After a few years of 16:8 fasting, I’ve decided to transition into one meal a day (OMAD). I say 16:8, but I was fasting 18–20 hours a day on average, which is why OMAD was just a small step up.
And surprisingly enough, it’s much easier than the articles online make it out to be. So after a month of OMAD to date, I thought I’d share my experience to those interested in fasting.
My version of OMAD
There are many ways to approach this diet, the most common being eating all your calories within an hour.
But my goal isn’t to lose weight, so I take as much time as I need to eat until I’m satisfied. What I do is I eat a starter, a main meal, and a dessert, which takes about two hours. I typically feast during dinnertime.
Every day, I have a salad to start things off, and I finish my feasting window with oats and fruits. These are non-negotiable as they cover both my micro and macro needs. I also add avocado, nuts, and yogurt to pad my stomach on the extra-hungry days.
The main course is where the menu varies, which depends on what I cook for the day. Sometimes it’s braised chicken, other times it’s sweet and sour pork.
This is the version of OMAD that works best for me. Yours may vary.
Whole foods are my staple and I’m lovin’ it. Photo: Yoav Aziz
Effects on my body
I’ve noticed quite a few changes when I first made the leap from a standard diet to 16:8. Ever since I adopted OMAD, there have been additional effects that I’ve found pretty interesting.
a. My weight has remained the same. Which is a good thing, since I don’t want to lose weight. I’m surprised that I’m able to stay at my usual 63 kilos, as it’s hard to eat all your calories in one sitting. While many embark on OMAD to lose weight, I’ve found it great for maintenance as well.
b. I need less sleep. Maybe it’s because my body doesn’t waste as much energy digesting food, but I’ve found that I tire much later in the day and feel fresher upon waking up. It’s a marked improvement over my 16:8 routine, and not just from my pre-fasting days.
c. I’m less bloated. I mean, this should be a no-brainer since I’m eating less. But I eat a lot of fibre and non-processed food, so gas was a common thing during my 16:8 days. That problem seems to have disappeared on OMAD, even though I’m basically eating the same meals.
d. I’m more at peace. Besides a general calmness, I seem to enter this zen state every day at six in the evening. I don’t know what it is about the 20-hour mark, but life’s problems tend to fade once I pass that zone.
e. I still choose healthy food. You’d think that this diet would invite cravings and binge eating. Instead, the only thing I crave is nutrients. I always prioritise the aforementioned salad, oats, and fruits. Then I eat whatever I’ve been craving without the guilt. If there is a craving.
f. I’m more forgiving. I can be pretty all-or-nothing sometimes. When I fall off the rails, I really crash and burn because I figure I might as well fail spectacularly. That’s not a good way to maintain good habits, as you can imagine. On OMAD though, I’m not fazed by a doughnut (or six). In fact, I savour the occasional junk. Guilt? More like guiltlicious!
g. I have more time. Not really a physical effect, but even though I still spend the same two hours a day eating, I feel like I have more time in my day when I eat in one sitting. Maybe this batching thing really works.
Pardon the topless pic but here’s me not losing weight.
OMAD is not a miracle pill
Extreme diets seem alluring to people who want to lose weight. Because of that, they dabble with plans like OMAD and ditch it once they reach their goals. Then they return to their old weight and start the cycle all over again.
But change requires getting rid of the past you. You can’t forgo the doughnuts for a month and expect to maintain your new body forever. Similarly, you don’t lift weights for a month and expect to keep your muscles indefinitely.
OMAD, like every other pursuit in life, should be a lifestyle, not a temporary fix. This is the main reason why people fail with their diets. Because they treat it like a one-time certification.
The best diet is one that you can sustain. So make small changes and stick with them. That’ll benefit you much more than a drastic plan you try for a couple of weeks.
Lessons learned from OMAD
Besides the physical changes, I’ve also attained quite a few life lessons in general. Here are the ones that stood out.
i. Difficulty is subjective
Here’s a neat term for you: mithridatism. It’s the act of immunising yourself to poison by ingesting non-lethal amounts. It’s the same with difficult things. You do tasks that challenge you, and slowly increase the pace until the big tasks don’t matter.
So many people see OMAD as a crazy diet, but it’s something you can get used to. Do it for a while and it’ll feel no different from the three-meal days you’re familiar with.
This is a good lesson for me because I find authorship to be a hard life. But by eating my daily poison of writing, I could perhaps one day reach my prolific dreams of producing six novels a year.
