Many people swear by the practice of eating one meal per day to lose weight and improve their overall health. The one-meal-per day diet is also known as OMAD.
People following the OMAD diet are restricted to eating one meal per day or a limited time.
The main health benefits of OMAD lie in fasting, which restricts calorie intake for a time — and general calorie restriction.
There are many options for OMAD implementation, including multiple methods to practice intermittent fasting.
You can do this by eating only one meal per day and then fasting the rest of your day, or having one meal but eating very little during fasting periods.
This diet can result in weight loss by creating a calorie deficit.
Fasting has other health benefits, including the potential to lower heart disease risk, decrease blood sugar and reduce inflammation (1).
Contrary to other intermittent fasting methods, like the 16/8, which has 8-hour eating windows followed by 16-hour fasting, only one meal is allowed per day.
A few diets recommend eating only one meal per day. The Warrior Diet is an example. It encourages eating one meal per day and allows you to alternate between periods of fasting and short periods of energy intake.
Most people who follow OMAD eat dinner only, but some choose to eat breakfast or lunch. Some variations of this eating plan allow for a snack or two along with the main meal.
Some OMAD followers don’t eat anything containing calories and only eat calories during the meal they choose, which usually lasts about an hour.
To lose weight, you need to create an energy deficit.
This can be achieved by increasing your calories burned or decreasing your calorie intake. Fat loss can be achieved by reducing calories, regardless of how you do it.
The OMAD method is likely to help you lose weight. This is because it allows you to eat fewer calories than usual.
A study of healthy adults showed that limiting calorie intake for a 4-hour period in the evening resulted in significantly more body fat loss than eating three meals per day (2).
Research also shows that weight loss can be achieved by intermittent fasting. This could include extended fasting periods such as OMAD.
It doesn’t appear to be any more efficient than traditional methods of calorie reduction, such as reducing calories at each meal (3).
A study that involved 50,660 participants showed that people who ate 1 or 2 meals per week had a lower body mass index (BMI), compared to those who ate 3 meals per night.
A study showed that an overnight fast lasting 18 hours or more was associated with a lower body weight than shorter fasting periods (4).
These weight loss benefits can be attributed to intermittent fasting, not only the OMAD.
Extreme fasting methods, like OMAD, can have side effects people should consider. These include increased hunger and metabolic problems (5).
Research has shown that fasting can have other health benefits than weight loss. Fasting can help lower blood sugar levels and reduce the risk of heart disease, such as LDL (“bad”) cholesterol (6, 7, 8).
The effects of fasting have also been shown to reduce inflammation markers, such as C-reactive proteins (6).
Fasting can also have unique benefits for the nervous system. According to animal research (8-9), it may slow down neurodegeneration and promote longevity.
These potential benefits may sound promising, but it is important to remember that they are related to fasting in general, and not OMAD.
Research has shown that the OMAD fasting pattern is more harmful to your health than other less restrictive fasting options (2, 10, 11, 12).
Research has shown that fasting and calorie reduction have many health benefits. However, there is some evidence to suggest that restricting too much (which can mean only one meal per day) may cause more harm than good.
Studies have shown that extreme fasting may result in higher total and LDL cholesterol levels and higher blood pressure than normal eating habits (2).
Studies have also shown that eating just one meal per day can increase fasting blood sugar, delay insulin response, and increase appetite-stimulating hormone Ghrelin levels, as compared to eating three meals per day.
Extreme hunger can result (10).
Additionally, limiting calories to just one meal per day can increase hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), especially for people with type 2 diabetes (11).
These potential side effects can be compounded by eating just one meal per day, which can cause symptoms such as (12).
Many people are not able to eat the OMAD diet, such as pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, teenagers, seniors, people with eating disorders, and older adults.
A person can have disordered eating habits if they limit their intake to just one meal per day. This can impact their social lives and make it extremely difficult to adhere to.
It can also be difficult to get enough nutrients into one meal. This can cause nutrient deficiency, which can have serious consequences for your health.
