One Meal A Day, also known as OMAD, is one of the popular methods to lose weight.
In this diet, an individual typically eats only one meal, usually dinner, and fasts for the rest of the day. This is one of the extreme methods of Intermittent Fasting where you fast for 23 hrs and eat for only one hour. But this diet has its own Pros and Cons.
Pros
- Due to restrictions of the eating window, one ends up eating in a deficit which helps them lose weight
- Fasting has also shown numerous benefits like reducing blood sugar levels and certain heart disease risk factors
However, these are the benefits associated with fasting in general and not with the OMAD diet.
Cons
Consuming only one meal a day can be very restrictive and can do a lot of harm instead of good.
- It can lead to extreme hunger.
- You may notice certain symptoms like low energy, nausea, dizziness, or even constipation.
- There is always a possibility that in the feeding window you end up bingeing on junk food that is high in calories and low in nutritive value.
Now, if you ever choose to follow OMAD, remember these points while picking your food. Make sure to include a balanced meal with all macronutrients. Ideally, the following food should be there.
- Protein: Chicken, fish, soya, tofu
- Carbs: Rice, potato, wheat, pasta
- Fats: Nuts, butter, ghee, olive oil
- Dairy products: Curd, buttermilk, cheese
- Legumes: Channa, chickpeas, beans
We don’t recommend this diet for people with special conditions like diabetes, breastfeeding mothers, and pregnant women. Before following this diet make sure to consult a dietitian or even a doctor, who will guide you better if your body can handle such a diet or not.