Melissa's OMAD experience
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Hey, Melissa! I totally relate to your fear about being smaller. I am only 4'9", and I would always be SO frightened about eating too much. For my tall friends (pretty much all of them), they could easily slip up by adding an 100-calorie sauce or something to their food and it was no big deal. But for me, 100 calories IS a big deal. This is the first plan where I haven't felt afraid to eat. When I calculate the odd meal every now and then, I am never going over 1200 naturally. I am not counting, and I am still losing. Try to relax a bit, and do know that you definitely need to eat to keep up with working out. And if no one has ever told you this, you deserve to eat. I've gone many years not thinking that way or using food to punish myself and my body. Try not to worry so much about calories right now. Weight loss might be super slow, but you know that 1200 calories plus a workout is not going to make you gain.0
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Well said and well taken britt. It is hard to let go, for sure, but I am definitely liking that idea. Today my goal is to eat until I feel full, not overly so and be done with it. I will naturally eat about 800 until I'm full. I am starting to wonder about this magical 1200 number. I do get impatient because I want to see an instant transformation. Joe also gave me the same advice about relaxing a bit so I don't burnout. I am wondering if it will actually be easier when I go back to work in the fall. It's hard just being home trying not to be hungry. But I am encouraged by the changes that have already happened. Thanks for the response!1
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Of course! And things will get easier as time passes, too! I know I definitely struggled on a few weekend days when I was tired of packing and would get bored. My long-established automated response to boredom is to eat, so I literally had to sit and contemplate whether or not I was truly hungry and that put things into perspective for me. The first time I did it was hard because I knew I wasn't hungry but still wanted to eat and it took willpower not to. Each time I have done it, it has become progressively more automatic, and I haven't needed to use much willpower at all. Things will definitely become easier as habits change.0
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Being full is my all time favourite thing about OMAD... I hated never being full on every other diet I've ever been on.
Here, here! I love the feeling of being full! I kind of over do it ( since I'm a newbie to omad). It gives me such a satisfaction and I'm not thinking of what I will eat in a couple of hours. Not having to crave for more food , and I am completely happy knowing I am done with food for the entire day! I don't obsess over thinking about a snack or wanting to eat the kids' leftovers ( u know what I mean, moms).2 -
Lol! I lived on leftovers when my boys were little. I ate at 130 today, about 1000 calories, and I'm still uncomfortably full at 7pm. I think I'll go back to my 1130 meal time so I'm relatively empty by this time. I sleep better when I'm not full. I also think I'll stick to the 800 to 1000 range. Haven't seen the scale go down in a while. I feel like I don't know what I'm doing anymore. OMAD. How hard could it be but, leave it to me to make things complicated.1
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gomissfitnes wrote: »Lol! I lived on leftovers when my boys were little. I ate at 130 today, about 1000 calories, and I'm still uncomfortably full at 7pm. I think I'll go back to my 1130 meal time so I'm relatively empty by this time. I sleep better when I'm not full. I also think I'll stick to the 800 to 1000 range. Haven't seen the scale go down in a while. I feel like I don't know what I'm doing anymore. OMAD. How hard could it be but, leave it to me to make things complicated.
I would starve eating only 800 to 1000 cals/day. I Iost my weight eating 1800-2400 cals a day. I'm a fairly large guy and to an average female that would be equivalent to about a 1/3 of that I would think so about 1200-1800 cals/day. I did that with exercise too so my BMR was about 2000 but I would lose 2+ lbs/week with all that figured in. I worry when I see people eating so little because I do not think it is sustainable and I also think it might result in malnurishment. I know that it feels weird to eat that much but as long as you stick to around 1200/day, you will be fine. Don't be afraid to get that much in you for a meal or say a 3-4 hr eating window (I've always fasted about 21-hrs and had about a 3-hr eating window or now that I think about it, I would not have been able to get that much in me for 1-sitting). My problem is I love being full and that has led me to overeat so OMAD is a major blessing to me cause I can eat tell full and still lose weight. Anyways just my thoughts. Good luck!0 -
gomissfitnes wrote: »Lol! I lived on leftovers when my boys were little. I ate at 130 today, about 1000 calories, and I'm still uncomfortably full at 7pm. I think I'll go back to my 1130 meal time so I'm relatively empty by this time. I sleep better when I'm not full. I also think I'll stick to the 800 to 1000 range. Haven't seen the scale go down in a while. I feel like I don't know what I'm doing anymore. OMAD. How hard could it be but, leave it to me to make things complicated.
