Does anyone do one meal a day?

onmyown70
onmyown70 Posts: 233 Member
in Motivation and Support
It may sound a strange concept to be considering, especially as a binge/compulsive eater. However, recently I fasted for an operation and I wasn't thinking about food all day. It was the only day that I didm' over eat. It's almost as if my appetite is turned on as soon as I eat in the am...

I know, I know there are lots of bad things said about one meal a day, but at the moment, NOTHING else is going so well...
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Replies

  • Minouche1922
    Minouche1922 Posts: 23 Member
    I am exactly the same as soon as I start eating I want to carry on eating and think about food all the time. I did that last week, one meal a day, and will try again tomorrow.

    I know you are going to get lots of negative comments but at the end you have to do what suits you. Life is not perfect.
  • 120by30
    120by30 Posts: 217 Member
    Actually, I don't think you will get a ton of negative comments. Maybe a few, but most people here advocate doing whatever works for you as long as you're eating all of your calories. My lunch that I'm currently eating is about 1000 calories. Granted, it's not my only meal, but I find that I enjoy eating a big lunch and then small portions for breakfast and dinner.
  • Eric_DeCastro
    Eric_DeCastro Posts: 767 Member
    I have meal replacement shakes all day (recently added some fruit) and just eat dinner. I try to have at least 400 calories in me before I run in the evening. but even with 400 calories, I can run over 6miles and then go home and have a salad and maybe tuna salad sandwich. so I don't technically only have one meal but you can say I only eat dinner.
  • Jestinia
    Jestinia Posts: 1,153 Member
    Usually I only eat one meal, sometimes around noon, sometimes between late afternoon and bedtime (depends on when I get hungry). Unless I'm doing full on intermittent fasting, then it's no meal, followed by a day of at least two meals.
  • GiveMeCoffee
    GiveMeCoffee Posts: 3,556 Member
    Meal timing is all personal preference. I eat 1-2 meals a day and have for about a year now. As long as you are meeting your nutritional needs it's fine. There is nothing unhealthy about it, it works well for some of us.
  • daniellemm1
    daniellemm1 Posts: 465 Member
    I don't typically do one meal a day, though I have. I really enjoy eating a lot of food at once and will usually eat a 1000 calorie dinner each day. I will have a 300 cal smoothie for breakfast and then eat 4-5 "snacks" throughout the day, rather than eat a lunch. That is just the way that I prefer to partake in my meals and it has worked for me. If I am going to a party and know that I will be eating a lot I will choose to save my calories for the party. Obviously this is rare but it does happen.
  • in4nomz
    in4nomz Posts: 230
    If I only ate one meal a day, I'd be starving ALL the time. Maybe if you're looking at this, consider researching IF (intermittent fasting) where you have an eating window instead of eating throughout the day. Now I'm not going to go preaching about it because I've never done it before nor am I super knowledgeable about it, but I've read some success stories with it so maybe check it out.

    http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2013/08/06/a-beginners-guide-to-intermittent-fasting/

    ^I don't know how legit this article is, but when I googled it this is one that came up and it doesn't look like it's full of nonsense :smile:
  • melissajane83
    melissajane83 Posts: 54 Member
    I eat a small breakfast, only fruit for lunch and eat a large dinner. That works better for me because I graze when I am at home. So if I eat a large dinner, it will fill me up until I go to bed.
  • vismal
    vismal Posts: 2,463 Member
    I usually eat twice a day but there are times that I have only one. As far as results go, the number of times a day you eat is meaningless. Just do whatever allows you to hit your calorie goals be it 1 meal or 6.
  • Completion2014
    Completion2014 Posts: 3
    if you are doing a meal once a day i would do two meal rea[placment shakes to get all vitamins and things needed for you body i have order from diet direct shake and pudding meal replacement when i lost my weight 3 years ago and i help alot i lost about 30 pounds in 7 wekks and that was eating eating one meal a day whatever i wanted to eat
  • GiveMeCoffee
    GiveMeCoffee Posts: 3,556 Member
    if you are doing a meal once a day i would do two meal rea[placment shakes to get all vitamins and things needed for you body i have order from diet direct shake and pudding meal replacement when i lost my weight 3 years ago and i help alot i lost about 30 pounds in 7 wekks and that was eating eating one meal a day whatever i wanted to eat

