One of the most compelling reasons to start one meal a day is the promise of fast weight loss while eating what you want. But “eating what you want” is very subjective. So in this article, I will explain everything you need to know about is it possible to eat anything on OMAD and still lose weight?
You can eat what you want on OMAD. Regardless of the food combination, if you’re doing one meal a day, you will lose weight. However, people who want to experiment with OMAD for the long term should be more selective on the types of foods that they’re using.
This means if you’re planning to do OMAD for an extended period of time, you want to make sure that you won’t get any nutrients deficiency.
Can I Eat What I Want On OMAD?
In the short-term, eating what we want for a day or two can bring us a positive and psychologically healthy break from the long-term food restriction.
You can eat what you want on OMAD and still lose weight. However, for long-term health, and to be able to maintain your results, you should pay attention that all of the essential nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrient requirements are met.
Can I eat bread on OMAD? In general, you can eat bread on OMAD, as long as you have it within your eating window, together with a decent amount of protein, fruits, and veggies. On occasion, you can indulge in fresh-baked bread with olive oil, but be mindful of calories in oil.
Can I eat french fries on OMAD? In general, you can eat french fries on OMAD, as long as they are eaten within the timeframe of your main meal. French fries are highly salted and deep-fried in vegetable oil, which increases their palatability and increases appetite.
Can I eat ice cream on OMAD? On occasion, you can eat ice cream on OMAD, as long as you eat them after your main meal. Ice cream has a lot of fat and sugar content, which stimulates appetite and increases hunger pangs. This can be lowered with a good amount of protein, so eat ice cream after a meal.
Can I eat junk food on OMAD? As a general rule, you can eat fast food on OMAD, on occasion. Junk food is usually full of processed sugar, fats, and additives, which has a negative impact on your satiety and cravings. Eating less junk food will help you stay fuller for longer.
If we look at the before and after pictures of people who succeed on one meal a day it gives us this confidence that we too can change our lifestyle and finally lose weight.
In fact, any dietary changes that cause calorie restriction will lead to weight loss if we stick to it for long enough.
The problem is that most diets not only restrict the calorie intake, but they also limit some macronutrients, usually in the form of staple foods that we have all been used to eating.
In other words, just because something works for a month, it doesn’t mean it will work for 12 or even 6 months from now.
It’s like driving your car when all the control lights from your dashboard start to flash. You may get away with it for a day or two, maybe even a week. But the longer you disregard that signal, something is gonna happen.
So if you’re planning to stick to OMAD for the long term, remember that our body needs some essential nutrients to work at the optimum level.
Can You Eat Whatever You Want On OMAD?
Another aspect is to differentiate eating what I want versus eating as much as I want. Just because we are doing one meal a day, it doesn’t mean you want to go over the board.
You cannot eat as much as you want on OMAD. People who use intermittent fasting as an excuse to binge, eat as much as they want and eat in excess after fasting, can have a hard time with appetite and hunger control.
That is a very common scenario when we do intermittent fasting. People treat it as some type of reward.
I’ve skipped breakfast, so now I will double up on my dinner.
I won’t be eating all day, so I will top up my tank now, just in case I get hungry.
Big mistake.
It’s all about our belief system. Back in the day in the 80s and 90s a common “bodybuilding wisdom” preached that we must eat every 2-3 hours. Otherwise, we will be starving and lose all the precious “gainz”.
Sometimes we tell ourselves stories that impact our behaviors.
I haven’t eaten my breakfast, I feel like I could eat a horse.
I missed my lunch today. I’m starving.
Really?
The point is that sometimes we like to exaggerate how we actually feel. Because more often than not, just a slight rumble in the belly freaks us out.
So we don’t really feel like we are starving. We believe we’re starving.
Big difference.
Eat normally before and after. Try not to overeat on the meals just because you’re doing intermittent fasting. This is not a big event to prepare for. It’s just a long time without eating.
What Should I Eat During OMAD?
Depending on how long you’re planning to experiment with OMAD, there are some things you should remember. Long-term caloric restriction can lead to nutrient deficiency.
