Are you planning to follow the concept of One Meal A Day diet by eating once a day for weight loss? You can find out more about the diet here!
When it comes to losing weight, many people wonder what would happen to their body if they only ate once a day. Such a diet can be both healthy and contribute to weight loss. In addition, the so-called OMAD diet is intended to help you lose weight by forcing your body to burn fat. This is a 23:1 type of intermittent fasting. This can be a particularly strict diet because you don't eat anything for about 23 hours a day. You then consume all of the day's calories in one meal. Can once oneat daybe unhealthy and how does this affect the body? Below you will find some useful information and nutritional tips.
What restrictions to consider if you eat once a day?
In practice, this type of diet can bring many benefits, but it requires willpower since cravings often occur. However, intermittent fasting allows you to manipulate your body into burning fat. When you eat the traditional way, you get your energy from the food you eat. Because the bodyCarbohydrates in sugarinsulin transports the excess sugar content in the blood into the fat cells. On the OMAD diet, the body produces less insulin, although cells still need energy for fuel. This encourages the fat cells to release more fuel to compensate. To achieve this, however, you have to avoid eating until your insulin levels drop.
Additionally, 23:1 intermittent fasting involves eating only one meal a day. The numbers 23 and 1 logically mean 23 hours of fasting and 1 hour of eating and drinking. When following this diet, you can either only eat healthy and nutritious foods or eat whatever you want once a day. For this reason, the effect of this diet may vary depending on the hormonal cycle and the risk of deficiency.
Why can a single daily meal be beneficial?
- Research shows that people who eat once a day feel better, while their blood sugar levels also decrease. This can also promote weight loss in people with type 2 diabetes.
- The OMAD diet could even increase life expectancy and improve eating and sleeping cycles in those who are obese.
- This type of fasting also supports brain function and the cardiovascular system.
- In comparison, three meals a day can have just as good an effect on the body. For many people, it would be better from a health perspective not to neglect their breakfast and to eat less in the evening.
- If you want to lose weight without skipping a meal, it is recommended to divide the three meals a day into six.
- Typical weight loss on the OMAD diet is approximately 3 to 5 kg for about 10 weeks.
- Eating once a day can also boost your metabolism, which helps you lose weight.
- In obese adult men with prediabetes, this type of diet had a positive effect on blood sugar levels in one study.
- With prolonged OMAD diet, the level of the growth hormone somatropin also increases, which promotes the increase in muscle mass and regenerates tissue and bones.
Does the OMAD diet have any disadvantages?
As already written, this is a strict diet to follow. Whether the inconvenience is worth it depends on your tolerance and body chemistry. Furthermore, it remains unclear whether such a type of fasting in the morning and evening helps with weight loss. However, people who fast at night and eat a larger amount of food in the morning tend to lose more weight than those who eat more in the evening. Here are some of the side effects associated with it:
- Intermittent fasting regimens like the OMAD diet have a dropout rate of up to 65% and are no easier to follow than other calorie restriction diet plans.
- The possible symptoms that may occur if you eat once a day are: weakness and fatigue, tremors, indigestion, irritability, feeling hungry, dehydration, difficulty concentrating, etc.
- Fasting is not always recommended for people with diabetes or hypoglycemia, as lack of nutrition could increase the side effects of their diseases.
What's the best way to eat just once a day?
For most people, it is difficult to eat just a single meal a day. To prevent cravings, you can, for example, suck ice cream, drink more water, do yoga exercises and meditate, and do more intense exercise. You can make these activities a routine and list the things that would distract you from eating. Another recommended measure is to avoid stress and eat a sugar-free diet.
In addition, the 23:1 fast requires physical and mental preparation. Therefore, you should avoid consuming foods that are harmful to the liver and kidneys such as alcohol, junk food, high-fat dairy products, etc. for at least a month before the OMAD diet. Instead, you can focus on eating a lean and healthy diet to to become familiar with the feeling of hunger. Also try to chew each bite at least 30 times while eating. An equally advisable step would be to practice fasting on a weekday or every third day of the week.
What can you eat on the OMAD diet?
Skipping dinner can help you lose weight faster. The body actually depletes its energy reserves of glycogen after about 8 to 12 hours. This would promote fat loss, but this would only make sense if you eat a balanced diet at lunchtime. Skipping breakfast could also lead to obesity if you turn to unhealthy snacks because of cravings. Therefore, it is important to consider the following types of foods if you are going to eat once a day:
- Lean protein from white fish or meat like chicken breast
- Natural products rich in fiber, vitamins and minerals such as fruit, vegetables and whole grain products
- Certain lean dairy products like yogurt and eggs, as well as healthy fats and oils like coconut or olive oil
Final thoughts
Weight loss or gain actually depends primarily on daily calorie intake, not the number of meals. For example, to get a better figure, you can eat two, three or once a day, but only eat foods that are high in fat. In addition, eating only in the evening does not necessarily help you lose weight because it depends on the quality and type of food. However, if you are hungry and skip dinner, it can have health effects and affect your sleep or overall balance. For this reason, it is important to speak to a doctor before following such a diet and to prevent any possible risks.
You might also be interested in: “KEEPING FOOD WARM: WHAT CAN YOU HEAT UP & WHICH FOOD WILL BE HAZARDOUS TO HEALTH WHEN WARMING UP?”
Important
Any methods, information, and tips in this article are based on current studies and medical sources (at the time of publication). However, they are not suitable for self-diagnosis and treatment and in no way serve as a substitute for competent medical advice.
The nutritional method described is safe for many people, but not for everyone. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or have a medical condition, talk to your doctor before starting.