This looks easy but I sure as hell can’t stretch like that. Photo: Bradley Dunn
ii. Do less to do more
This is especially true when you’re new to the habit. I’m learning to cook, but since I’m such an amateur, attempting two meals a day is a pretty big ask.
After adopting OMAD, though, I’ve only needed to focus on dinner. And that’s allowed me to really take my time with the recipes.
We often put too much on our plate (ha) and end up half-assing our tasks. Because of that weak follow-through, we start thinking we’re not good enough for our goals.
Crush your tasks by starting small, though, and you start to gain confidence in your pursuit. Sometimes, we need to go small so we can go big.
iii. Distraction is the enemy
Distracting ourselves is all we do these days, with everything from social media to Netflix available at our fingertips. Eating is no different.
It’s only after reducing my eating frequency that I realised how much I ate out of boredom instead of hunger. And that realisation has carried over into my other activities as well.
After all, how much do I really need to check Facebook? Especially since the last time I logged on was twenty minutes ago? And do I need to pick up my phone right now? Can’t I find something else to do?
It almost feels like distractions exist just to test us. It’s not enough to know what our life goals are. We also need to be mindful of all our actions that don’t contribute to our lives.
iv. Tackle the big problems first
There’s no reason to adopt specialised diets if you’re not going to drop your soda habit. You don’t need that energy necklace if you’re going to neglect your sleep. Similarly, you shouldn’t decide between Paleo or OMAD if you’re not going to feed yourself properly in the first place.
So many of us want to skip the basics in exchange for the next trend. This is why shams like fat-burning pills and vibration belts exist.
Oftentimes, the solutions to our problems are free. They just require us to wade through a bit of pain. Tackling our vices is a great place to start. Then it’s building healthy habits.
Very rarely do you need a crystal bracelet to detox your liver. You just need to cut down on that bottle of wine after dinner.
v. Junk in, junk out
We are what we put into our bodies, not just physically, but mentally as well.
During my month on OMAD, I’ve realised just how important it is to nourish my body with proper food instead of pizza or pasta. This is because the sugars hit me much harder when I’m in a fasted state.
I’ve also noticed a change in my headspace when I consume less information throughout the day. It’s all related, this mind-body thing.
We don’t control what happens to us, but we have 100% ownership over what we put into our bodies. And that’s a pretty empowering feeling. As long as we’re aware of it.
What’s next?
So that’s my experience with OMAD in a nutshell. For now, I see myself continuing the diet indefinitely. I might opt for two meals when I have jiu-jitsu classes, because I can’t maintain my caloric needs otherwise. But on the whole, I’m pretty happy with one meal.
Of course, it’s important to part with a disclaimer that this is my experience, and it shouldn’t be used as a guide of any kind. Consult your healthcare provider and whatnot.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to enjoy my zen hour of the day.
Regardless of how many times you eat a day, my e-mail frequency remains the same, and that’s twice a month. Join now to receive exclusive content you won’t find anywhere else on the blog. Plus, you’ll get a guide on how to grow your blog if you’re a new subscriber.
Your Friendly Malaysian Writer 
Are you doing this for religious or health reasons?
I’m curious because I find it interesting to see people who are privileged enough to choose to eat one meal a day or not eat at all that day when there are so many people in the world who it’s not a choice for… Especially considering there is no actually proof it has health benefits and once you go back to eating normally it could make you gain weight because you’ve put your body in starvation mode for so long. While it can work to help detox if you are eating things that will detox your body during the time you are allowed to eat but there is no need to fast for more than a day or so unless it’s for religious reasons… But I’m no expert and my opinion is based off of 20 mins of “research.”
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Good question. I do this because I’d rather try things out for myself, because the nutrition field is inconclusive at best. For every benefit you find, you’ll have another authority on the other end of the spectrum denouncing whatever it is, be it vegan, Paleo, or even Mediterranean.
So the best way to find what works for me is to just go ahead and try. And out of the many lifestyles I’ve adopted, fasting has helped me the most.
The thing about ‘eating normally’ is that I have been doing that my entire life, and for that entire time, I was pudgy with high cholesterol and blood sugar issues.
Fasting, on the other hand, has helped me grow muscle, lose fat, and increase my athletic performance. I don’t even get hypoglycaemic anymore. Which stands to reason: is ‘eating normally’ even normal at all? Even eating three meals a day wasn’t always the standard.
