I ate one meal a day for 7 months and was able to lose 54 kilograms

I've been on a protein-heavy diet for about four years now. Last August, I started refining my diet again, looking for a way to make a bigger leap in weight loss. I started eating only once a day.

While many people find such an experiment daunting and even impossible, for me this extension of the fasting interval was something that I quickly became comfortable with. As a result, my weight dropped by 25 kilograms in 7 months.

I do endurance training on an empty stomach because it burns more calories.

A study published in the British Journal of Nutrition found that fasted endurance training burns an average of 20 percent more fat. Although this study did not influence my decision to eat only one meal a day, exercising on an empty stomach was a consequence of my diet. This helped me notice changes in my body faster.

Is it possible and how to eat once a day and lose weight?

You can eat once a day and lose weight; for this, the menu can include fermented milk and vegetable products, lean meat, and prepare all dishes by boiling or baking. There is a “light” diet, when you are allowed to drink juices and teas without sugar during the day.

It is important to exclude contraindications, go to bed on time, give up sweets/fatty foods and remain physically active. Be sure to prepare for this lifestyle, which includes gradually refusing to eat during the day. It is worth remembering to limit your daily calorie intake to 1800 kcal. During the first 7 days, get rid of 2-3 kg, and in a month - up to 10.

Is it possible to eat once a day

You can eat once a day - this is what doctors say, but they clarify that such a regimen is only suitable for absolutely healthy people. Such nutrition does not imply calorie restrictions, but you should not exceed the daily norm, which leads to weight loss (1800 kcal maximum).

In ancient times, people also ate once a day - Europeans, for example, began to have breakfast only at the end of the 19th century, the ancient Romans and Jews also ate in a similar way. The monks of Tibet still have a vow not to eat food after lunch; they eat once a day in the morning.

Is it worth organizing meals once a day in the evening?

The optimal option is to eat once a day in the evening, and this fact is easily argued:

• in the morning and at lunchtime there is often no feeling of hunger, because a person is busy with business and does not want to be distracted - food enters the body simply because “it’s necessary”;
• at night, the body actively spends the calories it receives, because all its systems and organs do not sleep, but work - an evening meal will ensure normal functioning;
• During an active working day, waste, toxins and excess fluid are removed from the body.

In addition, appetite increases in the evening, and while losing weight, refusing this meal can provoke a gastronomic breakdown and psycho-emotional disorders.

We recommend reading the article on how to lose weight in a few days. From it you will learn whether it is possible to lose weight quickly, ways to lose weight - fasting, alternating physical activity, drinking coffee, giving up solid food, as well as the rules of fasting days.

And here is more information about how many kg you can lose weight over different periods of time.

Advantages and disadvantages of eating once a day and losing weight

Both doctors and those who have already tried this diet note the obvious “advantages” of eating once a day for weight loss:

• the meal is spent with great pleasure - a person actually feels hungry in the evening, any food seems incredibly tasty (even boiled broccoli);
• tastes gradually change, and if with 3-4 meals a day you often feel the desire to eat fast food, shish kebab, chips, then with a one-time dinner you always want something “right” - boiled vegetables, baked fish, and so on;
• increased gas formation, bloating, intestinal colic disappear - food enters the “clean” stomach and intestines, fermentation processes are excluded;
• the risk of hysteria about constantly counting calories and worries about readings on the scales is reduced to zero - with one meal you can eat any food and dish.

With this kind of weight loss, constipation is not a concern, because during the day a person drinks a lot of liquid - clean water, ginger or lemon drink.

Unfortunately, there are obvious disadvantages to this diet:

• periodically (especially in the first days/weeks) the feeling of fatigue bothers you;
• a slight trembling may appear in the body;
• attention becomes less concentrated;
• general weakness manifests itself in the daytime;
• The psycho-emotional background may change - irritability, mood swings, and causeless tears will appear.

Watch this video about the dangers of single meals:

Risks of eating once a day

Eating once a day is a risky “event” according to many scientists and doctors, as here is what can happen:

• sharp fluctuations in sugar, uneven “release” of insulin into the blood - this can trigger the development of diabetes mellitus;
• increased “bad” cholesterol – a stroke may develop;
• compulsive overeating – a person eats a lot of food at one time, even after feeling full.

