The OMAD Diet Fights Aging and Boosts Metabolism
Mar 4, 2022 | 
7 min read
Intermittent fasting and the one-meal-a-day fast (OMAD) are becoming more popular to lose weight and improve overall health, but will this eating style work for you?
The OMAD intermittent fasting plan is designed around eating a single meal per day, which works out to be a 23:1 fasting ratio. That’s about 23 hours of fasting for a 1-hour eating window. If you’re following a strict OMAD diet, that gives your body 23 hours to reap the potential benefits of weight loss, reduced chronic inflammation, mental clarity, and more.
Eating one meal a day can be a challenge, so you’ll learn basic tips and tricks to help keep you on track, as well as how to maintain hormone balance and lean muscle. You should be mindful to listen to your body during any period of reduced meal frequency, but OMAD has many health benefits if done correctly and safely.
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How does the OMAD diet work?
When following an OMAD plan, just one meal will provide all your daily calories during that 24 hour period. If it takes you about an hour to eat, you’ll fast for the rest of the 23 hours in the day. This would be considered a strict OMAD fast.
During those 23 hours, your metabolism is using stored body fat for fuel, which can help if you’re trying to lose weight.
When should you consume your one meal of the day? For most women, appetite tends to be highest in the late afternoon—or around dinnertime. This allows you to simplify your schedule during the day, and still eat with your family at dinner with plenty of time to fully digest before sleeping. You don’t have to eat in the evening though. Some women eat after their workout in the morning, or at lunchtime.
No matter when you eat, or which kind of fasting method you choose, you’ll still reap the health benefits like weight loss, improved metabolic health, better focus, and more energy (1).
Fasting also improves risk factors for various health conditions. In a 2022 study, fasting decreased total cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood pressure (1). Intermittent fasting also promotes better blood sugar control and mediates chronic inflammation.
Related: 10 Ayurvedic Food Rules for Healthier Living
What do you eat in OMAD?
During any fast, your calories are restricted to a shorter eating window, and even more so with the OMAD diet. This means you’ll likely consume fewer calories and fewer nutrients. Because you’ll want to get the most nutrients you can, you should be especially mindful about eating healthy foods.
Prioritize protein, first of all. Amino acids in protein are ultra-necessary to repair DNA and maintain your lean muscle mass. Middle aged adults should be especially protective of lean muscle as this helps maintain metabolism in the long-term.
Then, make sure you’re consuming healthy fats like olives or olive oil, avocado, coconut, butter or ghee, egg yolks, and nuts & seeds.
Fiber-rich and nutrient-dense veggies like broccoli, asparagus, or leafy greens are also a great addition to make sure you get a boost of vitamins, antioxidants, and protective phytonutrients.
Watch: What diet is right for me? Tales from an integrative practice.
Starting OMAD fast
If you’re brand new to fasting, OMAD can seem like a pretty crazy first step. If you want a guide to get started with fasting, check out this article.
Restricting your calories to only 1 hour (or so) per day is difficult, no doubt about it. And if you’re trying to lose weight, pushing through something that is truly uncomfortable for your body isn’t the way to go. If this is the case for you, this type of stress can definitely reduce (or completely undo) a lot of the intended benefits of fasting–including weight loss.
The goal with eating only one meal a day isn’t to punish your body or undergo some kind of hardship. Fasting is meant to improve metabolic adaptation and get you into a more sustainable routine to lose weight.
I don’t recommend starting your fasting journey with OMAD, and I also wouldn’t recommend this as a long-term eating style for most people. However, if you want to try OMAD, here are some tips to get started:
Try extending your overnight fast longer and longer. See if you can make it to 3 or 4 in the afternoon before you eat.
Practice OMAD for one day per week. And if you’re just starting, begin with shorter fasts (i.e. overnight, then 16:8)
Try a 4 hour eating window, or extend it longer if you need to. Make your fasting routine work for you. Adapt your fast to what suits your lifestyle and your body.
OMAD or any kind of fasting is meant to be a way to bring simplicity and to ease you into a sustainable way to lose weight, not a challenge to suffer through.
New to intermittent fasting? Start here!
