One meal a day

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  • njbrennan14
    njbrennan14 Posts: 1
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    Have you checked out intermittent fasting? There is a book called The Fast Diet that explains in depth. They suggest two days a week. I wonder if you would be better cycling on and off as opposed to every day? Good luck!!
  • TheStephil
    TheStephil Posts: 858 Member
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    If you can get your calories and your macros in, it doesn't matter when you eat. I personally need to eat breakfast quickly after I wake up but I have low blood sugar so I tend to pass out if I don't eat within a few hours of waking. If I didn't have that issue though I'd wait until noon or later to eat since my hunger is always higher at night and I like big meals.

    Your metabolism isn't going to crash after a few hours of not eating. If you don't eat for a week then sure.
  • WhyLime113
    WhyLime113 Posts: 104 Member
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    It's certainly not inherently bad, but I can see it being difficult. First, you'll need to be able to meet your minimum calorie goal (I presume yours is around 1500, give or take) in one meal which may mean you'll have to continue eating when you're full, and may make yourself sick. As well, you need to be extremely balanced with that one meal, you can't make up for it later. So you need to have an appropriate distribution of fat, protein, and carbohydrates, firstly, but you also need to ensure you're getting enough of each vitamin and mineral, among other micronutrients.
    Basically, I'm not sure it's feasible, and it may actually be more work, not less. And I don't think there's much research on it, just a lot of anecdotal evidence (that's all those muscular men are; they're just anecdote) so it's difficult to say.
  • Ilgamuth
    Ilgamuth Posts: 17
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    If it works for you, then go for it! Try it out and if it works for you that is great, and if it doesn't then there is no shame in trying something else until you find what works for you.

    My biggest question is with all the exercise you will be able to eat enough calories in a single sitting. The other question is if this is truly sustainable.

    Like others have done here I would point you towards intermittent fasting if this is something you feel is right for you.
  • sdps745
    sdps745 Posts: 33 Member
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    I only eat 1 meal a day, I start in the morning with the first bite and take my last bite at night :D

    :laugh:
  • SrMaggalicious
    SrMaggalicious Posts: 495 Member
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    Those are facts. Food for thought.. why they do that...

    Source?

    Also since you have details on what sumo wrestlers typically eat, let's talk about their total calorie intake too.

    Of course it is about intake and burn of calories. You will always loose weight once you burn more than eat. But here is the problem.
    When you don't eat breakfast and starve yourself for most part of the day, you slow down your metabolism and also you teach your body to conserve every possible amount of energy. .. which means your body learns to storage fat.
    If one meal a day works for you.. it is better to eat it in the morning.

    Tell that to this guy...

    DSC00316.JPG

    I'm sure he and other IFers would love to know how their metabolisms are being slowed down and how they are storing fat...

    http://www.leangains.com/

    As someone else stated already....pure bro-science and really, just old wives tales.

    ^^^^this..I do a 20/4 IF schedule and I'm not in 'starvation mode'.
  • Kelly_May88
    Kelly_May88 Posts: 9 Member
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    Oh wow! I'm so glad I found this thread!!!!

    years and years I've spent listening to ppl tell me to make sure I eat breakfast.. eat 3 meals a day.. eat 6 small meals a day etc etc etc...

    An old Dr actually told me my weight problem was that I wasn't eating enough, because I was only eating 1 or 2 meals a day.

    SOOO glad I found this thread.
  • AlyssamR6712
    AlyssamR6712 Posts: 114 Member
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    If you want my personal opinion i think it's an awful idea.. i would starve, but if you find it works good on ya... if not.. then you might wanna stop trying to take the easy way out and work for it (ie prepping your meals if your so busy). I know your focus is wieghtloss, but i don't think its healthy to only eat one meal a day in the long run..
  • Sora4ever
    Sora4ever Posts: 98 Member
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    Just some questions for the OP....are you a caveman? Do you hunt for your food and only manage to hunt enough for one meal a day? I'm just wondering why you brought up the whole caveman section in your post.

    I don't mean to sound sarcastic but I hate it when people say "cavemen used to do it" or "our ancestors lived like this" because we have evolved. Todays environment is completely different than that of extinct species. We have gradually changed over many many generations. We have adapted to our environment and our dietary needs have evolved as well.