Again, all this is anecdotal, which is why I prefer being a practitioner instead of a theorist. All that matters is we each find something that works for us.
Thanks again for your thought-provoking comment!
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My family are foodies so dining is part of the experience we share when we travel or when my daughters are back. I do enjoy all that food but on my own, I tend to only think about food when I feel hungry and sometimes the hour passes and I get too famished. Brunch and dinner work best for me. Your staple does look wholesome and healthy. You must be eating the right amount of food to power you through the day and get a lot done. Food preparation takes time if you want to eat well. You are what you eat, hence we must pay attention to our food intake and also take the time to ingest and digest , Thanks for another interesting post.
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Oh yeah. My main gripe with eating the way I do is that cutting all that vegetables (four days’ worth) and preparing overnight oats can take up to an hour. But that’s the only way I get to control exactly what goes on my plate, for sure.
I don’t know how people can cook multiple meals a day. That requires a lot of skill and time.
Always appreciate you stopping by, LH!
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OMAD is the way out. In the world full of sedentary lifestyle leading to sedentary diseases, I choose to stand out and practice OMAD.
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That’s cool to see how we all have our different reasons for taking on a diet programme. I myself stick to whichever makes me feel the best. Thanks for your comment!
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Wow Stuart revealing this part of your life is interesting, I can never imagine a day without food so the one meal works for you will not work for me, I love food especially biscuits, sour milk, bread, fat cakes and more , I love healthy food too don’t think I only hone for junk food😂. I am glad you haven’t gained weight honestly, being fat is not a good shape to be in.
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That’s so cool to see your list of junk food, which is so different from here in Mallaysia. Here, our junk food is the likes of nasi lemak or fried bananas. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts!
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I started IF yesterday. I lasted until the meal i was supposed to skip. Dinner. I’ll try again today.
I’m doing it for brain health. Lysosome health. I’m 55 so I need to make hay while there’s still sunshine.
Very informative post. Thank you🙏
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I love the saying ‘make hay while there’s still sunshine’. I think that’s what I’m doing when I adopt these healthy habits too, since I’d trashed my body in my twenties and thirties, but now I have a chance to ensure I age better, and I’m definitely going to make all the hay I can. Thanks for stopping by!
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Interesting! It all sounds like good stuff. Not losing weight, though. Huh. So…. why are you doing this? Just general overall mind and body health? Sounds like a good enough reason. “Difficulty is subjective”–I love that, absolutely ascribe to that too. “guiltlicious”–ha! Oooh, another mention of Jiu Jitsu. You tease! When are you going to do a post on that? :)
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Less time prepping food is a great reason, lol (I’m lazy that way, and tend to do more no-gi because there’s less laundry to do). And I’d like to reap the benefits of autophagy as well. I really should get on that jiu-jitsu post, huh? Especially since I’m fortunate that I’ve been able to train once more. Here’s to hoping though :P
Thanks for stopping by!
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Less time prepping food is definitely a good selling point. People ask me why I’m so skinny. I tell them laziness: I hate preparing food!
Looking forward to that future JJ post! :)
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Fascinating and I’m glad you found something that works with you.☺️
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Oh yeah. It’s all about finding what works uniquely for each of us, amirite? Thanks for stopping by!
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I started intermittent fasting sometime last winter (some days just skipping breakfast and other days doing a 24-hour, dinner-to-dinner fast), and finally started to see some of the COVID weight come off. Then summer came and I knew it would be too hard to fast without daily work to distract me, and guess what… the weight returned. I’m starting it again with the hopes that doing it for a full school year will really cement it into my lifestyle. Thanks for the motivating post!
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Yep, you’ll definitely have to make it a part of your lifestyle, because your old self has to go before you get to become your new self, amirite? Wishing you all the best with that. Glad to see another IFer here too.
I can only imagine how hard it is to maintain it when travelling though. I had an assignment post-IF, and all discipline went out the window.
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Just did my first dinner-to-dinner fast and was instantly reminded of how do-able it is (when I’m busy at work). I just wasn’t that hungry! I’m back, baby!
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Lol woop woop! Dinner to dinner is pretty long though, so kudos to you for doing that on your return!
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Hello, Even I do 16:8 and have been doing it for over 2 years now, but I don’t think I can start OMAD just yet, as I am into professional sports. Regardless what do you think, is to possible for athletes to do OMAD?
