Fasting for weight loss: The OMAD approach
My OMAD for today. Oven baked creamy chicken breast with veges, stir fried bok Choy an oven baked tofu.
Ever thought of limiting yourself to eating one meal a day (OMAD) as a way to lose some extra pounds? Well I have! And, that’s what OMAD, a popular and extreme Intermittent fasting protocol calls for. You restrict your calorie intake to a single meal within a limited eating window usually fasting for 20 to 23 hours and eating between 1 to 4 hours and then resuming the fast. How much weight you lose depends entirely on when you start, what you choose to eat and when you eat it. This IF plan can also be compared to the warrior diet except you do not consume any calories within your fasting window in order to reap certain health benefits and improve metabolic conditions from the fast.
OMAD is not recommended by most health professionals but for someone that’s been doing Intermittent fasting for a while, it is great for both intermediate to advanced fasters as it helps improve overall metabolic health and is a powerful tool for weight loss. With OMAD, your body becomes fat adapted with the ability to burn multiple fuel sources including glycogen for energy.
OMAD Best practices
Metabolic effects aren’t the same across all Intermittent fasting approaches so take the time to learn your body and what works for you as everyone is bound to respond differently when it comes to food restriction. For that to happen, Here are some recommendations you should take into acount before considering and or when practicing OMAD.
Will power
OMAD and most prolonged fasts shouldn’t be tried by just anybody on a whim. You have to be mentally strong and able to control your food cravings to complete a long fast like OMAD. Take time when starting out to build healthier fasting habits for sustainable weight loss by adopting to a less strict Intermittent fasting method like the 13 hr synced circadian fast or the 16:8 over a period of weeks and or months and gradually work your way up to a longer one. On some days, it is possible that you may fail and if you do, that’s okay. It’s happened to the best of fasters. What I do in that case is fall back to a less restrictive approach on that day and try again after otherwise it is possible that one finds oneself starting eating habits that will only negate the impact of the fast like binging to satisfy your cravings.
No food restrictions (so make smart choices)
Because you do not have to count your calories or cut out any of your favourite foods (yay!!), it is very important that you make smart choices on what you eat in order to provide your body with the nutrients it needs. Decide on what to eat before your feeding window begins to avoid spiking your insulin levels to a point were your body ends up storing your food as fat instead of burning it. Avoid processed foods and sugars including artificial sweeteners during your fasting window as these negate the fast. but make sure that your food is filling, healthy and nutritious when its time to eat again.
Flexibility
You get to choose which time of the day to have your one meal as long as it’s after 20 to 23 hours of fasting. You also get to choose how often you would like to practice OMAD however, I recommend keeping it to at least 2 times a week so you’re at least meeting your calorie intake for the rest of the week which is very important for your body as well. That said, it really does depend on your personal preference and if you have the will power to control your cravings throughout the day making sure to break your fast right.
Keep hydrated
Drink enough fluids to keep your body going throughout the fast and also to help you deter you from mindless snacking. Consume non caloric beverages like water, tea and black coffee during your fasting window but if you must have a dirty fast by consuming detox drinks then consider taking sugar and dairy free drinks like veggie shakes, celery juices, coconut water, bone broth or kombucha as these are low in calories. But please note that taking them will possibly affect your ability to reach autophagy if that’s what you’re aiming for besides weight loss.
Do not over or under hydrate as either could be harmful to you. One way you can tell is by the colour of your urine; If it’s clear as water, you’re over hydrated, if it’s a dark yellow hue, you’re under hydrated, but, if it’s light yellow, then you’re well hydrated.
Make sure to have some electrolytes by drinking fluids like water with sea salt or fresh coconut water to minimise potential side effects like headache.
Re-feeding
Since you’re making up for calories skipped, load up on a variety of real whole foods with high nutritional value and if possible aim to consume a recommended calorie intake of not less than 1200 to 1800 kcal during your meal. If it’s too much for you to achieve in one meal serving, you can also consider taking a multivitamin to help you reach your nutritional goal. Just make sure to avoid mindless eating and over indulging as it could spike your insulin levels and leave you feeling lethargic. That said, your meal should be satisfying and do not limit yourself by consuming ridiculously small portions that will leave you feeling hungrier.
Because your body needs a sufficient amount of food to function properly, your meal should consist of whole natural foods made up of healthy fats like (avocados and nuts) , fruits, protein as it this ensures that you receive enough amino acids your body needs to build and maintain lean muscle mass, vegetables and fermented foods as well a reasonable carb intake..
