Health Benefits of Intermittant Fasting and OMAD (one meal a day)

You do have to remember that muscle is heavier than fat. You have been working out a lot and building muscle (see highlight above) and your scale might not be going down but that's because your new muscles weigh more. Yours is the better result than mine since I don't exercise. Keep it up! I wouldn't care how much I weighed if I looked slim and fit instead of looking like an apple, supposedly the worst kind of fat.

Funny story. When my son-in-law was in the army he got a warning that his weight was above regulations. He had been doing weightlifting and was very toned with no fat. He pointed it out to them but they ''went by the book".
Oh yes I DO realize that which is why I pointed out about the muscle tone. I certainly have been working out a lot , my muscles are feeling it BUT the results of how I look and feel have to trump a number on a scale. My goal isn’t so much to be a certain weight as it is to look and feel a certain way and when clothes are no longer comfortable, that’s motivation enough for me. For myself personally I like the toned, buff look rather than rail thin.

My man had the opposite problem when he joined the military. He was underweight so had to eat a lot more to gain. On testing day he said he drank huge amounts of water just in order to pass.

I’d best not comment on the ‘going by the book.’ 😂

Thanks PVC. 🥰
 

I was 149 lbs when I retired, a little heavy but not disgusting. After I retired I became less active and the pounds creeped on until I reached 164. I tried ALL kinds of diets. Okinawa, Mediterranean, several others, even the 5:2. The 5:2 was hard because I had to fast 36 hours twice a week and then go back to eating normal, that yo-yo kind of diet does not work for me. With this diet it's steady every day, same time every day (except my Sunday cheating) and it works great. When I reach my goal I've decided to eat breakfast, skip lunch, and eat a reasonable dinner, we'll see if I can maintain my weight loss that way. If not, it'll be back to the drawing board, maybe even doing this diet as a lifestyle.
I am like you, if I lose the weight I have set as my goal weight, then this will be my lifestyle. Just may add lunch or breakfast in. I am having no problems not eating in between and plus I love the benefits of this diet so far. I am not experiencing them, just like what I read.
 
Ok, I have a new question. I have lost 3 lbs. in 6 days. How much weight are you expected to lose if you really do not eat ANYTHING in the 23 hours you are fasting? I eat whatever I want, just one meal, about 1400 calories, drink green tea once a day.
 

Ok, I have a new question. I have lost 3 lbs. in 6 days. How much weight are you expected to lose if you really do not eat ANYTHING in the 23 hours you are fasting? I eat whatever I want, just one meal, about 1400 calories, drink green tea once a day.

The problem here is that our posts are scattered throughout THREE threads. So, I'll just repost here.

You need to figure out how much your ideal weight should be, go to this article:
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323446.php
Here's something I said about losing too much weight and too fast, you don't want to lose your weight too fast and end up needing a plastic surgeon to remove the loose skin =
You don't want to lose weight too fast, your skin won't have time to shrink along with the weight loss and you'll end up with bags of skin hanging. My gym trainer told me it was not healthy to lose more than 2 lbs a week, she said one lb a week is the best. And once you lose the weight, you'll need to figure out how to maintain the weight loss.

You are doing GREAT with losing 3 lbs in 6 days, maybe a little too fast. I lose 1 1/2 to 2 lbs a week IF I don't cheat the whole week. But, when you get rid of most of the weight it'll be harder to lose that fast, the less you need to lose the harder it is to lose. See my post above, my trainer said one lb a week is the best. I also re-read an article and the writer said your body starts to eat the fat only AFTER fasting for 12 hours. So, when I do reach my goal I will have lunch and dinner only, that will give me 16 hours of fasting and it should maintain my weight loss.
 
The problem here is that our posts are scattered throughout THREE threads. So, I'll just repost here.

You need to figure out how much your ideal weight should be, go to this article:
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323446.php
Here's something I said about losing too much weight and too fast, you don't want to lose your weight too fast and end up needing a plastic surgeon to remove the loose skin =
You don't want to lose weight too fast, your skin won't have time to shrink along with the weight loss and you'll end up with bags of skin hanging. My gym trainer told me it was not healthy to lose more than 2 lbs a week, she said one lb a week is the best. And once you lose the weight, you'll need to figure out how to maintain the weight loss.