Lastly, OMAD dietary followers will eat a lot of highly processed and calorie-dense food such as pizza, doughnuts, and icecream during one meal.
These foods are good for a healthy lifestyle. However, eating only foods high in sugar or other unhealthy ingredients can have a negative impact on your long-term health.
Although there are some benefits to fasting and calorie reduction, research shows that eating 2 or 3 meals per meal is better for your overall health than one meal per day ((5)).
Whatever your dietary preference, you should eat a lot of whole, nutritious foods.
While most doctors would advise against eating one meal per day, it is important to ensure you are eating a variety of healthy foods.
* Fruits, such as bananas, citrus fruits and berries
* Vegetables, such as broccoli, cauliflower and asparagus
* starchy vegetables, grains, such as sweet potatoes and butternut squash.
* Healthy fats such as avocados and olive oil.
* legumes such as chickpeas and lentils.
* Nuts, seeds, and nut butters such as almonds, cashews and macadamia nuts.
* Dairy and plant-based alternatives products, unsweetened yogurt and coconut milk, as well as cashew and cashew milk
* Protein sources such as eggs, chicken, fish and tofu
Avoid highly processed foods like:
* Fast food
* Sugary baked goods
* White bread
* Sugary cereals
* Soda
*
These foods are low in nutritional value and can cause weight gain and increase risk of developing diseases (13).
The OMAD diet demands that people eat fewer calories during fasting periods.
This means that you must eat very few calories when following the strict OMAD diet. Fasting allows you to still drink water and other non-caloric beverages.
Some people choose to consume low-calorie, high-protein snacks throughout the day.
Many healthcare professionals do not recommend that you eat only one meal per day. This can have a negative impact on your overall health.
Before you decide to try this diet, make sure you consult your trusted healthcare provider.
If you don’t plan your meals carefully, eating one meal per day will not provide the nutrients and calories that your body needs. You may be able to increase your intake of nutrients by eating more frequently.
You shouldn’t eat one meal per day if you decide to make it a habit.
The majority of people use the OMAD method for a few days a weeks. They cycle it in with a normal dietary plan or a more restrictive intermittent fasting regime, such as the 16/8.
Try to eat one meal per day. These meals must contain at least 1,200 calories. This can make it difficult for some people to consume these meals in a regular meal time.
You might consider increasing the time you eat or splitting your meal into smaller portions if you have trouble getting enough calories in one meal. This will allow you to get enough calories and nutrients without feeling deprived.
These are some nutritiously complete meals that will likely exceed 1,200 calories, provided the portion sizes are sufficient.
* Baked chicken with sweet potato mashed, topped with butter, roasted broccoli, olive oil, and then full fat Greek yogurt, topped with berries and nuts, seeds and honey.
* Grilled salmon served with brown rice, black beans salad and roasted plantains. Fruit is then served with nut butter and hemp seeds.
* Egg omelette made with goat cheese, avocado, and grilled veggies cooked in coconut oil. Crispy baked potato wedges are served alongside a side dish of fruit drizzled in dark chocolate and whipped topping.
As you can see, every meal should include all the following:
* Carbohydrates
* Fats
* proteins
Aiming to eat 1,200 calories per day is the minimum. Adults need more calories to maintain their weight.
This way of eating can be more challenging for people who follow specific diets such as vegan or low-fat diets. It is because of the sheer number of calories required to make a single meal.
No matter your health goals, it is not possible to pack all your calories into one meal. This diet is not sustainable and practical for most people.
Although it may seem appealing to lose weight by eating one meal per day, it is likely to be detrimental for your overall health.
Fasting, whether it is prolonged or generalized, can have a positive impact on your health. However, there are other ways to achieve the same benefits.
If you are currently eating in excess and wish to lose weight, there are more sustainable diets.
Due to their extreme nature, most healthcare providers recommend against OMAD dietary habits.
You can promote better overall health by using more sustainable methods.