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The only person I’ve seen do that is Mike Musumeci. But even for myself, who’s not professional, I prefer doing 16:8 on days that I have jiu-jitsu, so yeah, while it’s possible, I’m not sure it would be the best.
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Ok. Thanks for sharing your personal experience.
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Awesome.
Once I take groundnuts, I experience pimples on my face. Kindly, what might be the reason?
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Based on my high-tech super diagnosis, I’d say you’re allergic to groundnuts.
jk please don’t take health advice from strangers on the internet.
But thanks for stopping by!
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This was a nice motivating read. I’ve recently started using an app called Fabulous to help me build healthy morning and evening routines. It’s working! ☺️
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Wow, looks like a popular app with high ratings. Maybe I should check it out too. Thanks for always stopping by, Jennk!
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I’m only using their free services at the moment and it is really good! No ads!
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This OMAD looks good on you Stu! I’ve been trying to make sure i get 2 but I hate taking time out to eat.. rather crazy but all of the bennies like you mentioned are sound and keep you for surfing the fridge and gaining LB’s ! 💞🙏🏼🙌🏽💪🏼
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Lol yeah that’s a thing, isn’t it? I feel like daily admin duties like eating and visiting the bathroom sometimes eat up my time. Thanks for the kind words, Cindy!
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Wow. Your ability to write consistently and stay healthy shows that you have quite a bit of willpower. I’d be interested to hear more about how you cultivate that will power.
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I actually have zero willpower, lol. It’s just that the things I choose to do interest me enough for me to pursue. I doubt that if you asked me to learn calculus, for example, that I’d pursue it with the same vigour.
Thanks so much for your kind words, Michael!
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That’s a unexpected and clever answer Stuart.
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Good Evening,
It is 2247 right now…and I have finished reading this post of yours.
I would say that you do look much better, healthier, and in some ways…more matured if compared to your old pictures…but, that might be due to the food you’re consuming.
Ya know, when you’re mentioning about your diet and all…a part of my mind was trying to calculate/analyze the lifestyle. I mean, how it could be possible for someone to practice what you’re doing?
Like the food…there is a financial factor.
Then, the meal plan…a few other factors involved.
It is a habit…but I’ll ignore it for the moment. I am not a detective.
Anyway, here is the link to one picture…from The 13th Latin American Festival that I went to last Sunday (September 25th, 2022).
I was there for four hours.
Compared to before, I took pictures of myself and selfies for the first time.
A part of myself was like…wanting things to be better than the last time I went to the festival.
I did take video clips, but they did not feel as real as compared to being there in person.
All I know is that next…is The Latin American Film Festival…and repeat again every year.
I got excited to go there till tears…and I seriously enjoyed The Salsa because I could join together with the crowd.
It is just that after the festival, I felt empty because it is all over.
https://scontent-otp1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/308125353_1443046986202238_7758579607397135307_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=8bfeb9&_nc_ohc=CXD0KYI_jhEAX9Ynqri&_nc_ht=scontent-otp1-1.xx&oh=00_AT_2UUzZMcChU9So7gBqKb_2L-9XaFe2fEcvIipnZZ0u1w&oe=6336E3F7
https://scontent-otp1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/308176086_1443046682868935_517052104360721922_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=8bfeb9&_nc_ohc=9cHvyd_9uskAX__WMAi&_nc_ht=scontent-otp1-1.xx&oh=00_AT96FfxuFEGQwqOpKjWLYxdsygQ42MZFdw__KAYVXvoCsw&oe=633685C7
https://scontent-otp1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/307976858_1443046692868934_8028727345574722533_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=8bfeb9&_nc_ohc=RC3VWrCGfLwAX-YIvot&_nc_ht=scontent-otp1-1.xx&oh=00_AT9PTX0NXaMea9-jbfXfupvMz88mWNdrinHGWr_IFAtXSA&oe=6336643E
https://scontent-otp1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/307983368_1443046762868927_1748307680455363660_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=8bfeb9&_nc_ohc=jEx5dTx-xSIAX9UkRai&_nc_ht=scontent-otp1-1.xx&oh=00_AT-P1S6a1_PivzO56Ky3FKV_4t1Nk45w08274AtN_dg6PQ&oe=63374CBC
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Oh yeah, the frequency of eating has helped me as much as the actual food I eat, and weirdly enough, I’m starting to crave whole foods instead of the processed junk I used to eat frequently.
