One meal a day for weightloss?

I've been trying out intermittent fasting for the past week and I have to say I feel so good on it.

I've basically been having one big meal a day around 5 or 6pm. (Trying to keep it as healthy as possible). And it has been working for me as I feel full afterwards and don't have that 'wanting more' feeling. Throughout the day I have lots of water, green tea and sometimes fruit like berries etc.

I think the best part for me is the fact that food does not consume my every thought anymore. When it comes to healthy eating, dieting, balance... I struggle as I think about it all way too much, when and what to eat etc. now I only have to think for one meal which is quite liberating. Plus I have the option to eat what I want (not that I do) with less to worry about as it's one meal.

Anyone else doing this? Would be great to connect or hear about your experiences with this as I'm new to it.

I think I need to eat more calories at my one meal though as it's on the low side.

Please comment your experiences or thoughts on this :)

Replies

  • Jodiec92
    Jodiec92 Posts: 25 Member
    I forgot to add - I'm in college so I'm not up at typical times, which is another reason I like it. I don't have the breakfast, lunch, dinner structure ATM
  • shining_light
    shining_light Posts: 384 Member
    I typically eat one meal a day, unless I'm hungry at other times. I'm rarely hungry before noon, but this morning I was, so I had a protein shake. That kept me going until after noon when I had my first real meal. I found eating small meals throughout the day to be stressful because I was always struggling with the fact that I was rarely hungry throughout the day and it didn't make sense to me to eat when I wasn't hungry. Frankly, it seems downright irresponsible to eat when I'm not hungry when I know I've struggled with binge eating in the past and didn't want to use the same habits to lose weight as got me up to my highest weight in the first place.
  • j6o4
    j6o4 Posts: 871 Member
    Yeah, you might have to eat a bit sloppy to get all the calories you need for the day in one meal
  • hwoeltjen
    hwoeltjen Posts: 199 Member
    I would say you probably want to split that up into at least two meals. You don't want to consume a ton of protein at one time. You may end up wasting it.

    Give yourself an eating window. Four to six hours per day is what I use.

    At that point you are really intermittent fasting. I meant that's pretty much what you are doing now anyways.
  • Mr_Bad_Example
    Mr_Bad_Example Posts: 2,403 Member
    I also eat one meal a day. I prefer to break mine up to different times, though - part one in the morning, part two at noon, and part three in the evening. And maybe a snack too.

    Works for me.
  • Jodiec92
    Jodiec92 Posts: 25 Member
    I would say you probably want to split that up into at least two meals. You don't want to consume a ton of protein at one time. You may end up wasting it.

    Give yourself an eating window. Four to six hours per day is what I use.

    At that point you are really intermittent fasting. I meant that's pretty much what you are doing now anyways.

    Thanks for your reply. So say I ate between 4pm-8pm? My only concern for this would be incase I just ate too much during that time lol.
  • Jodiec92
    Jodiec92 Posts: 25 Member
    Yeah, you might have to eat a bit sloppy to get all the calories you need for the day in one meal

    Yeh, at the min I have probably only been eating half the calories I should because it's one meal. Maybe if I add in two or a shake or something alongside it?
  • Jodiec92
    Jodiec92 Posts: 25 Member
    I typically eat one meal a day, unless I'm hungry at other times. I'm rarely hungry before noon, but this morning I was, so I had a protein shake. That kept me going until after noon when I had my first real meal. I found eating small meals throughout the day to be stressful because I was always struggling with the fact that I was rarely hungry throughout the day and it didn't make sense to me to eat when I wasn't hungry. Frankly, it seems downright irresponsible to eat when I'm not hungry when I know I've struggled with binge eating in the past and didn't want to use the same habits to lose weight as got me up to my highest weight in the first place.

    I totally get what you mean. I went from under-eating to binging so this feels good to just focus on one meal a day and I'm not hungry every minute this way. :)
  • redladywitch
    redladywitch Posts: 799 Member
    I'm not able to do that because I just don't feel good. I would get dizzy, mot able to think clearly, etc. Do you feel alright? Anyway, I do something different and eat through out the day....just smaller meals.
  • Jodiec92
    Jodiec92 Posts: 25 Member
    I'm not able to do that because I just don't feel good. I would get dizzy, mot able to think clearly, etc. Do you feel alright? Anyway, I do something different and eat through out the day....just smaller meals.

    Surprisingly I have more energy and feel better. (Odd I know).
  • redladywitch
    redladywitch Posts: 799 Member
    I'm not able to do that because I just don't feel good. I would get dizzy, mot able to think clearly, etc. Do you feel alright? Anyway, I do something different and eat through out the day....just smaller meals.

    Surprisingly I have more energy and feel better. (Odd I know).

    Nah. Everyone is different. You do what works best for you and stay healthy. I hope it continues to work for you. If at some point, it no longer works....change it. You are worth it.
  • Jodiec92
    Jodiec92 Posts: 25 Member
    I'm not able to do that because I just don't feel good. I would get dizzy, mot able to think clearly, etc. Do you feel alright? Anyway, I do something different and eat through out the day....just smaller meals.

    Surprisingly I have more energy and feel better. (Odd I know).

    Nah. Everyone is different. You do what works best for you and stay healthy. I hope it continues to work for you. If at some point, it no longer works....change it. You are worth it.

    Thank you :) yeh I will definitely change if I need to. Thinking of giving t a good go for a few weeks an then ill consider what improvements I can make
  • cmwc123
    cmwc123 Posts: 45 Member
    I started intermittent fasting June 1st (I am a teacher, so that was the first Monday of summer vacation). I eat in an 8 hour window. I usually would have my first meal around 2 and then 2nd meal between 8-9. I played full tennis matches (competitive singles), strength trained, ran 3+ miles all in a fasted state and felt great. I was not getting up until around 9 or 10 though. I had great success and went from a size 10 when school ended to a size six when school started in august. The first few weeks of school I tried to continue with IF, but I get up at 5 a.m. now and it was getting really hard, I was starving by the time lunch rolled a round at 12:30. So I took a break from IF and started eating three meals a day again and snacking (and unfortunately eating many of the goodies brought to me by students, food left in teachers lounge, etc.), and then Halloween and thanksgiving included, I am 8 lbs heaver then I was when school started. This week I started back on IF. I eat my first meal at 12;30 at school and then have dinner between 7-8. Since Sunday I have already lost 6lbs.
  • I can't eat in the morning maybe a fruit but thats all, lunch I mostly don't have time or inclination , so I eat dinner and thats it.
    I exercise everyday, I'd say if works for you Don't see why not.
    I tried eating breakfast and lunch + dinner and i feel sooo tired doing this.
  • Crumpet_Girl
    Crumpet_Girl Posts: 276 Member
    There is a group on here for intermittent fasters. It's worth popping in if you feel like it :-)

    I have been doing it for a while now. Works well with my lifestyle.
  • Supertact
    Supertact Posts: 466 Member
    I also eat one meal a day. I prefer to break mine up to different times, though - part one in the morning, part two at noon, and part three in the evening. And maybe a snack too.

    Works for me.

    lol I see what you did there. I also follow this meal plan.