Study participants who tried eating one meal a day ended up with less total body fat. This particular group of people didn't experience significant weight loss. That said, intermittent fasting in general has proven to be an effective weight-loss method. The typical weight loss is 7 to 11 pounds over 10 weeks.
OMAD diet starts working from the very first day of fasting. You can lose 1-3 kilograms in the first week of doing OMAD. Reduction of carbohydrates and sodium intake from diet triggers the body to release extracellular water. That said, any changes on the scale in the first week are due to the water loss (2).
Conclusion: A single meal per day in the evening lowers body weight and adapts metabolic flexibility during exercise via increased fat oxidation whereas physical performance was not affected.
OMAD is a very effective way for losing weight quickly, and with few (if any) negative side effects. In fact, you will likely see a decrease on the scale within the first few days or week of starting this type of intermittent fasting protocol.
OMAD Fasting Results – OMAD Weight Loss expectations
The OMAD weight loss results 1 week indicate around 2 kg of weight loss. An average weight loss from any other diet plan is around 1 kg on average. Some obese people have also lost about 5 kg of their body weight in their OMAD diet results of 1 week.
Which method is better for weight loss? Intermittent fasting methods with long fasting times are usually better for weight loss than shorter ones. The body simply has more time to access fat storage. Because Alternate Day Fasting and OMAD both include long fasting times, they are both very effective for weight loss.
One of the latest trends among celebrities is the “one meal a day” diet (or “Omad”). Fans of Omad include Bruce Springsteen and Coldplay frontman Chris Martin. Many proponents of Omad claim it helps them better manage their weight and keep fit.
As a form of time-restricted eating and intermittent fasting, OMAD may help reduce hyperinsulinemia, control diabetes and improve metabolic syndrome. Consistent clinical experience shows that widening the fasting window can help improve these metabolic conditions.
Eating once a day slows down your metabolism.
"If you go long periods of time without eating, your metabolism actually slows down to hold on to energy," Brenda Braslow, RD, MS with MyNetDiary. "It can defeat your efforts to cut back on calorie intake."
OMAD is one of the best ways to improve gut health by allowing your digestive system time to rest and repair itself. Temporary calorie restrictions — such as those produced by OMAD — may directly reduce endotoxin levels, large amounts of which can cause a leaky gut.
Some suggest that having 5-6 small meals in a day is better than having 3 large meals in a day as it helps to boost metabolism, resulting in quick weight loss.
The three popular approaches to intermittent fasting are:
Usually, the small meal is fewer than 500 calories. Eat a normal diet five days a week and fast two days per week. Eat normally but only within an eight-hour window each day. For example, skip breakfast, but eat lunch around 11 a.m. and dinner by 7 p.m.
A person can eat what they want when following an intermittent fasting plan. However, to reach health and weight management goals, it is a good idea to follow a balanced, high protein, high fiber, vegetable-rich diet during the eating periods.
The one meal a day (OMAD) diet is, simply put, fasting from food for 23 hours a day and eating whatever you'd like for one meal. That meal can range from a double cheeseburger and fries to a more healthful salad loaded with greens, roasted veggies, whole grains, beans, nuts, and seeds.
If you can eat 500 fewer calories every day, you should lose about a pound (450 g) a week. Always talk with your health care provider to determine a healthy weight for you before starting a weight-loss diet.
To lose about 0.5kg a week, you would need to consume 500 calories below your daily calorie requirements. To lose 0.25kg a week, you would need to consume 250 calories below your daily calorie requirements.
One study in the journal Nutrition Reviews from 2015 cautions against extreme versions like the OMAD diet because it can lead to an abnormal increase in appetite and body fat percentage beyond where you were when you started the diet.
Just know this; while you might be hungry, you're definitely not “starving.” Something else that OMAD brings is a sense of getting in touch with your hunger, and how your body feels during fasting. Over time, you'll learn how great you can feel, even without food.
Ideally, if you are religiously following the OMAD diet, you should avoid consuming anything high on carbs or foods loaded with sugar. Good examples would be ice cream, candy or refined biscuits.