If you’re struggling with staying motivated during your one meal a day, this article will change your life. Any dietary changes are hard to adapt to, especially when you need to stick to the caloric deficit to lose weight. And I haven’t meet anyone who says that they enjoy being hungry.
If we gonna go step further, I bet that everyone who struggles with excess weight like to eat. So it’s a no brainer.
Restricting calories isn’t fun.
But fortunately, you can do a lot to stay motivated and focus, even if you’re doing OMAD. So here I will show you some of the best tactics to help you stay on the ball and reap the rewards, so your journey with OMAD can become another success story.
Set Up Small, Visible Goals
Nobody want to wait for their results. It’s more appealing to earn extra 2k this weekend, rather than starting savings plan for retirement. It’s just how our brain works.
We want quick and fast results. We are more motivated towards NOW, rather than TOMORROW. Let me show you some of the examples here so that we are on the same page.
We want to lose 10-pounds next month. We don’t want to exercise to be fit as we get older.
We want to be young and fit again. We are not interested in living until we’re 100-years old.
We want to know what to say to a girl in the bar standing next to us now. We don’t want to spend 3-6 months studying and educating about NLP tactics.
People want a solution that solves problems now, with the least amount of work and effort. That’s natural.
That’s why your goals have to reflect on those principles if you wanna stay motivated. Your goals have to be so visible and whin your reach that it would be impossible not to score.
Make sense?
Try to compare some of those examples here and think for a moment what is the difference.
On left you have Big Kahuna Goal. One the right you have Low Hanging Fruit Goal
I will write a book this year. I will write two paragraphs every single day.
I will eat healthily. I will add an extra serving of fruit and veggie to my meal.
I will exercise every day. Today I will take a 20-minute walk after lunch and after dinner.
I will clean the house. I will spend 5 minutes cleaning the kitchen.
I won’t touch alcohol ever again. Today I won’t have a drink.
I will lose 60 pounds this year. I will lose 2-pounds this week.
I will read more books. I will read 5-minutes before bed.
What Is the difference? On the left you have your Big Kahuna Goal. This is your ultimate north start goal. Thats what you want to get. But the truth is that anything that is worth doing or having in this life takes time.
And this is why people quit.
They want results right now. But they set up the Big Kahuna Goals.
Instead, focus on small and visible goals. Something that you can easily do. And stick to it. Setting up the daily goals will create a habit. Just like brushing your teeth. You don’t question are you gonna brush your teeth or not. You just do it.
Because you have a hard-wired habit. And the moment you don’t brush you already feel that something is off. Guess what?
If you practice small goals, for long enough, they will make you feel like you’re already winning. Like you’re already halfway there.
One of the most effective ways to motivate people is to make them feel they are already closer to the finish line than they have thought they are.
Measure Your Progress
Another great way to stay motivated on OMAD is by measuring stuff.
How do companies know they’ve made more profit this year comparing to last year? How does your doctor know your blood pressure is better this month than 6 months ago?
They measure.
If you’re not measuring, you’re guessing.
That’s how people know they are doing a good job (or they’re doing something wrong). Measuring is the key to stay focused and motivated.
Comparing to small goals, tracking your result will give enough evidence that you know which direction you going. Measuring doesn’t mean being obsessed with the numbers. This also doesn’t mean that if something doesn’t work, you must beat yourself up.
Numbers like weight on the scale, lean body mass, fat percentage, etc. are just the information. This is not the reflection of who you’re. You use this data to decide what is the next action step.
Your data is the most valuable piece of information you have.
You can collect data in multiple ways.
Food Journals
Calorie Trackers
Checklists
To-Do Lists
Body Measurements
Heart Rate Monitors
Body Composition Wristbands
Photo Journals
There are infinite things you can track and measure. You shouldn’t worry too much about measuring everything.
Just because you can, doesn’t mean you have to.
If you see progress, that means you’re doing something good. In that case, keep it up. Keep doing what you’re doing.
You can use that knowldege to lift yourself up during times of doubt. Because every one has those moments that you feel like nothing is working. But then all you need to do is open your journal where you keep all your data.
Compare day 1 with today. And just by looking at those numbers, you will immediately catch a second wind.
If you don’t see progress, don’t panic. Learn from it. Don’t get emotional. Don’t let your ego get in the way.
Oh, I did everything right, this program sucks.
I cannot lose any weight. Something is wrong with my hormones.
Leave your ego behind the door. Relax. Take a big breath in and look at it through the lenses of the information that you have.
For instance, look at your food journal from the last 2 weeks. What does it say? Did you track everything you had? Or did you “forget” about something?
Sometimes it may feel like the plan is not working, but the reality is that we haven’t done our job as we should.
For instance, we all know people, who if they make a mistake, feel paralyzed to admit that this way indeed their fault. Instead, they will point fingers at everyone around.
The guy didn’t buy what I was selling, what a douchebag.
My boss gave me a bad evaluation, what an asshole.
I’ve hit the car, but it wasn’t my fault, it was the tires‘ fault.
I didn’t get the job, the interviewer was stupid.
Sounds familiar?
This is a very dangerous place to be. Because we all make mistakes. But only when we can admit to ourselves that we did wrong we can actually learn from those mistakes.
The information and evidence that we gather from our measurements are like honest feedback. Sometimes brutally honest.
And just like with honest feedback, it can be painful and uncomfortable. The same with the information that we get may not be so pleasant too.
But it is the most precious gift we can ever get.
Because now we know our blind spots. And when we find the blind spots, now is the time to adapt and try again.
Get Social Support
Social groups can be a real blessing when you need some motivation. Watching or reading about other people’s success stories who did OMAD already is like sunshine on a cloudy day – makes everything bright again.