Wow, it looks like you had loads of fun at the festival! I can definitely see you attending every event. Hope there’s more of this to come, and that you won’t have to wait years between them. And thanks for sharing!
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Looking good, Stuart. You’re a lean, mean, writing machine.
OMAD saves a lot of time in a person’s daily schedule. Preparing meals, washing dishes and even just thinking about what to cook next.
Alas, OMAD is not for our household. My wife gets hangry, so here, it’s the 6 small meals a day plan.
Happy wife, happy life. 😆
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Oh yeah. There’s so much thinking that goes into cooking that I wasn’t aware of. Doubly so when I’m not a good cook, and have to look up the actual techniques (like searing vs. stir fry) before starting.
Yeah, we all have unique lives to live, and there is success to be found in all eating plans. Love it when I get to see a glimpse of your life from halfway across the world. Thanks for sharing, Kevin!
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Is there anything you can’t write on man?! What a piece! And the ripped bod picture helped too haha!! Makes me wanna start dieting too except I’m too lazy and reliant on my wife’s daily meal plans for our home. Sighhh…thanks again though. As cliche as it sounds, you’ve definitely given your readers some (healthy) food for thought this week!
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Ha. ‘Food for thought’ really is apt for this week’s comment. Your comment reminds me of Kevin’s, as family living definitely is different from living with a partner. Having home-cooked food is always a blessing though, no matter the meal plan. Yum. Anyway, thanks for stopping by as usual, Kelvin!
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I’ve tried intermittent fasting back in the day with fair amount of exercises yet I had to stop it once I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis on which took nearly 18 months for immediate treatments and slow recovery but I’m gonna start doing intermittent fasting again with certain restrictions so hope I’d feel physically light as possible. An interesting article as always !
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Oh wow, that sounds like a bummer, but glad that you’re back in physical condition to start fasting once more.
It’s interesting how we all have different reasons to fast. I hope you get back to your groove once more. Wishing you all the best!
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That was really cool to read about your experience with OMAD. I started with intermittent fasting a couple of years ago, which was only supposed to be for two days a week. But, I found I had lost interest in eating normally the rest of the time. So, I simply started OMAD. I thought I must be in the minority. Good to know there are others out there!
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Always awesome to find kindred spirits! Yeah, I think that I only know one other person in real life who fasts, let alone does OMAD, so it’s easy to feel alone for sure.
And yeah, I’ve also found that it’s quite taxing on the digestive system to eat ‘normally’, which is why it’s been easy for me to stick to at least one variation of fasting for years. Thanks again for sharing your thoughts!
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That was such an interesting read! I love that this change in lifestyle also came with a change in mindset. I think with these things what matters is also to take nutrition and your body’s needs into account. I see a lot of people that skip meals and say it’s fine, but they’re not eating well in general, so it is, in fact, not fine at all! I don’t think I could only eat once a day because I just love eating – but I am definitely working on trying to not eat when I’m not hungry and listening to my body’s cues!
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Oh yeah. I’ve experimented with being vegetarian once, and that didn’t automatically mean I was healthy. In fact, I was eating more processed food because of that. So the diet plans themselves aren’t the end all be all.
I’ll bet it’s hard to control your eating when you’re constantly in foreign lands though. Because you definitely want to sample what the local places have to offer. So I guess that’s an extra challenge for you :P
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Ahahah that’s for sure! But when you travel you are also a lot more active than usual, so I guess it balances out eventually! 😁
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I’d never heard of this idea, but I believe it would work for many. Our bodies get used to however we treat them. I’ve always heard that breakfast was the day’s most important meal. Typical breakfast foods are some of my favorites. I’ll often have eggs or some other protein for dinner. I used to drink a ton of soda—a terrible choice! I gave it up about four years ago (I’ve gone from having 2-3 sodas a day to more like 2-3 sodas per year.) I don’t miss it all. I feel like I’ve retrained my body, and that’s why I can see this working too.
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Oftentimes people don’t see how much they can change because they don’t try. But it can be nauseating to think about drinking that much sugar now, am I right? I for one find the thought quite unappealing, even though I too have grown up on sodas. All this talk about sodas reminds me of Wynne’s comment on here too.
I love breakfast foods! All-day big breakfasts are the bomb, lol.