Add exercise
Depending on your daily routine, you may choose to exercise or not during OMAD but, including fasted workouts allows you to use and burn more fat for energy once your glycogen stores are depleted; which usually happens at the 12th hour when ketosis kicks in. However, make sure your workout isn’t extremely intense if that only fuels your need to eat food more. Try a low impact workout like short stroll or yoga during your fasting hours and see how that makes you feel.
Not for everyone
Most health professionals will not recommend eating OMAD but if you do choose to do it, make sure you aren’t sick, on medication, a child or teenager, an older person over 70, someone with underlying health conditions , pregnant and or breastfeeding, with eating disorders because you need a steady calorie intake to be able to maintain proper health and growth. if you aren’t sure, please consult your health professional to have a properly guided fasting plan.
Know when to stop fasting
Besides losing weight, we OMAD to have a better relationship and approach to food. But, forcing yourself to keep fasting when your body is clearly not ready for it will only reverse the effects of the fast and lead to over indulge. If you happen to feel unwell, dizzy, extremely fatigued or nauseated, then maybe it is time to stop and eat. You can always try again another time.
Why OMAD?
Okay so now that you know what OMAD is, the question is why choose it? There are so many benefits to Intermittent fasting backed by science that have had hundreds of thousands of fasters glued to the lifestyle for years! like rapid fat loss, mental clarity, better sleep, improved metabolism, improved blood sugar, cholesterol and glucose tolerance all thanks to caloric deficits. But most of the benefits I’ve already mentioned in my past videos are related to fasting in general and not only to OMAD.
However, when done properly, OMAD potentially delivers better results than shorter fasting windows because
It is a very powerful and effective weight loss tool that helps you burn fat and and maintain your desired weight.
Trains your mind to make healthier food choices even after longer fasting which overtime, helps you control hunger pangs and cravings.
Reduces markers of inflammation.
Has a potential to reduce heart disease risk factors.
Convenient as there’s only one meal to prep and less dishes to wash.
Great way to kickstart weight loss when you have hit a slump and stuck at a weight or gained some.
Saves energy not to have to eat all the time.
Significant increase of autophagy cellular markers which lead to improved cellular repair and regeneration.
extended longevity.
As amazing as those benefits are, there are some disadvantages to OMAD especially for beginner fasters and these may include
It can be challenging when done especially for the first time as you may suffer cravings and end up over indulging.
The cycle of fasting followed by re-feeding may cause abdominal discomfort in some OMAD fasters like diarrhea
Prescription medications that need to be taken 2 OR more times a day with food make OMAD hard to do.
Though you can eat whatever you want in moderation, choosing to mindlessly eat a lot of low nutrition food adds more calories that leave you feeling lethargic, piling up on the pounds and reversing the effects of the fast.
What to avoid when doing OMAD
Eating patterns that involve periods of fasting followed by periods of re-feeding can be a potential trigger for eating disorders in susceptible people if done wrong. Therefore, when doing OMAD, it is very important that you do it correctly and safely by avoiding the following;
Processed carbs/ fast foods as they offer very little nutritional value and leave you feeling lethargic
Snacking during your fasting window.
Sugars from processed foods like soda, ice cream, candies, pastries etc including table sugar and artificial sweeteners
Excessive carb intake especially if you’re fasting for weight loss or are highly insulin resistant as it may spike your insulin and glucose levels.
Doing an intense workout; take it easy especially when doing OMAD for the first time
Eating too little in order to push your calorie deficits even lower. This will only leave you feeling hungrier and before you know it, you’re snacking on foods you know will only make you feel worse.
Not knowing when to stop. It is very important that you listen to your body and know when it is time to refeed. Don’t let any guilt or pressure get to you when you’re feeling unwell all because you havent reached your desired fasting time.
OMAD has been a great kickstarter for my weight loss journey. from 87.2 kg, I currently weigh 62.6 kg.
I practice OMAD 7 days, every month after my routine monthly 72 hr extended fast before easing back to my 16:8 routine. This routine is highly determined by my monthly cycle as my hormones usually lead to heavy sugar cravings and I find myself eating and indulging in anything that’s baked or deep fried. Some people like to use OMAD on non consecutive days cycling it with less restrictive fasting regimens like the 16;8 and the 5:2 fasting protocol which i will talk about next week.
If you cannot imagine eating one meal a day for a considerable amount of time, then stick to less restrictive fasting approach to make IF work for you. But, if you think you have the will power to do it, I say, try it out and see how your body reacts to it.
look out for my next blog on Saturday where I will talk about the 5:2 eating IF plan and how you can use it for weight loss. Until next week!