Some claim that lost pounds come back in greater quantities as soon as a person returns to their usual diet. And the weight loss effect with this method is no greater than if you use traditional weight loss methods.

Who shouldn't eat once a day and lose weight?

Not everyone will be able to eat once and lose weight; this method is contraindicated for:

• disorders of the endocrine system, including problems in the synthesis of hormones by the ovaries and adrenal glands;
• diseases of the gastrointestinal tract - gastritis, peptic ulcer of the stomach/duodenum, colitis;
• cholelithiasis and after removal of the gallbladder.

Cholelithiasis

It is imperative to take into account the amount of physical activity, work schedule, lifestyle (night, day).

Single meals are not recommended for patients with oncology, mental disorders, or nervous disorders (for example, epilepsy).

Tips for beginners

Those who want to switch to single meals for the purpose of losing weight should follow the following recommendations:

• Start reducing the number of meals with one or two - remove breakfast first, then give up lunch (or other meals as desired).
• You need to consume enough calories per day so that the body works without failures and metabolic processes do not slow down.
• You need to keep the meal that is ideally suited to your lifestyle - for example, if you are active at night, then it is not advisable to refuse dinner.
• Snacks are not allowed, but beginners can eat apples, microcrystalline cellulose, and low-fat kefir before eating their main meal.
• You need to drink a lot of water a day - at least 2 liters. This volume does not include compotes, fruit drinks, and teas, although they are also allowed for consumption.
• To lose weight, you will still need to give up junk food - sugar, baked goods, desserts, and too fatty foods are excluded.

What can you include in your diet once a day?

One meal per day may include only healthy foods:

• cottage cheese, kefir and other low-fat fermented milk products;
• boiled, raw vegetables, smoothies, baked vegetarian dishes;
• boiled, baked, steamed fish;
• lean meat, boiled, baked, grilled or steamed chicken;
• Rice, buckwheat, oatmeal porridges cooked in water.

It is allowed to drink any drinks, only sweet carbonated drinks, compotes/jelly with sugar, and juices in industrial packages are excluded.

Menu when I eat one meal a day and lose weight

If a person eats once a day to lose weight, then his approximate menu could be as follows:

• morning - a glass of freshly prepared juice or a cup of green tea, coffee without sugar;
• lunch – fruits, sweet and sour or fermented milk drinks;
• evening - a full dinner.

During the day, to successfully lose weight, you need to drink a lot - both whenever you feel hungry and when you feel thirsty. For variety, you can add lemon, honey, and mint leaves to the water.

Watch this video about what single meals are, its pros and cons:

Is it possible to do without sports if you have one meal a day?

One meal a day involves moderate physical activity:

• 2-3 full-fledged workouts per week - gym, strength, aerobic exercise;
• yoga or stretching exercises;
• walking - at a slow pace, 150-170 kcal are burned in 60 minutes, a fast step “destroys” up to 400 kcal.

Even a minimum of calories entering the body per day will not result in effective weight loss - weight loss will occur, but the skin will sag, the muscles will not become stronger or more elastic, so physical activity is necessary.

Meal once a day and water activities

Eating one meal a day will give excellent results in losing weight, but it will not work to get rid of cellulite, weakened muscles and skin. Experts recommend doing exercises on the water - even banal swimming without any system for an hour strengthens muscles, skin and eliminates 600 kcal.

The advantages of water activities are that they have virtually no contraindications, can be carried out without a coach/instructor and at any convenient time of the day.

Once a Day Diet Options

The once-a-day diet comes in several varieties (detox cleanse, mucusless), each of which will produce the expected results.

Detox cleanse Clean

The developer of this weight loss system is Alejandro Junger, a cardiologist by training. The program implies that the processes of breakdown and elimination of fats begin only 8 hours after the last meal. To this time you need to add 4 hours - the period required for complete digestion of fats and carbohydrates.

According to Junger, you can eat food 2 times a day and still actively lose weight, but if you leave only one meal a day, then the body will spend more time working on existing fat deposits.