Thanks as always for stopping by, Pete!
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I’m not going to lie. I started reading the blog post hoping to hear about a magical “weight loss” journey, but instead, I found something more significant: a lesson.
“We don’t control what happens to us, but we have 100% ownership over what we put into our bodies” is such a great reminder to those of us who take our bodies for granted. And weeding out vices first before tackling the big problem is an excellent approach to any situation in our lives, and it’d greatly benefit people on weight loss journeys, too.
I doubt if I will ever try OMAD or any other diet any soon because I love eating frequently, but I’ll certainly keep an eye on what I binge on :)
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Always love waking up to thoughtful comments like yours. I’m fortunate in that I don’t need to lose any more weight, but as someone whose entire family has heart disease and is entering his 40s, I definitely have to make sure my diet’s in check.
I used to smoke, yet I’d still want to ‘treat my body right’ by drinking chicken essence and the like. That’s when I realised how stupid I was and where the idea of tackling our big problems first came from.
No worries. No need to ever try something that doesn’t appeal to you. I’m glad that I managed to shed some light on OMAD though!
Thank you so much for stopping by!
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I’m glad to hear that I’m a morning Santa 🤶 And you’re welcome ☺️ I enjoy reading thoughtful posts like this and commenting on them when they resonate with me.
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You look good, Stuart! So glad that is working for you. I definitely need to tackle my soda habit. Thanks for the reminder and tips!
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It’s awesome that you plan to do that, as soda has the densest calories-to-stomach-space ratio. I’m rooting for you, that’s for sure!
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Oh right. Actually I drink diet soda which has its own health downsides!
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I’ve always stuck to pretty regular meal times—three meals a day—so I can’t imagine eating just one meal a day. My energy levels—not to mention my mood—drop pretty quickly if I don’t eat periodically throughout the day so I don’t think intermittent fasting or OMAD would be a good choice for me. Glad to hear it’s working for you, though.
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I used to be the same too! If I skipped a meal, I’d feel hypoglycaemic, and my blood sugar was always a problem. The weird thing is that fasting took care of that. Of course, that’s my experience only.
Now another test for me would be to get my blood work done.
Anyway, thanks for stopping by as always!
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Okay, you’re convincing. I need to do some more research, but can appreciate the lessons you’ve come away with from your version of OMAD. Thanks for sharing!
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Lol do share your experience if you decide to do it! Glad to hear you’ll be doing more research because you’ll definitely want to take your unique circumstances into account. OMAD works for me only because I’m a lazy bum, lol. Thank you for stopping by!
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I hadn’t heard of this approach. I agree with your comments about healthy eating and seeing any regime change as a lifestyle rather than a short term diet. Any changes to what and how we eat (and live) need to be viewed as long-term changes.
I fear that this approach would give me migraines and I believe I need to eat more regularly for health/medical reasons but I’m really pleased you’ve found something that’s really working for you.
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Oh yeah, I’m definitely an advocate for doing what works for us, so if regular meals work for you, definitely do that.
But yes, whatever you do in the name of self-improvement should be a lifestyle change instead of a one-time thing. That’s definitely the way to go. Thank you so much for stopping by, Brenda!
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I also tried intermittent fasting a few years back while on maternity leave. It was harder and easier than I thought. The easy part was actually not eating during the 16 of 16:8 window… the hard part was controlling my intake during the 8-hour eating window… I binged a lot near the end… But dang, it looks like it’s working well for you! Good job!
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I feel that too. It’s much easier to not eat at all than to try and control my portions (e.g. easier to not eat chips than to just eat a couple), which is why time-restricted feeding works so well for me.
But yeah, that’s a common downside to intermittent fasting, in that you’ll tend to binge. I’m grateful that the cravings have lost their intensity over the years I’ve been doing 16:8, so that’s easy.
Anyway, thanks so much for stopping by, Jen!
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Dang that takes some discipline. I think having the attitude of eat-to-live, not live-to-eat, is healthier in the long run. My heads hurting thinking about it though! I guess your relationship with your partner must not revolve around going out or snacking!
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My partner definitely eats whatever she wants, whenever she wants, which includes a ton of snacks. But she eats what I cook for dinner, which isn’t as 100% healthy as it seems (I use rock sugar, butter, and the likes).
But it’s interesting how I see my diet as delicious now, so I definitely don’t eat to live (only thought about this once you brought it up). Can’t beat a fresh salad, as weird as that sounds.
