Is eating one meal a day effective for weight loss?
OMAD: this acronym stands for “One Meal A Day”, i.e. one meal a day. A new fashion in terms of weight loss diets, which seems to be a great success across the Atlantic. Fashion has now conquered Europe, where more and more people are adopting this new eating rhythm, based on the purported benefits of extreme intermittent fasting. Is eating one meal a day effective for weight loss and above all, is this diet safe for health?
What is the “one meal a day” diet?
OMAD Diet, “one meal a day” diet, intermittent fasting, fasting, 23:1 diet… These terms all correspond to the same diet, which consists offeeding only once in the day. No specification is made regarding the number of daily calories to be ingested, nor what foods to eat.
This extreme intermittent fasting therefore imposes a rough rhythm: 23 hours without eating anything – but it is allowed to drink water, herbal tea,coffeeorteawithout sugar or milk – thenan hour when you can eat at will, without any restriction. It is of course rather advisable to opt for a healthy diet, based on leanproteins(animal or vegetable), whole grains,fruits and vegetables anddairy products.
What about meal time? Everyone is free to set it as they wish, but purists of the “one meal a day” diet – like Giorgio Bogoni, who practiced it for 3 years and wrote a book, Intermittent Diet, about his experience – advocateeating at dinner time, as did our ancestors, who ate after a day of hunting or toil.
What do studies say about the “one meal a day” diet?
Many studies on the benefits and dangers of fasting have been conducted. Butonly one is about fasting 23:1, because the phenomenon is recent. Be that as it may, the scientific literature offers some lines of thought.
A 2009 pilot study(1), conducted on young, normal-weight, healthy subjects, involved subjecting these individuals to a “one meal a day” diet for 6 months. The concluding remarks are mixed. The subjects had not lost much weight (only 2 kg on average), but they were observed:
- A substantial increase in their feeling of hunger (ghrelin levels))
- A change in their body composition (reduction of fat mass)
- A reduction in blood cortisol levels
- No changes in heart rate, body temperature or blood markers
- Increased blood pressure and LDL and HDL levels (bad and good cholesterols))
Another study, conducted in 2010 on young overweight women(2), concluded thatintermittent fasting was effective on weight loss, insulin sensitivity and biological markers. However, this was a shorter fast than that imposed by the OMAD Diet.
A study(3) conducted on participants with obesityand type 2 diabetes revealedthe positive impact of short intermittent fasting on fasting weight and fasting blood glucose. Participants had to fast 18 to 20 hours a day for two weeks. They observed an average weight loss of 1.395 kg, a decrease in BMI of 0.517 and fasting blood glucose within the norms. Nevertheless, the authors weigh their results bythe experimental and short-term nature oftheir study. In addition, nothing is specified concerning the number of meals taken by the participants. In this, we cannot consider that the study focuses on the “one meal a day” diet, but rather on the benefits of intermittent fasting on a population at risk (diabetes, overweight).
Another study (4) was conducted to determine the impact of the number of daily meals on the conceited mass/muscle massratio. She concludes that meal frequency isn’t the most important variable when it comes to “building muscle.” It’s the frequency of protein intake that will make the difference – and the more the frequency is fragmented (several small intakes), the more the muscle mass increases, at the expense of the fat mass.
Finally, some health professionals are alarmist about the risks incurred by practitioners of the “one meal a day” diettag. This is for example the case of Laura Serio(5) , a dietician, who lists many of them: possible deficiencies, muscle wasting, anemia, drop in immune defences, risk of yoyo effect with significant weight gain, digestive disorders, TCA , dehydration, deterioration of feelings of hunger and satiety… In addition, she insists on the fact that the “one meal a day” diet is strongly discouraged for diabetics, kidney failure, heart failure andpregnant women ., which could put their health at great risk. According to her, to lose weight, it is not appropriate to eat one meal a day, but rather to change your food hygiene.
To sum up: what are the benefits and dangers of the “one meal a day” diet?
1- Benefits of the “one meal a day” diet
- Measured weight loss
- Decreased fasting blood sugar
- Better insulin sensitivity sensitivity
- Change in body structure with decrease in fat mass
- Lowering blood cortisol levels
2- Dangers of the “one meal a day” diet
- Multiple deficiencies
- Increased blood pressure, heart problems
- Increased overall cholesterol levels (good and bad cholesterols)
- Increased ghrelin levels and disruption ofhunger pangs
- Eating disorders (binge eating, bulimia, hyperphagia, anorexia)
- Muscle wasting, if practiced long term
- Significant weight gain and yoyo effect
- Digestive and transit disorders
- Physical weakness, anemia, hypoglycemia, fatigue and irritability
What do willing participants in the “one meal a day” diet say?
All practitioners concede: the OMAD diet is difficult, especially the first 10 days. The feeling of hunger is constant and fatigue is present. Beyond this period, the adjustment is made. Nevertheless, for many, the “one meal a day” diet has many inconveniences: difficulty concentrating, physical weakness, irritability, constipation, repercussions on social relations(6)tag. In addition, many complain about the difficulty of having to absorb the equivalent of 1500 to 2000 calories in a single meal – an unnatural process for the human body, and which can increase the phenomenon of the “stroke”, especially if the single meal is taken at noon(7)
What are the alternatives to the “one meal a day” diet?
As you will have understood, the “one meal a day” diet has not demonstrated convincing results in terms of weight losstag. Moreover it can lead to disastrous consequences for the organism.
If the practice of intermittent fasting to lose weight tempts you, it should:
- Don’t limit yourself to just one meal a day
- Provide a window reserved for food larger than that imposed by the OMAD Diet
- Offer balanced meals
- Be supervised by medical advice
Finally, know that at present, the medical and scientific profession is still uncertain about the effectiveness of intermittent fasting on weight loss.
Stephen Paul is the lead author and founder of My Health Sponsor. Holder of a diploma in health and well-being coaching with more than 200 articles in the field of health, he makes it a point of honor to offer advice based on reliable information, based on scientific research, and verified by health professionals.