    You don't need shakes or supplements or anything else.. and 30 lbs in 7 weeks? No .. whatever you are selling or promoting NO
  • Cmnden
    Cmnden Posts: 8
    I try to have reasons for my meals. I eat within an after I workout, to replenish and supply nutrients. I snack when I'm hungry to manage satiety/hunger. I eat in the evening to store up for the fasting period of evening -- next day.
  • wibutterflymagic
    wibutterflymagic Posts: 788 Member
    Others have said "you have to do what suits you" but eating 1 meal a day is not good for anyone to do for an extended period of time ever! You are basically stopping your metabolism. You have to continually feed your body to keep your metabolism up so it will burn off the calories. If you only feed your body 1 time a day it will think it is not going to get food and will hold onto every bit you give it because it doesn't know when it's next fueling will be. An occaisonal fast(500-700 calories for the day) where you eat breakfast and then maybe have a VERY low calorie snack and then have dinner is ok but also not on a consistent basis.

    BTW---this comes from my certified trainer.
  • onmyown70
    onmyown70 Posts: 233 Member
    Fantastic replies- thanks guys. I was expecting to just get a lot of stick and it's great you are all so supportive and even better to hear that people are finding what works for them.

    I think the problem is I ma at home ... a lot with a young child, trying to feed him, then other children when they visit and my husband, my whole day is centred round food and I love eating, but I often notice once I start eating I don't want to stop. I pick and then want more. Afettr my health (isn) breakfast today and a seeded chicken bagel lunch I was non stop eating afterwards despite being full and had healthy foods
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
    It may sound a strange concept to be considering, especially as a binge/compulsive eater. However, recently I fasted for an operation and I wasn't thinking about food all day. It was the only day that I didm' over eat. It's almost as if my appetite is turned on as soon as I eat in the am...

    I know, I know there are lots of bad things said about one meal a day, but at the moment, NOTHING else is going so well...

    My honest opinion - if you already have a problem as a binge/compulsive eater, having only one meal a day is not going to help you resolve that issue. Starving yourself and avoiding food all day so you can eat all your calories in one meal is not a solution. You need to work towards having a healthy relationship with food.
  • GiveMeCoffee
    GiveMeCoffee Posts: 3,556 Member
    Others have said "you have to do what suits you" but eating 1 meal a day is not good for anyone to do for an extended period of time ever! You are basically stopping your metabolism. You have to continually feed your body to keep your metabolism up so it will burn off the calories. If you only feed your body 1 time a day it will think it is not going to get food and will hold onto every bit you give it because it doesn't know when it's next fueling will be. An occaisonal fast(500-700 calories for the day) where you eat breakfast and then maybe have a VERY low calorie snack and then have dinner is ok but also not on a consistent basis.

    BTW---this comes from my certified trainer.

    And this is why you don't get nutritional information from a trainer.

    Your metabolism doesn't stop unless you are dead. My body functions very well on 1 or 2 meals a day. And can you please provide the studies to back up this claim you have made. Thanks
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
    BTW---this comes from my certified trainer.
    Certified in what? Certainly not in Nutrition. Trainers are the worst people for nutrition advice they are responsible for at least 90% of the stupid nutrition myths that fly around. Let your trainer train you don't let them talk about food
  • ItsCasey
    ItsCasey Posts: 4,021 Member
    Others have said "you have to do what suits you" but eating 1 meal a day is not good for anyone to do for an extended period of time ever! You are basically stopping your metabolism. You have to continually feed your body to keep your metabolism up so it will burn off the calories. If you only feed your body 1 time a day it will think it is not going to get food and will hold onto every bit you give it because it doesn't know when it's next fueling will be. An occaisonal fast(500-700 calories for the day) where you eat breakfast and then maybe have a VERY low calorie snack and then have dinner is ok but also not on a consistent basis.

