OMAD but eating too little?

heyimjazz

I have a question! I used to weigh 335 pounds summer of last year and I went down to 290 just by tracking calories. Unfortunately, I gained most of my weight back after the holidays. I weighed 320 pounds by the end of December. This January, I started to do intermittent fasting. I did 16/8 at first but I then transitioned to OMAD. What I usually eat is a 5 oz steak/salmon/chicken and a side of veggies. They are just around 300-500 calories but I don’t get hungry. Since doing this, I’ve lost quite a few pounds and I now weigh 289 lbs. MyFitnessPal suggests me to eat 1,928 calories a day to lose 2 pounds a week but the one 300-500 calorie meal I eat fills me up and I don’t feel any hunger. Is there something wrong? Do I need to change my caloric intake?

What I am thinking is that it’s okay to do this for the meantime because I am obese and I have a lot of stored fats in my body which makes it okay?

I hope you guys could help me with this. I’ve also noticed that my weight loss is slowing down. It is still faster than the usually 1-2 pounds a week tho but it is slower now than what it used to be. Thank you!

kshama2001

So 320 - 289: you've lost 31 pounds this month, and it's not even the end of the month? Almost 8 pounds per week way too fast. You shouldn't lose more than 1% of your bodyweight per week, so slow it down to less than 3 pounds per week. (Your weight loss may have slowed because you are really stressing your body, producing cortisol, causing you to retain water.)

Have another meal or two and do eat to the calories MFP gives you. Slow and steady wins the race.

You are seriously undereating right now. That's going to set you up for failure or malnutrition / hair loss / muscle loss.

What Are the Risks of Rapid Weight Loss?

Rapid weight loss creates physical demands on the body. Possible serious risks include:

• Gallstones, which occur in 12% to 25% of people losing large amounts of weight over several months
• Dehydration, which can be avoided by drinking plenty of fluids
• Malnutrition, usually from not eating enough protein for weeks at a time
• Electrolyte imbalances, which rarely can be life threatening

Other side effects of rapid weight loss include:

• Headaches
• Irritability
• Fatigue
• Dizziness
• Constipation
• Menstrual irregularities
• Hair loss
• Muscle loss

Larkspur94

Either have more than the one meal a day or have a lot of nuts soon after the meal. Nuts are calorie dense and don't fill you up that much, so even if full they won't make you feel overstuffed.

Try eating more calorie dense foods like avocados, butter and cheese.

Also, make sure to double portion your meal. A usual meal can be 400-600 cals for instance. You want to at least double that and have 2 servings. Your goal suggests 4+ servings so having 2 meals a day of 2 servings would likely be more ideal.

cmriverside

While you do have significant body fat to use as fuel, you need nutrition - specifically electrolytes, proteins and fat. Please see a doctor before you do damage to your organs.

People who eat very low calorie plans do so under the guidance of medical professionals and they are using a lot of supplements to meet nutritional needs. Don't mess with your health, you don't have infinite chances.

apullum

It is not okay for you to do this. You are severely undereating and losing weight at a dangerous pace.

Redordeadhead

apullum wrote: »

It is not okay for you to do this. You are severely undereating and losing weight at a dangerous pace.

Exactly.

gallicinvasion

You’re trying to lose weight right now, but remember that you won’t keep the weight off if you don’t use this time to create sustainable eating habits for when you reach your goal. Will you be eating one meal of 500 calories a day for the rest of your life? I think most people would go crazy after too long 😂

I know it’s hard to slow down; we are all super impatient to look and feel healthy! But severely undereating and messing with your hunger signals is a surefire way to suffer malnutrition and set yourself up for disordered eating. Statistically, the people who keep themselves at healthy weights for their lives are the people who have lost weight slowly, building workable habits the whole way. They don’t change these workable habits when they reach their goal weight; they keep eating the same way they know works for their satiety and happiness, but at a slightly higher calorie level that supports maintaining that weight.

(Also, If steamed veggies and some lean protein is delicious to you, you can make that the main part of your diet, but if it’s not what you normally like to eat, you’re going to lose motivation fast to stick with your plan. You can make amazing meals that reach your nutrient goals and that taste fantastic, using spices, healthy fats, herbs, marinades, fresh ingredients, with flavor profiles that match how you like to enjoy your food! Personally I love Mexican-inspired recipes with lots of cumin, lime, and cilantro, and I also love Asian-style recipes that use ginger, soy, garlic, red pepper, etc, so I make my lunches and really look forward to them. Use your flavor preferences to find recipes that match your nutrient goals and taste really good to you! And keep the portion at a size that fits your calorie plan. Any food in a moderate portion can be part of your eating plan as long as it’s, well, planned!)

Best of luck!!

TavistockToad

It's really unhealthy what you're doing.

kellyjellybellyjelly

Then either add more food to your OMAD to up your calories or start to eat more meals/snacks throughout your day.