You are doing GREAT with losing 3 lbs in 6 days, maybe a little too fast. I lose 1 1/2 to 2 lbs a week IF I don't cheat the whole week. But, when you get rid of most of the weight it'll be harder to lose that fast, the less you need to lose the harder it is to lose. See my post above, my trainer said one lb a week is the best. I also re-read an article and the writer said your body starts to eat the fat only AFTER fasting for 12 hours. So, when I do reach my goal I will have lunch and dinner only, that will give me 16 hours of fasting and it should maintain my weight loss.
Thank you, it is hard sometimes to say no and not eat but I do it. I think weight fluctuates about 2-3 pounds anyway of gaining or losing, so I will see if it stays that way. And I am eating whatever I want and drinking green tea, lots of water and coffee.
 
Thank you, it is hard sometimes to say no and not eat but I do it. I think weight fluctuates about 2-3 pounds anyway of gaining or losing, so I will see if it stays that way. And I am eating whatever I want and drinking green tea, lots of water and coffee.
Whatever you do, DO NOT get discouraged. Even if you do two steps forward and one step back you'll still be doing better than not doing anything at all. This is a very forgiving diet with almost no rules except ''fasting for at least 16 hours'', so just play with it and see what works for you. None of my other diets worked for me because there were too many rules to follow and I hated counting calories and hated giving up bread and rice etc. I'll just try to cut down on those carbs but will not give them up for good, we only live once and might as well enjoy it most of the time.
 
I'm throwing my 2 cents in. I have a different approach to food. I was diagnosed as Type II in 2015, spent a week in the hospital getting my count back to under 300. I now maintain a 135 lb weight loss since my release. I keep my count below 110 usually in the high 80's to low 90's. I found through MY research that I do better eating a smaller meal of complex carbs at least every 5 hours. I snack on a bag of MY brown bag popcorn at night before bed. I stay pretty much to my routine as possible. When and if my count gets below 70 I start with the shakes & confusion. A quick induction of complex carbs (1/2 C unsweetened apple sauce) corrects the problem. I haven't had a soft drink in 5 years, no breads/pasta at all (can't believe the labels), not one pastry, nor anything I think has been processed.

I eat the following complex carbs, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, beans (mostly canned - convenience), popcorn & eggs (lots), one meal with <4 oz s of red meat. As much coffee as I can drink, lightened with half n half (whole dairy is a must with Type II). Yes, I can eat the same meal every day, have for 5 years, only variety is the choice of protein and bean. My cholesterol count is 167, my A1C is 5.1, my BMI is 23, I eat a banana a day (sm) for the potassium (no leg cramps). My PCP has lowered my insulin intake until it hardly registers on the syringe, taken me off BP meds. Agreed that I don't need statins that I so far have avoided. Only med I still take is Metformim, he wants me on them since they are supposedly good for many things.

The latest fad diet 'One Meal A Day', would be dangerous for me as a Type II.

The saying, 'Eat to live, not live to eat'. Is my guideline.
Post # 76 - "But I don't recommend intermittent fasting for people with preexisting health conditions such as diabetes or other diseases...They need to follow their doctors advice...But healthy people will have no problems with intermittent fasting besides experiencing the normal side effects from hunger...A healthy human being can actually go without food much longer than they realize.".........One meal a day isn't a new fad diet, it's how our ancestors ate, and it's been the norm for many other cultures...Our ancestors hunted and gathered all day, and then they ate at night and slept...It's actually much healthier than eating many meals all day and night, if you don't have any preexisting diseases or health conditions.
 
Thank you, it is hard sometimes to say no and not eat but I do it. I think weight fluctuates about 2-3 pounds anyway of gaining or losing, so I will see if it stays that way. And I am eating whatever I want and drinking green tea, lots of water and coffee.
I checked it out and it said 114-144, so based on that, my goal weight is 135-140 pounds is just about right. Thank you.
 
What works for one body and psyche is not necessarily helpful to another. We really don't know how our long-ago ancestors ate, nor do we know that most clans had similar eating habits or that survival rates were similar among those with vastly different eating patterns.
 