Caloric restriction is great. Studies show that prolonged caloric restriction leads to longevity, insulin sensitivity, lower oxidative damage, improves markers of age-related diseases, and improves our psychological and behavioral health (source).
But it must be done correctly. It means you have to make sure you have your meals balanced. They must contain all the essential nutrients, minerals, vitamins, fatty acids, amino acids, and phytonutrients.
Nutrient deficiency isn’t very common these days, however, if you’re pushing the needle too much, for too long, it can bite you in the ass.
That’s why people may experience hair loss, skin becomes more fragile and vulnerable to damage, mood swings, altered hormonal levels, etc.
Can I eat pizza on OMAD? You can eat pizza while doing OMAD. Taking a break from a strict diet is proven to have a positive psychological impact on health. Therefore, eating occasional pizza that can be shared with friends and family can make the process more sustainable.
Can I eat pasta on OMAD? You can eat pasta on OMAD. Eating any form of complex carbohydrates like pasta provide you enough satisfaction, which will diminish any cravings and relieve the stress that happens from food restriction for the long term.
Can I eat sweets on OMAD? You can eat sweets on OMAD, as long as they are consumed within the time of your main meal. Doing OMAD for a long time puts a lot of pressure on willpower. Therefore, having a sweet with each meal can help with eliminating those cravings, and ease the process.
Can I eat sugar on OMAD? In general, you can eat sugar on OMAD, as long as you eat it at the end of your meal. Eating too much sugar before a meal can spike too much blood sugar and increase your cravings. So leaving sugar at the end of your meal can lower the glucose levels down.
Can I eat spaghetti on OMAD? You can eat spaghetti on OMAD, as long as you combine it with a high amount of protein. Eating spaghetti on its own can negatively influence glucose levels. However, when you combine it with some protein-rich sources, it will balance the glucose and your energy levels.
Just stick with the basics.
Proteins
Always make sure that you have a decent amount of proteins. Those can be only obtained from the diet. Proteins are the most essential macronutrient. They are made of amino acids and those amino acids play several roles in our daily body operations.
Can I eat peanuts on OMAD? In general, you can eat peanuts on OMAD because they have a good source of vitamins, protein, and soluble fiber. Peanuts, as long as they are not salted, can be a perfect addition to a complete amino acid profile, especially for plant-based eaters.
Fats
You need fats for several reasons. They are the important component of cell membranes, hormones, and enzymes. They also are the vehicle for all the fat-soluble vitamins. So without fat, you immediately block to body’s ability to absorb the vitamins like A, D, E, and K.
Fruis and Veggies
Apart from fiber and water content, they have tons of vitamins and minerals that your body needs daily. Those nutrients are responsible for important projects in the body.
Can I eat fruit on OMAD? You can eat fruits and vegetables in OMAD. In fact, you should build your meals mainly around veggies and fruits, together with proteins. Fruits have high water and fiber content which will lower your appetite and increase satiety.
Can I eat chocolate on OMAD? You can eat chocolate on OMAD. Dark chocolate has less fat than regular milk chocolate, therefore it stimulates appetite less intensely and has a richer flavor. This means you can satisfy your cravings with less amount.
Can I eat cake on OMAD? In general, you can have a cake on OMAD, as long as it’s eaten after the main portion of your meal. Starting your meals by eating cake can elevate your sugar levels, where stating your meal from eating proteins leads to a more steady spike.
Can I eat chips on OMAD? On occasion, you can eat chips on OMAD, as long as they are consumed together with the main meal. However, chips are highly palatable foods because of the cooking process in vegetable oil so there can increase your cravings and appetite for more food.
Water and Electrolytes
Water is essential. I cannot stress enough how many people feel lethargic, grumpy, and anxious in general, where sometimes the easy fix is just to drink enough water. I’ve seen that happen.
Go Further with OMAD
This article is part of the OMAD: What To Eat To Stay Full For Longer
In the following articles, I show you all the related aspects necessary to get started with OMAD and knowing what to eat for the best results.
Learn More: Click here to learn more about can I eat carbs on omad