Thanks so much for stopping by, Hetty!
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I live an OMAD lifestyle as well and will continue to do so forever due to its simplicity and the impact both mentally, spiritually and physically it has had on my life. I found my way to it via Doctor David Sinclairs book Lifespan and his podcasts and then read books by Gin Stephen’s and Doctor Jason Fung. As Gin says, it is the health plan with the side effect of weight loss and I have lost and continue to lose weight however the health benefits far outweigh (no pun intended) any scale victories, for me at least. Nice to know a fellow intermittent faster.
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Yay, a fellow OMADer! Kinda rare to see people like you, despite the amount of practitioners I see online. I am definitely agnostic though, as I’ll need to switch up on the days I train (I finish at 11 p.m., and would much rather not eat before training, but can’t eat OMAD’s worth of food so close to bedtime).
But yeah, it’s not all about the weight loss, as I’ve been feeling the physiological benefits too.
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts!
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OMAD is life changing. After years of trying everything from Vegan to Paleo and everything in between, it is so simple and satisfying plus every day is a celebration of health and what I’m going to eat without restrictions of “oh no I can’t have that it’s got milk in it or grains or whatever. Now my body leads me to what it wants to eat and I’m so much healthier and fitter because of it. Balanced. Which sounds weird when I’m only rating within a window of time but …maybe balance isn’t what we think it is, or at least this is my balance anyway.
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I think that’s an important distinction to make. It feels like balance to us, but it might not be to someone else with different restrictions. For them, maybe the balance is not eating carbs, which I personally cannot imagine doing.
Love your take on this. It’s almost the same as mine. And it’s great to meet fellow OMADers through this post, as Yvette here has also shred that she does OMAD. Thanks for sharing!
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Fascinating. I’m almost tempted to try this… would love to have less bloating!
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I expected to bloat more, and I find it weird that it’s happening less, especially after eating. Your mileage may vary. Do approach diet changes with caution though!
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I found this so intersing to read. Thanks for sharing.
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Ultimately, my goal is to be interesting, so I appreciate you finding it so. Thanks so much for sharing!
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Once again, your timing is impeccable. Only this weekend, I made up my mind to go back to OMAD. I’m on day 2, doing my daily blog reading, sipping tea, and thinking about how hungry I am. But I’m not going to eat until my designated meal. All those benefits you experience on OMAD, I did too. I want them back. Thanks for sharing.
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Another fellow OMADer! So glad to see that you are. Is day three treating you well? Glad to hear that we share experiences too. Another thing I forgot to mention is how much more thankful I am for food when it’s finally time to feast. I seldom feel that interested in my meals when it’s 16:8. Am wishing you a great time on your journey!
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Wow!
I have been brought up on three healthy, small meals a day so I can’t imagine OMAD at this late in my life. I do intermittent fasting and follow regular exercise routine, but the thought eating my daily quota of calories in one meal is unthinkable.
Wish you continued success in OMAD.
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If you’re already intermittent fasting, OMAD might not be a huge step up. But yeah, it is challenging to eat so much at one meal, which is why I stretch it out to two hours. Some people go for four hours, just to make sure they don’t lose weight/muscle. Thanks, and wishing you continued success with your own eating regimen!
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You share two similarities with two people. One is me, our weight is similar. Second is Lex Fridman. He also does some crazy fasting.
I’ll say this though. Being blind makes it harder to follow any kind of diet, because cooking is just harder or impossible. Thanks for sharing your experiences, Stuart.
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I like to think that I do share some similarities with Lex in his diet and jiu-jitsu, but he’s a much more advanced person in general, and a great person to aspire to.
You really do teach me a lot, and always show me the differences between a sighted and blind person, as I’ve always taken cooking for granted and realised that it’s a challenging task without sight. Thanks for always sharing your perspectives, Tanish!
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Dayuuum! The first thing I expected was that your weight would keep dropping, and right now, it’s crazy for me to imagine trying this, but it seems really good.
Well-done 👏🏾
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I expected my weight to keep dropping too, but I guess the occasional junk does help maintain that. I wrote this when I was just getting back into jiu-jitsu, so 16:8 was rare. But now that I’m ramping up my training to 3x per week, I might have more 16:8 days than not. And weirdly enough, I might still end up being the same weight, lol. Thanks so much for stopping by!
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