    BTW---this comes from my certified trainer.

    FXTOh5e.gif
  • superdeformedchibi
    superdeformedchibi Posts: 23
    I would do that if I could manage it. Like you, I noticed that if don't eat in the morning I don't become hungry until much later and had an easier time managing my tendency to overeat. It led me to try intermittent fasting for about 2 weeks but I found that I would get some painful diarrhea right after eating for the first time during my window. I think it has something to do with having my gallbladder removed 2 years ago (without a gallbladder to store the bile and then release it when I eat, I just have a steady stream of bile and I believe it irritates my intestines when it sits for too long).

    If you feel good and you're body is getting what it needs then I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with it. Our ancestors certainly didn't have the luxury of planning breakfast, second-breakfast (I'm a nerd), lunch, afternoon tea and dinner on a daily basis so our bodies should, in theory, be able to handle it. I would maybe just pay attention to my energy level throughout the day and during exercise if I were in your position.
  • vjohn04
    vjohn04 Posts: 2,276 Member
    Others have said "you have to do what suits you" but eating 1 meal a day is not good for anyone to do for an extended period of time ever! You are basically stopping your metabolism. You have to continually feed your body to keep your metabolism up so it will burn off the calories. If you only feed your body 1 time a day it will think it is not going to get food and will hold onto every bit you give it because it doesn't know when it's next fueling will be. An occaisonal fast(500-700 calories for the day) where you eat breakfast and then maybe have a VERY low calorie snack and then have dinner is ok but also not on a consistent basis.

    BTW---this comes from my certified trainer.

    FXTOh5e.gif

    I loled.
  • verptwerp
    verptwerp Posts: 3,629 Member
    My boss does that ...... goes home starving & then eats an entire pizza, plus soda & a bag of candy ...... he's overweight.

    A coworker eats 3 heavy meals a day (breads, pasta) plus snacks all day on baked goods ...... he's overweight.

    Me and my two other coworkers eat a reasonable breakfast & lunch, plus small snacks of veggies, hummus, fruit & yogurt ...... dinner is whatever we want (in moderation) ...... we've lost between 45 lbs and 100 lbs !

    I think I'll stick to my way of doing things :drinker:

    Best of luck, whatever you decide.
  • skhuu
    skhuu Posts: 25 Member
    Before my husband met me, he would only eat 1 meal a day. He is a nurse working 12+ hours a day. When he is working, he only works and sleeps, and only eats 1 large meal during his shift. When he wasn't working, he would continue to stick to this schedule. He did that for many years at his lowest weight until he met me where we now eat multiple meals a day. He no longer does this, but it had worked for him at one point.
  • SoLongAndThanksForAllTheFish
    SoLongAndThanksForAllTheFish Posts: 831 Member
    BTW---this comes from my certified trainer.
    Certified in what? Certainly not in Nutrition. Trainers are the worst people for nutrition advice they are responsible for at least 90% of the stupid nutrition myths that fly around. Let your trainer train you don't let them talk about food

    Only 78% of quoted statistics really support the statement the person uses it to support, while 83.5% of statistics are made up on the spot. Including every one in this and quoted post.

    And I'm not going to tell you my degrees, but they are definitely bigger, tougher and more expensive than yours! By 89.7%

    I could not do one meal/day. But unless you are trying to build lots of muscle, or have a medical condition, it wont really work against you if you can handle it, there is even a lot of inherent advantage in it for caloric restriction to those who can deal with the hunger pangs.
  • Holly_Roman_Empire
    Holly_Roman_Empire Posts: 4,440 Member
    DO:
    Eat one meal a day if you plan on meeting your calorie goal (eat all your alloted calories) and macros in one sitting.