What works for one body and psyche is not necessarily helpful to another. We really don't know how our long-ago ancestors ate, nor do we know that most clans had similar eating habits or that survival rates were similar among those with vastly different eating patterns.
All I know is that this diet is the only one working for me. I tried a LOT of diets, even the healthiest Mediterranean diet, but they didn't work for me because they required counting calories or eating a certain way. And also required a lot of willpower, which I don't have except to maintain my vegetarian lifestyle going on 35 years this month. I naturally eat healthy, hardly ever drink sodas or eat chips or lots of sugary stuff, so this way of eating is not dangerous for me. The only rule that matters to this diet is that you fast at least 16 hours, I'm fasting 22 hours and when I reach my goal will fast only 16 hours.

Everyone has to find what works for THEM. Obesity is bad for all ages, but especially so for old people whose organs are getting older and can no longer maintain a normal body never mind one carrying excessive weight.
 
What works for one body and psyche is not necessarily helpful to another. We really don't know how our long-ago ancestors ate, nor do we know that most clans had similar eating habits or that survival rates were similar among those with vastly different eating patterns.
Everyone is different with different body chemistry and chemical makeups, and their bodies can react differently to diets and different ways of eating, this is true...But there is plenty of historical written evidence that goes back thousands of years that proves humans have been fasting for centuries for its health benefits.
 
I would get a terrible headache if I did not eat during the day. We have three meals during the day but two of those meals are very small usually just a little salad and some chicken thrown in with a nonfat salad dressing. Either that or some soup for the smaller meals at about 4 o’clock in the afternoon we will have our regular size dinner and then not eat after five. This seems to work for us as neither one of us are overweight.
 
Just reading about "One Meal a Day" makes me scared.

And hungry.
It did me too, but I find something to do or watch tv, maybe get out and walk and I don't miss it. Now when meal time comes, I am definitely ready to eat. I drink various things during the day like flavored water, green tea and coffee or even hot cocoa.
 
Re: Keto diets. High-protein is not only hard on the liver & kidneys (as previously mentioned), it's also hard on bones & can accelerate osteoporosis. Our system is alkaline & excess protein makes it more acidic & our body responds by extracting calcium from bones to neutralize the acid & return it to alkaline. (that's why drinking more milk to improve bone density doesn't work due to the high protein content of milk.)
Understandably, people who are losing weight on such diets don't want to hear about such risks.
 
I would get a terrible headache if I did not eat during the day. We have three meals during the day but two of those meals are very small usually just a little salad and some chicken thrown in with a nonfat salad dressing. Either that or some soup for the smaller meals at about 4 o’clock in the afternoon we will have our regular size dinner and then not eat after five. This seems to work for us as neither one of us are overweight.
After I reach my goal weight, I plan to have a regular meal about 5-7pm and not eat again until 12-1pm the next day. That will give me 16 hours of fasting (the body starts eating the fat cells after 12 fasting hours). For lunch I will alternate with breakfast one day or all fruit another day or a green salad with lots of goodies and homemade olive oil and cider vinegar dressing another day or a bowl of soup with a small bread slice. I'm pretty certain that plan will help me maintain the weight loss.
 
Re: Keto diets. High-protein is not only hard on the liver & kidneys (as previously mentioned), it's also hard on bones & can accelerate osteoporosis. Our system is alkaline & excess protein makes it more acidic & our body responds by extracting calcium from bones to neutralize the acid & return it to alkaline. (that's why drinking more milk to improve bone density doesn't work due to the high protein content of milk.)
Understandably, people who are losing weight on such diets don't want to hear about such risks.
High protein is not hard on the liver or kidneys if you're a healthy person...That silly pseudoscience has been debunked in many scientific studies...I've been eating a high protein diet all of my life and I'm in perfect health at 53 years of age...And most adults are deficient in vitamin D, and the body needs vitamin D, especially vitamin D3, to absorb calcium...If you're deficient in vitamin D you can take in all the calcium rich foods and all the calcium supplements you want, and you wont absorb any of it...
"Eating a high-protein diet doesn't appear to harm the kidneys or liver unless there is pre-existing damage and dysfunction. It's possible that dramatically increasing protein intake in a short timespan can lead to adverse effects on the liver and kidneys, but evidence for this is lacking. Bone health also appears to be either largely unaffected by eating more protein."