Pros of eating one meal a day
OMAD and other types of intermittent fasting come with many health benefits, including significant weight loss. Even a brief search online results in dozens of studies showing benefits for everything from mental clarity to anti-aging. It’s no wonder fasting has caught on as such a powerful tool. Here are some other benefits of intermittent fasting for women:
Fasting may improve PCOS symptoms. Intermittent fasting can improve insulin resistance and help normalize hormone levels and cycle regularity in women with PCOS (2).
Fights the effects of aging. Fasting has been shown to reduce the effects of aging upon the brain and body, and protect against certain neurological diseases (3).
Autophagy. This is the process by which our cells cleanse and repair themselves, and it’s accelerated during fasting.
Weight loss. When you’re fasting, your body is more likely to burn stored body fat for energy.
Improved energy and mental clarity. Fasting activates a specialized protein called BDNF within the brain that protects neurons and enhances focus (4).
Interestingly, some people also report an improvement in gastrointestinal health issues as well. This makes sense when you consider that allowing the gut to rest can provide an opportunity for it to heal.
Related: What’s the Best Way to Lose Weight for Women?
Possible Cons of Eating One Meal a Day
The main concern with eating just one meal per day is that it can be hard on the body. Restricting calories for a significant length of time also means you’re consuming fewer nutrients as well.
For middle aged adults, and women in particular, if you experience significant weight loss you can also generally expect at least some loss in muscle mass. For women, lean muscle is like gold—and you should always protect it. This means making sure you consume enough protein and stay active.
Calorie restriction can also be a problem for the adrenal glands if practiced in the long-term. If you’re in your reproductive years, your adrenal glands need a certain amount of calories to produce hormones like estrogen, DHEA, progesterone, and others. For women, it’s so important to listen to your body because very strict fasting has the potential to cause some health problems if not practiced responsibly.
Curb cravings and improve digestion with daily Belly Fix.
Other types of IF
16:8 – A 16 hour fast (usually overnight), and an 8-hour eating window. This type is the easiest for beginners and the most versatile.
24 hour fast –This type of fast may work for some beginners, but is better utilized once you know how your body handles longer fasts. Useful while traveling or to recover from an upset stomach.
5:2 – Five days of a normal, balanced diet, followed by one or two days of reduced calorie intake.
Ultimately, you should customize your fasting protocol to be the most effective for you.
Fasting is a tool for when life gets busy
Any type of intermittent fast is just one tool in your pocket to mitigate the effects of weight gain, and improve your overall health. But it’s important to remember that it’s not your only tool, and that it should be used when appropriate—and not necessarily all the time.
Experts often recommend to allow your fasting schedule to change with the seasons, such as shifting your eating window with the daylight (i.e. later in the summer, earlier in the winter).
Listen to your body during any fast to experience the success with losing weight and better metabolic health.
Read more: Adrenal Fatigue, 7 Signs You’re on the Road to Burnout
Is the OMAD diet safe for weight loss?
OMAD is a very effective way for losing weight quickly, and with few (if any) negative side effects. In fact, you will likely see a decrease on the scale within the first few days or week of starting this type of intermittent fasting protocol. But it’s important to consider if OMAD or fasting for weight loss is right for you, and how you can practice fasting safely.
Tips for a safe and effective fast:
- Choose healthy foods. When you break your fast, focus on high quality proteins, nutrient-dense plant foods, and healthy fats to help you maintain a balanced diet and nutrient intake while you’re fasting (and especially if you’re only eating one meal per day)
- Maintain hormone balance. Some women may experience hormone changes, especially if attempting intermittent fasting long-term. Pay special attention to your cycle and your energy levels. If you’re not feeling good, stop your fast and speak with a holistic practitioner.
- Adjust your exercise routine. If you’re new to fasting, you may need to lighten your exercise until your body adapts. It’s important not to push your body too hard until you know how you handle longer fasts.
- Be mindful of other medical conditions. If you have diabetes, a thyroid condition, or other health issue, it’s a good idea to consult a holistic provider before making any drastic change to your diet or lifestyle.
OMAD Intermittent Fasting for Weight Loss
So, if you’re looking to jumpstart your weight loss and improve your health, OMAD or intermittent fasting may be a great option for you. But remember, it’s important to listen to your body and protect hormone production and muscle mass while fasting. And no matter which method of calorie restriction you choose, always break your fast with a high-quality nutrient dense meal. Give intermittent fasting a try and see how it works for you!
Jump straight to the metabolic boost you need with nothing to slow you down with the 10-Day Jumpstart.
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