    DON'T:
    Eat your regular breakfast of 300 calories and not eat the rest of the day.
  • 2dogzrule
    2dogzrule Posts: 245 Member
    Do whatever works for you! I would personally die if I had to save it all for one meal, LOL. I do try to eat 500-600 calories between breakfast and lunch and then have a heavier dinner cause I get the munchies at night.
  • GiveMeCoffee
    GiveMeCoffee Posts: 3,556 Member
    My boss does that ...... goes home starving & then eats an entire pizza, plus soda & a bag of candy ...... he's overweight.

    A coworker eats 3 heavy meals a day (breads, pasta) plus snacks all day on baked goods ...... he's overweight.

    Me and my two other coworkers eat a reasonable breakfast & lunch, plus small snacks of veggies, hummus, fruit & yogurt ...... dinner is whatever we want (in moderation) ...... we've lost between 45 lbs and 100 lbs !

    I think I'll stick to my way of doing things :drinker:

    Best of luck, whatever you decide.

    Because you found what works for you in meal timing... which is personal preference. I've lost 108 lbs eating 1 or 2 meals a day.

    OP just like you when I was eating breakfast because when I started I believed it was important I found I was hungry all day long and struggled to maintain my deficit. This change helped me better maintain my deficit, and is something I can sustain because it's how I enjoy to eat.
  • vismal
    vismal Posts: 2,463 Member
    Others have said "you have to do what suits you" but eating 1 meal a day is not good for anyone to do for an extended period of time ever! You are basically stopping your metabolism. You have to continually feed your body to keep your metabolism up so it will burn off the calories. If you only feed your body 1 time a day it will think it is not going to get food and will hold onto every bit you give it because it doesn't know when it's next fueling will be. An occaisonal fast(500-700 calories for the day) where you eat breakfast and then maybe have a VERY low calorie snack and then have dinner is ok but also not on a consistent basis.

    BTW---this comes from my certified trainer.
    FIRE your trainer. They are WRONG WRONG WRONG. This has been completely dis proven for many years! I lost over 100 lbs eating all of my food within an 8 hour period each day. There is an overwhelming amount of scientific research to disprove the "eating multiple times a day increases metabolism" myth!
  • strawberrypopsicles
    strawberrypopsicles Posts: 39
    I used to eat one meal a day just because I was too lazy to cook more than that :laugh:
    The only problem was that once I got used to eating 1200 calories in one sitting it made it feel natural to overeat when I started eating multiple meals again -- now 400 calories just feels like a bite
  • 120by30
    120by30 Posts: 217 Member
    Others have said "you have to do what suits you" but eating 1 meal a day is not good for anyone to do for an extended period of time ever! You are basically stopping your metabolism. You have to continually feed your body to keep your metabolism up so it will burn off the calories. If you only feed your body 1 time a day it will think it is not going to get food and will hold onto every bit you give it because it doesn't know when it's next fueling will be. An occaisonal fast(500-700 calories for the day) where you eat breakfast and then maybe have a VERY low calorie snack and then have dinner is ok but also not on a consistent basis.

    BTW---this comes from my certified trainer.

    NOW the replies are going to get nasty......
  • onmyown70
    onmyown70 Posts: 233 Member
    Guys, I undoubtedly have an unhealthy relationship with food-I love it! but it's been much worse thinking about food all day and eating all day. I wondered if just planning to eat all the kcal's (measured out initially) might force me to feel hunger again and find away to address feelings during the day, rather than stifle them with food. I love all food - veggies, fish, yogurts to dark chocolate> with me it's quantity. I also find at the end of any meal, however stuffed I am I feel sad the meal is over!

    When I was younger my mum noticed when I had bread sugary things I would keep eating, whereas everyone else would be full after their meal.

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