looser, and that’s good enough for me. I’d say I lost a few pounds, maybe… maybe like… two or three? I don’t know exactly how many pounds but those smart doctors, they say people lose maybe 1 or 2 pounds a week doing this fasting stuff. Others say you might lose almost 3 to 4 pounds in a month. So I guess I am right on track. And you know what? I think I lost weight around my middle, which is where I needed it most.
More than just weight loss
But it wasn’t just about the weight, you know. I also noticed some other things. I used to snack all day long, a little bit here, a little bit there. This 18/6 thing made me stop that. I was eatin’ more real food during my meals, not just junk. And I think that helped me feel better overall. I had more pep in my step, if you know what I mean. Didn’t feel so sluggish after eatin’ neither.
I also think it helped me with my “binge eating”, that’s what them city folks call it. You know, when you just can’t stop eatin’ even when you’re full. I used to do that sometimes, especially at night. But with this fastin’ thing, I only had that 6-hour window to eat, so I had to make it count. I ate till I was satisfied, but I didn’t stuff myself silly no more.
Was it hard? You betcha!
Now, don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t all sunshine and roses. There were times I wanted to throw in the towel. Like when the whole family was havin’ cake and ice cream, and I couldn’t have none. Or when my neighbor brought over a fresh batch of her famous cookies, and I had to say no. That was tough, real tough.
And there were days when I just plain slipped up. Maybe I had a little snack outside my 6-hour window, or maybe I ate a little too much during my eatin’ time. But I didn’t beat myself up about it. I just got back on track the next day. That’s the important thing, ain’t it? Just keep tryin’.
Would I recommend it?
Well, I ain’t no doctor, so I can’t tell you what to do. But I can tell you my experience. For me, this 18/6 intermittent fasting thing worked pretty good. I lost a little weight, I felt better, and I think I learned a little somethin’ about my eatin’ habits. But it ain’t for everyone, that’s for sure. You gotta be willin’ to stick to it, and you gotta be willin’ to make some changes. And if you got any health problems, you better talk to your doctor first, don’t just go doin’ somethin’ crazy.
Final thoughts
So, there you have it. My month of 18/6 intermittent fasting. It was a challenge, but I’m glad I did it. I think I’ll keep doin’ it for a while longer, see how it goes. Maybe I’ll lose even more weight, or maybe I’ll just feel better. Either way, it’s worth a shot, I reckon. Now if you’ll excuse me, my 6-hour window is about to open up, and I got some eatin’ to do!
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