Social support is important because human beings are social animals.
Conisder this.
According to research, social proof is one of the most powerful influences that gives us the direction of what to do. This means, when a lot of people are doing one thing, this means this is the right thing to do.
Social proof determinate what is correct.
For instance, what to do with the empty bucket of popcorn in the cinema, how to eat around the dinner table, how fast to drive on the road, or how to behave when someone is fighting on the street. When do you see 20 random people looking at the sky, what you do?
You look at the sky as well.
I you would see 20 people suddenly start running on the street, what you do?
You start running too.
This is called “pluralistic effect”.
Another example of the pluralistic effect is the classic so-called “bystander effect” which is the reduction in helping behavior in the presence of other people. According to research, the more people publicly witness any emergency, the less likely they are to actually step up and help (source).
The more people in the group, the less action is taken. It’s like a paralysis.
For instance, a group of 100 people will stand still and watch each other what to do if they all witness sudden emergency situation.
But if you will take every single person out of the group, one-by-one, and place them in the same situation individually, almost everyone would help.
So when we are in doubt (uncertainty) it is a natural reaction to chase for certainty again. That’s why social groups are so powerful. We look for evidence that whatever we’re doing is right.
Which is great.
Because if you have access to some good people, surely they can help you stay strong and motivated.
But the problem is when you enter into a space where there are people who bring their ego and agenda into conversation.
Arguing to win is different than arguing to find the truth. The latter is driven by curiosity and growth mindset where the former is driven by egocentrism and insecurities.
Read Books
When we are starting any dietary changes and want to see the results, it may feel like watching paint dry. Doesn’t matter if that’s one meal a day or regular caloric restriction.
It just takes time.
One of my favorite tools I found to work extremely well is reading. Reading is by far the best thing you can do for your mental health. Regardless if you read about fiction or nonfiction.
Reading makes us learn more. Learning stimulates dopamine in the left pre-frontal cortex that is responsible for happiness and positivity.
The more you read, the more you learn. The more you learn, the more you feel good about yourself.
People who read more are more positive and joyful. They feel more grounded, calmer and more fun to be around. Other ways to stimulate your dopamine in a healthy way are exercise, meditation, and helping others.
Another aspect of reading is that you have access to some really inspiring stories of how people overcome their obstacles. Reading about someone else success stories, and “seeing” the process step by step feels more real.
It makes you feel like you can do it too.
So it makes you more believe that whatever goal you have right now, is achievable. This doesn’t have to be related even to health or weight loss. There are lots of inspiring stories out there.
Hire A Coach
Hiring an experienced trainer or a coach can get costly pretty quickly, but in the long term, if you have the financial opportunity, then it’s a good ROI.
Working with a coach can sometimes feel intimidating.
Especially if you’re working with someone who doesn’t know what to do.
Like a doctor’s visit where he doesn’t even look at you and start to write a prescription. But that’s how many clients feel when they work with coaches too.
They may feel insecure, self-conscious, or had some bad experience from the past.
The good coach is like gold.
Like a tour guide in a place where you already live, that helps you discover all the cool things that have always been around you, but you’ve never realized.
Like a great cafe shop that serves a good espresso. You may have pass it a hundred times, but never actually knew what’s inside.
Like a great restaurant that serves you favorite food, and you just recently find out about it.
A great coach doesn’t tell you what to do. He helps you discover what is already that you’re doing right, and find the way to make you more awesome.
A coach helps you see the resources and capabilities that you already have within you. Coach doesn’t judge or parent you what you should do. He is not a know-it-all guru.
He is just a buddy that is a few steps further on the same path as you. And he understands what challenges you are having.
And if you can find a trusted, and experienced coach, it will pay you in spades.
Take A Rest
Sometimes we all need to rest. If you’re constantly operating on eleven out of ten, then one day you will crash.
A couple of years ago, I did the longest working marathon in my life. I was physically drained and emotionally destroyed. I’ve spent over 16 months onboard a cruise ship with literally no rest. And by the time I went home I was done.
Then from Europe to Asia to US… then back to Europe…
Over 16 months across 5 different cruise ships.
So physically drained.
The first few months were easy and it felt like I can do it. Every morning I was up at 5 am, exercising and meditating. I was feeling like I have so much energy that I could go like that forever.
And the more energy I had, the more energy I was able to give to my clients, so they would get even better service and experience.
But as the months pass by, I started to work during my time off. So I had very little time to relax. And immediately I felt my energy drop.
So instead of taking it easy, I’ve double up on my effort. This means I’ve trained more, eat more, and work more. Living on caffeine and pre-workouts.
As a result, my stress went up. So does my weight.
And it got to the point that I was so tired that the only way to feel better was going to the bar. Because I felt like I needed a drink.
And the more I drink, the lousier I felt. Soon enough I’ve stopped waking up early, because I’ve needed extra sleep.
My energy was low.
At that point I was in the bar every night.
I couldn’t even remember when last time I’ve meditated. My body started to fall apart, my weight kept going up and I had fewer and fewer clients. I wasn’t even thinking anymore to get more clients. All I was thinking to end my day and sleep.
Which made me feel really anxious and depressed. And by the time I went home I was in the worst shape of my life. I didn’t care anymore what I eat, and if I exercise or not.
I was burned out. And there’s a huge lesson from this part of my life. Something that many can relate to.
If you don’t take time to relax and recover, you won’t be able to take care of yourself. So if you can’t take care of yourself, how can you take care of others?
Take time to relax.
Whatever you’re doing.
In the following pages, I show you everything there is to know about OMAD, benefits, tips, and how to do it properly.