Mucusless diet "Eat 1 time a day" from Dr. Ehret

Dr. Ehret’s basic principle is “The body needs a break from food.”

The “Eat once a day” diet is aimed at cleansing all organs and systems of mucus, which is formed as a result of the constant presence of food in the gastrointestinal tract.

It is necessary to either switch to this diet, or eat every 1-2 hours something that is digested as quickly as possible - juices, vegetables, fruits.

Beginners can combine these two methods and get weight loss results.

The experience of ancestors in nutrition 1 time per day

Eating once a day is not new, but a “well-forgotten old” ; our ancestors ate this way for centuries:

• gladiators spent their days training and could only eat in the evening;
• the peasants were forced to work “from dawn to dusk” and only allowed themselves a hearty meal before resting at night;
• in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the concept of “lunch” meant gathering the whole family at the evening table, and there were no breakfasts at all.

It is worth paying attention to the fact that the ancestors physically stressed their bodies to the maximum: gladiators purposefully trained for endurance, peasant work was always difficult, even aristocrats and landowners were forced to ride horses during the day, hunt, and this is all sport.

Why is it important to go to bed on time when eating once a day?

When eating once a day (especially at the beginning of the process, when adaptation to new living conditions occurs), you need to go to bed no later than 22-23 hours. In this case, your sleep will be sound, a gastronomic breakdown is excluded, and it will be much easier mentally to withstand long breaks between meals.

The body constantly produces hormones that suppress hunger, and this happens during sleep. On average, an adult requires 7-8 hours of rest to obtain the required amount of energy. But this indicator is not accurate; you need to focus on your own needs.

Results when eating once a day

Such weight loss will definitely give results - if you eat once a day, you can get rid of 2-3 kg during the first 7 days. If a person follows all the other recommendations of specialists (full sleep, physical activity, food choice, drinking regime), then weight loss will continue at the same intensive pace and in a month you can see a plumb line of 7-10 kg.

But in the future, the process of losing weight will stop, because the body will begin to make reserves in case of an upcoming hunger strike.

The result of losing weight with one meal

Alternative Options to Eat One Meal a Day for Weight Loss

If eating once a day for weight loss is unacceptable, then you can use alternative options. Weight loss will occur even if you simply reduce the calorie content of food, food portions and add physical activity to the process. You can use one of these options:

• Limit salty foods, baked goods, pickled foods, smoked foods and any processed foods. Sweets are allowed to be consumed only from 11-00 to 17-00, when it has time to be completely processed and not stored in fats.
• For breakfast, eat fatty foods, for lunch you should give preference to protein foods, and consume carbohydrates until 4 p.m. maximum. After 19-00 you can only add boiled red meat to the menu.

To lose weight, you should also use a clear nutrition schedule:

• breakfast at 7-9 o'clock - porridge without sugar, salad from boiled or raw vegetables, juices;
• lunch at 11-12 o'clock - soups/borscht or fresh sweet fruits, natural yogurt;
• lunch 13-00 – 15-00 – boiled potatoes, fish or meat without additional fat, green tea;
• snack 16-00 – 17-00 – juices, fruits, kefir;
• dinner 18-20 hours – cottage cheese in the form of a casserole, fruit salad with honey.

Eating one meal a day is an extreme form of weight loss that is rarely recommended by doctors. If this method has been chosen, then you first need to undergo a medical examination and make sure that there are no contraindications to changing your diet/regime.

Source: https://HudeiSkorei.com/est-odin-raz-v-den-i-hudet/

I completely stopped snacking

Following the OMAD plan means you limit yourself to just one full meal and skip snacks altogether. Since, as already mentioned, I prefer protein rather than carbohydrate foods, this has always made it easier for me to tolerate the absence of snacks. This change in diet has given me a lot. Giving up snacking led to a dramatic drop in calorie intake.

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Why is the food system harmful to health?

