OMAD (One Meal a Day) is an eating habit that anyone can adapt although it is not for everyone.
OMAD is an extreme intermittent fasting that requires commitment, discipline and consistency.
Before you start with OMAD, be clear first about your goals.
Why do you want to do this?
Is your body ready for this?
When you set your goal, make sure that is a realistic one.
Ensure that the steps you will take will lead you to achieving your goal.
Set timelines. Do not think that this will work like magic.
You cannot expect results in just one day.
Record your milestones, big or small.
Getting Started on OMAD
After much reading and deliberation, you have finally decided to adapt OMAD diet.
Do you feel apprehensive?
Anything new gives us apprehension but once you are fully adapted to eating one meal a day, it will be a breeze.
Taking the First Steps
To make it easy for you to start, let me walk you through in making the transition easier for you.
1. Set your goals
If you want this to work for you, set your goal.
You cannot start something without and end goal.
What do you want to achieve?
Give a reason why you wish to adapt one meal a day.
If you want to lose weight, then be clear.
Set a measurable goal.
Follow the SMART goal system when setting goals. Make your goal
- Specific
- Measurable
- Achievable
- Realistic
- Time-Based
“I want to lose 5 kilos in 2 weeks through one meal a day diet.”
2. Have realistic expectations
Do not expect that it everything will materialized based on your goals.
If your goal is to lose 5 kilos in 2 week, do not be disheartened if it doesn’t happen.
Check why you failed in your goal.
What circumstances prevented you from achieving your goal.
If you made mistakes along the way, find a solution.
Celebrate big or small achievements.
Do not drown yourself on what might have been but instead be thankful for your achievements.
3. Prepare yourself
Prepare both physically and mentally.
You cannot jump from a five-meal a day habit to one-meal a day habit.
Start by reducing your meals.
You can start by reducing two-snack a day into just one.
You can also start removing junk food in your meal plan and stick to whole foods.
Do not stress yourself by standing on the scales daily.
You can record your weight at the start then check it once you reach your timeline.
Do not listen to what others will say.
This is your diet not theirs.
Do what will be most comfortable for you.
4. Commitment and Discipline
Committing yourself to succeed is important in achieving your goal.
Sometimes you are your worst enemy.
The early days of fasting will test your discipline.
The adjustment period is the most difficult stage in adapting OMAD.
It will take all your control to stop yourself from having a food binge.
Fasting triggers your hunger hormones, which often leads to eating more than you should.
5. Set your eating window
Choose your eating window. You don’t need to start by fasting twenty-three hours right away.
Start slow.
You can start with sixteen hours of fasting and have an 8-hour eating window.
You can adjust this as your body acclimatized.
Try different eating windows until you find the one that fits your lifestyle.
6. Make food that you can enjoy
Okay, just because you are on a diet it doesn’t mean you cannot enjoy the food you eat.
Diet food does not mean boring food.
Do not deprive yourself of foods that you would normally enjoy.
With one meal a day, there is no rule about what kind of food you eat as long as you eat within your eating window.
Prepare delicious food that you can enjoy to make the transition as painless as possible.
7. Keep track of your progress
Record your progress.
Keep track by using a journal or a weight loss app on your mobile phone.
Record milestones, big or small.
At the end of the day, reward yourself.
Adapting OMAD is a personalized experience.
It varies for each person. Some will adapt easily while others may fail.