Have you always ate so little? Or is it the longer you have been Omad, the less you are eating lately..? I have no problem eating 1500 cal in one sitting. Maybe you should include more high calorie foods. I also believe that too few of calories is not a good idea. Don't be afraid to increase, sometimes it kicks up the metabolism more and you lose better that way.0 -
Well done Melissa so far your progress looks great! Me too I am picking up exercise I have too much energy not to be using it! And I´ve been too sedentary until now.1
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Well I am glad to hear these responses. I have tried to be very true to what I am doing in this log, hoping to elicit some helpful feedback. When I have tried to lose weight before, it has always been on 1200 calories a day. So that is the number I have in my head in order to be successful.
blambo61, that makes sense to eat over a 3-4 hour eating window. I was thinking that I would have to do that when I start back to work because I just can't get that full and be productive. It is very encouraging to know that worked for you. I think I'll start that now. I really don't like trying to eat all 1200 in one shot. That sounds very doable.
kokonani, I'm worried that I have eaten so little for so long that I will gain on any more. I am so confused on this point. At the risk of revealing my ignorance on the subject, This is what I understand about metabolism:
Eating a reduced calorie diet over the whole day will lead to a slower metabolism because the body will conserve based on the food it's provided.
In a fasting state, the body will access body fat stores and use as much energy as it needs. So it doesn't need to conserve energy. (?)
You can reset your body's weight set point by hovering within a range for an extended period of time.
Questions: How does the body respond to food on OMAD? Is it storing it all as fat? Does it really matter if you have ridiculously low calorie meals (500 cal) on OMAD if the point is to be fasting?
I just want to lose fat but I don't want to hurt myself in the process.
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Melissa, I had the 1200 calorie mindset as well. Over the last couple of weeks I've upped between 1600-1800, regularly, and I've lost weight. You should find s good TDEE calculator, enter your stats and activity level, and cut from the TDEE number and cut 250-500 calories from that, depending on how aggressively you want to lose weight. . VLCD's are wrongfully programmed into our heads as being the answer and it's not true. Your metabolism may not be as bad as you think it is, btw, I've been a yo-yo dieter my whole life and thought my metabolism was wrecked as well. Apparently it's not, I've lost 3.6 pounds since last Friday's weigh-in. Baby steps, you will not get the calories in so soon without gradually increasing--but don't force yourself to eat if you are full. And, don't be afraid if you gain at first, give it 2-3 weeks before deciding to lower calories once you reach the amount you should be eating.
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Today I tried eating within a window from 11 to 3. One meal at 11 and another at 3. Got up to 1200. I feel pretty good. We'll see how it goes.2
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Good for you on modifying to make things work for you. I'm happy you're feeling good today.0
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brittdee88 wrote: »Good for you on modifying to make things work for you. I'm happy you're feeling good today.
Thanks britt!1 -
If you go too low cal, you will eventually binge (most will anyways). That is a good reason not to. Also, it will help to keep your metabolism up if you eat your 1200 cals IMO. Good luck!2
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You've got some great questions about calories in with OMAD. I will be checking this thread again to see what answers come up. Perhaps there is also some research out there?0
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Heading out tonight! Whoo Hoo! Drinks and dancing!1
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Have fun, Melissa!!0
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Woohoo - have an awesome time!!0
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Going out dancing is my favorite form of exercise it hands down! I hope you had a great time!0
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Well, I had way too much fun and took yesterday to kind of find my equilibrium again. I hope I can stick to it today and continue making progress! I say "I hope" because sometimes I'm my own worst enemy. I like fasting so much because I feel in control, but when I slip a little, it's easy to slide down that slippery slope. During the school year, I would start everyday making good eating choices, but would fail on a daily basis because I would give in to sugar and overeating at night. No matter what I told myself, I never listened to myself. So who's calling the shots here? Fasting has given me a way to feel in control. But you've got to loosen up sometimes, Right?!2
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You totally do! Just get back on it right away and you'll be fine...1
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I couldn't agree more with you that fasting gives control, it's something I've never had before. Don't look at off days as failing, it's only failing if you give up! 2
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Its totally fine to feel like that. You must believe that you are already on your path to your goal. You've got this!1
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yes Keep going no matter what and if you splurge or indulge, get back on track asap.
Also think that maybe this new school year could be totally different for you?...You are making new choices so you are changing your reality and your point of attraction. Stick to the big picture of a healthier you.2 -
You can still have your sugary treat for desert at night while fasting! I lost all my weight doing that. Just don't go too high of calories overall in your meal!1
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Back on track. I skipped the milk and stevia in the coffee and hardly had any hunger all morning. I've read a lot of negative things about no calorie sweetners. I had just black chai tea. No sugar or milk. I made a chart to track my weight loss ups and downs until my birthday in November. I worked out today. Not anything intense but, I also added a long walk in the pm. Mostly to listen to my music and keep my mind off of eating.
I also brushed up on reading about the positive effects of fasting. Ready to go past the number on the scale that I've been hovering around. 1 -
Nice! Sounds like you had a great day and hopefully you will get consistent results with no hunger with your drinks.0
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Thanks! Still not convinced it's going to work. Here's hoping!0
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What are concerned won't work?0
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Good luck breaking your plateau!!0
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