How Effective Is One Meal per Day for Our Fat Loss Goals?

One meal per day for fat loss?

If you had said this twenty years ago, you would have been laughed out of the room.

But today, thanks to data into Ramadan fasting subjects, we now have many studies to draw upon.

Several celebrities have allegedly followed the omad diet, with Chris Martin of Coldplay, music superstar Bruce Springsteen and former British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak linked to eating once a day.

The old adage was "multiple meals per day to spike your metabolism!" Such was eaten up by the general public trying to lose weight, and many thought it was weight loss gospel.

But behind the scenes, scientists were proving it wrong in studies like this one; that found eating three or six meals makes no difference to fat loss. A traditional three meals, two snacks and sometimes a cheeky dessert tends to be commonplace.

Moreover, this study found as long as the calorie deficit was tuned the same between groups, multiple meals didn't make a difference for fat loss.

Really, what fat loss comes down to is a calorie deficit.

Regardless of your method, research shows that's what will make your diet a success.

Let's say your macronutrients for fat loss are:

And factoring in all your exercise, you're tuned to a 20% calorie deficit.

Here are two different ways you can approach this:

The alternative version is:

The truth is that both work. Both will serve your fat loss goals well.

So, which one is best for you? Well...

The best diet in the world is the one you find easiest to stick to!

There's no point in trying a diet that you hate, that makes you miserable.

I've seen people lose their minds trying to eat one meal a day on the omad diet. I've seen others really love it, and others enjoy having two-three meals per day.

Don't beat yourself up if it takes some experimenting, that's what fat loss success can take and some time!

How does an omad diet actually work?

One meal a day = eating once per day - but it's not necessarily that simple! There are several interpretations of what omad looks like.

Omad is an extreme version of intermittent fasting. Some people take it quite literally - one meal per day with all of their macronutrients typically at around dinner time. Other people may interpret it a little more loosely - fasting for 23 hours and fitting their food intake in to a 1 hour period. Most people consider liquids like coffee to be breaking an omad fast, others allow it to help them get through the day.

People who follow omad say it helps them eliminate sluggishness throughout the work day when they're trying to digest their food - because there isn't any food to digest.

It's also touted to help with weight loss, because even if your one meal on omad isn't the healthiest, you're not taking in as many extra calories as you could be with mindless snacking and eating all day long. One meal in total per day could also be a downfall if you're indulging in foods that typically aren't the best for you as part of it - ensure you're getting a good balance of macronutrients including protein and carbohydrates.

Is one meal per day good for my metabolism?

And here's the other myth again: one meal per day must be dreadful for your metabolism?

The 80s and 90s were awash with people peddling the "stoke the metabolic fire by eating every 3-4 hours!"

But this very recent study confirmed what we've known for a while: one meal per day makes no difference to your metabolism when compared to those eating three meals per day.

The other concern has always been strength and performance. Surely eating more is better.

Well, the same study found the same thing; strength wasn't hindered in the one meal per day group.

Moreover, this study into resistance-trained men eating all their calories in an 8-hour window found no changes in muscle strength or mass.

This is of course only eight weeks, and maybe, after that period, it might have gotten difficult for them. Or maybe not at all! More research is needed but there are currently no loud alarm bells.

If this is a style of diet you want to undertake, go for it! And be sure to monitor your results with a DEXA scan, if possible, along the way: are you losing mass from weeks 8, 20, 30? Unlikely, but it's critical to know.

If you're going to spend hours in the gym, you'd want to know that what you're doing is right!

Moreover, check in with yourself regularly: do you feel like you have the same energy to lift when you haven't eaten versus when you have?

Ultimately, you'll know the answer. We don't need to make weight loss any harder than it can sometimes be!

Is eating once a day safe?

Before starting a diet as drastic as omad, it's important to consider your goals and your health. Seeing a doctor is something always recommended, just to be safe!

If you're looking to increase your lifting, an omad diet may not give you the results you're after - working out in a fasted state may make you feel weaker or more fatigued during your workout, making you unable to reach your goals while following omad.

Scientific research varies as to whether an omad diet will give you good results for weight loss- some studies suggest omad could link to higher blood pressure and cholesterol, and general risks of fasting include the risk of binge eating due to hunger, feelings of faintness, fatigue and trouble focusing.

But other studies suggest that an omad diet could lead to more controlled blood glucose levels and has been linked to lower instances of diseases like diabetes (although test subjects were mice!).

The bottom line on one meal per day

Following an omad diet can help you lose weight. Whether or not you can maintain such a lifestyle and find it easy to do is up to you. The best diet for you is the one you find easiest to stick to.

The old adage that we need multiple meals per day to "spike" our metabolisms is not supported by science. One meal a day will not slow down your metabolism and is the same as eating three meals for weight loss. Studies show it also shouldn't affect your muscle mass or strength.

Good luck with your omad diet results!