https://examine.com/nutrition/can-eating-too-much-protein-be-bad-for-you/
 
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High protein is not hard on the liver or kidneys if you're a healthy person...That silly pseudoscience has been debunked in many scientific studies...I've been eating a high protein diet all of my life and I'm in perfect health at 53 years of age...And most adults are deficient in vitamin D, and the body needs vitamin D, especially vitamin D3, to absorb calcium...If you're deficient in vitamin D you can take in all the calcium rich foods and all the calcium supplements you want, and you wont absorb any of it...
"Eating a high-protein diet doesn't appear to harm the kidneys or liver unless there is pre-existing damage and dysfunction. It's possible that dramatically increasing protein intake in a short timespan can lead to adverse effects on the liver and kidneys, but evidence for this is lacking. Bone health also appears to be either largely unaffected by eating more protein."

https://examine.com/nutrition/can-eating-too-much-protein-be-bad-for-you/
Even if what the article is saying is true, age is a big factor & excess protein can have adverse effects on someone who is 70-80 years old, & their liver, kidneys & bones are already rather tired....along with everything else.
 
Re: Keto diets. High-protein is not only hard on the liver & kidneys (as previously mentioned), it's also hard on bones & can accelerate osteoporosis. Our system is alkaline & excess protein makes it more acidic & our body responds by extracting calcium from bones to neutralize the acid & return it to alkaline. (that's why drinking more milk to improve bone density doesn't work due to the high protein content of milk.)
Understandably, people who are losing weight on such diets don't want to hear about such risks.
Probably correct but not always. Be ready for arguments unless you have facts.
 
Even if what the article is saying is true, age is a big factor & excess protein can have adverse effects on someone who is 70-80 years old, & their liver, kidneys & bones are already rather tired....along with everything else.
What the article said is true...I have researched this topic extensively over the years, and I have several friends who are sports doctors and physicians who all agree that high protein will not damage a healthy persons kidneys or liver...But if you have bad kidneys, or have some kind of preexisting health issues, or are in poor health, I wouldn't recommend suddenly starting a high protein diet...And there are also people in their 70's who are competitive power lifters, and people in their 70's who still workout with weights and stay very active with some kind of resistance training...These people don't suffer from the same tired or brittle bones that so many other inactive people suffer from...Lifestyle and diet is a big reason why.
 
What the article said is true...I have researched this topic extensively over the years, and I have several friends who are sports doctors and physicians who all agree that high protein will not damage a healthy persons kidneys or liver...But if you have bad kidneys, or have some kind of preexisting health issues, or are in poor health, I wouldn't recommend suddenly starting a high protein diet...And there are also people in their 70's who are competitive power lifters, and people in their 70's who still workout with weights and stay very active with some kind of resistance training...These people don't suffer from the same tired or brittle bones that so many other inactive people suffer from...Lifestyle and diet is a big reason why.
That is a very good piece of information. Really good and I thank you.
 
For about a week I started eating only once a day, in the evening, and I did lose some weight. I bet if I kept it up I would have eventually reached my goal weight. Perhaps I should try again. It's just that most species eat small meals all through the day, and I assume that is the right way to eat since animals don't get brainwashed by research and opinions.

So, C'est Moi, when does your husband eat that one meal? How does he manage to include all necessary foods in that one meal? I'm very curious. I chose the evening meal because I was afraid if too hungry then I would not be able to sleep, and at breakfast and lunch I have very little appetite.
I read where you pick a 4 hour "eating window" and out of those 4 hours you pick one hour to eat your meal for the day and fast for 23 hours. Now, is there a eating window where you can eat for 2 hours and fast for 22 hours? I have been fasting for 23 hours and eating my meal for one hour only. I have lost close to 5 pounds in 9 days. I am now going to do the diet for 5 days and eat regular for 2.
 
I read where you pick a 4 hour "eating window" and out of those 4 hours you pick one hour to eat your meal for the day and fast for 23 hours. Now, is there a eating window where you can eat for 2 hours and fast for 22 hours? I have been fasting for 23 hours and eating my meal for one hour only. I have lost close to 5 pounds in 9 days. I am now going to do the diet for 5 days and eat regular for 2.
THAT is what I am presently doing. I fast for 22 hours and take 2 hours to eat my main meal and dessert or fruit and a small snack. I eat from 5-7 and stop eating after 7pm.

You are doing great. You do realize, though, that once you start eating regular for 2 days your weight loss will slow down. I eat regular on Sundays and right away gain 1-2 lbs. I don't mind really, but I seem to have hit a plateau and not losing more weight. I'm hoping it's just a plateau and I'll start losing again soon. If not, I won't cheat on Sundays anymore until I reach my goal weight. Sigh!
 


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