It is quite difficult to find positive qualities in this food system. There are a number of negative factors:

• negative effect on the digestive system. Such a nutritional system can cause gastritis and pancreatitis. It is especially not recommended to try the nutritional system for those who already have digestive problems.
• From time to time, thoughts about food will still come to mind. The secretion of gastric juice begins, which provokes a negative effect on the walls of the stomach.
• Long-term adherence to a diet provokes stomach distension.
• metabolism slows down.
• eating behavior is disrupted.

The nutritional system will not bring benefits to the body, however, you can acquire diseases of the digestive system and other organs.

My body has more time to digest food

Since I only eat one meal a day, my body has enough time to digest and extract the nutrients it needs from food. It takes the human body six to eight hours to completely process food for absorption in the intestines. I “fast” 23 hours a day, which means my digestive system has 23 hours to do its thing. This makes it easier to burn calories and helps me lose weight.

Diet recommendations

In order to improve the effectiveness of the “eat one meal a day” diet, as well as reduce the likelihood of unpleasant side effects, you must adhere to the following recommendations for its implementation:

• Reduce the number of meals gradually: first from three to two, then from two to one;
• Avoid snacks, even low-calorie ones;
• Apply a calorie counting system, not allowing you to go beyond 1200 kilocalories, but also not allowing an extreme degree of deficit;
• Choose only healthy and nutritious foods, excluding fast food and processed foods, unhealthy sweets and baked goods;
• Maintain a drinking regime, consuming at least two liters of water per day.

Compliance with the rules does not guarantee the absence of side effects, so before starting the diet it is recommended to visit a doctor for a medical examination.

Frees up more mental energy to focus on my fitness

Since I only eat one meal a day, meal planning takes very little time. When I practiced three meals, after 2-3 hours I needed to think about the next meal. And if I’m at home, it’s quite tiring to constantly cook for myself.

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Now I only need to prepare a meal once, after which I can continue with my daily life. This means I have more time for work and hobbies, and it also helps me focus better on my fitness goals. It's nice to have enough time to do different things without compromising your schedule.

What are the safe alternatives

One meal seems very attractive when you want to lose weight quickly. However, there are safer ways to lose weight.

1. Exercise regularly . Try to do at least 150 minutes of cardio every week. For example, do jogging or aerobics.
2. Keep a food diary . You will notice what unhealthy foods you eat and when exactly.
3. Get support . Support from loved ones or those who also want to lose weight will help you not give up.
4. Eat a balanced diet . Eat enough fruits and vegetables, reduce your intake of fast food.
5. Consult your doctor . It will determine if you have diseases that affect your weight.

Benefits: What Research Shows

People who follow the one-meal-a-day diet find that it provides many benefits:

1. You can lose weight quickly.
2. The diet is easy to follow because there is no need to count calories.
3. No food is forbidden.

However, there is little evidence to support the notion that a single meal can promote large weight loss. Although studies have been conducted showing the effectiveness of intermittent fasting. They report that it helps with weight loss, although there are multiple risks.

Thus, participants in one study ate their daily diet during a 4-hour interval in the evening. Many of them experienced both a decrease in fat mass and a decrease in weight in general. But at the same time, others experienced elevated levels of both cholesterol and blood pressure.

Meanwhile, another study concluded that alternate-day fasting was no more effective than a calorie-restricted diet in terms of weight loss and reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. However, it should be noted that intermittent fasting is becoming increasingly popular among people looking to lose weight or improve their overall health.

What are the advantages

• Rapid weight loss.
• The diet is easy to stick to because you don't have to count calories.
• You can’t lose your temper, because you’re allowed to eat everything.

Possibly short-term fasting:

• Helps reduce Effects of intermittent fasting on health markers in those with type 2 diabetes. blood sugar levels and excess weight in people with type 2 diabetes.
• Comparison of Intermittent Fasting Versus Caloric Restriction in Obese Subjects has a positive effect. on sleep and nutrition cycles in obese people and increases life expectancy.
• Improves Impact of caloric and dietary restriction regimens on markers of health and longevity in humans and animals. memory and functioning of the cardiovascular system.

However, most of the studies were conducted on men. The effect of such diets on the female body has been studied less. It most likely differs due to women's hormonal cycles. In addition, women have different nutritional needs. For example, they need more iron. During fasting, you will not get enough of it.