    Something about starving all day and then binging on 1200 calories doesn't sit well with me. But to each his own. What ever floats your boat.
  • mayfrayy
    mayfrayy Posts: 198 Member
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    IF can have great results.
    if you are weight training add in some greens / fibre in the morning. helps get some micros.
  • kbmnurse
    kbmnurse Posts: 2,484 Member
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    Going to nursing school- then you should know better. Bad idea. Please don't ever advise your patients to follow this plan. Insane.
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
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    http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/negative-effects-eating-one-meal-day-3296.html
    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/research-review/meal-frequency-and-energy-balance-research-review.html

     "While work in rats and mice, for whom everything happens faster, has found that a single meal can lower metabolic rate, this is irrelevant to humans. Skipping a meal will not affect human metabolic rate at all."

    ^I love the studies on that website.
  • gypsyGIRL159
    gypsyGIRL159 Posts: 78 Member
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    I recommend that you talk to your Dr. about this plan..... Just be sure that the cure to one situation doesn't create a disorder or a new ailment.

    Just saying.

    I can eat anytime day or night..... and Food no longer bosses me around.... but it used to! LOL!

    I've come a lonnnnnnnnng way since then..... and I had to break a lot of bad habits. Still working on some, but I at least have the Wisdom to see my pitfalls and my new ability to connect the dots so I can reap the benefit of whats really working helps a lot.

    Overall, you want to be Healthy.... It would seem that your good Doctor or a trusted Dietician might be able to address these issues with you so as to maintain Health & Wellness no matter when you eat.

    All the best to you on this AMAZING JOURNEY!

    (((HUGGZZ))) BE BLESSED!
  • Dagmere
    Dagmere Posts: 16
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    http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/negative-effects-eating-one-meal-day-3296.html
    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/research-review/meal-frequency-and-energy-balance-research-review.html

     "While work in rats and mice, for whom everything happens faster, has found that a single meal can lower metabolic rate, this is irrelevant to humans. Skipping a meal will not affect human metabolic rate at all."

    One man article versus 12 references of published science articles. Of course it is up to you, what you find as more reliable research... :
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
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    http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/negative-effects-eating-one-meal-day-3296.html
    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/research-review/meal-frequency-and-energy-balance-research-review.html

     "While work in rats and mice, for whom everything happens faster, has found that a single meal can lower metabolic rate, this is irrelevant to humans. Skipping a meal will not affect human metabolic rate at all."

    One man article versus 12 references of published science articles. Of course it is up to you, what you find as more reliable research... :

    You should actually look at the resources and consider the other available studies. In total there's been somewhere around 26-27 studies and the majority do not point to an increased meal frequency being metabolically beneficial. James Krieger has these all laid out in his site.

    Edit: and yes it's poor form on my part to mention studies without linking them but I'm in the hospital posting from a cell phone. The main consideration here is that when you consider the entire body of evidence in humans the study results are mixed with the majority showing no differences and a few on either side (a few pointing towards high frequency being beneficial and a few showing lower).
  • annalopesbella
    annalopesbella Posts: 14
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    If you are trying to lose weight, you may be tempted to eat just one meal a day. You're likely to lose weight -- at least initially. But it's also likely that you'll be hungry. Further, eating just once a day puts you at risk of developing health complications. A series of chemical reactions drive your metabolism, and the food you eat keeps your metabolism going. When you eat just one meal a day.
  • KaterinaTerese
    KaterinaTerese Posts: 345 Member
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    In for sumo wrestling (possibly one of the most misunderstood sports in the world...)

    tumblr_m7ut9s2Ysj1rwcpsqo1_500.gif
  • carriecoo
    carriecoo Posts: 30 Member
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    I lost my weight by eating several small meals per day and watching calories. 1 meal per day would be really hard. Doesn't sound like a good plan to me. JMO
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
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    http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/negative-effects-eating-one-meal-day-3296.html
    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/research-review/meal-frequency-and-energy-balance-research-review.html

     "While work in rats and mice, for whom everything happens faster, has found that a single meal can lower metabolic rate, this is irrelevant to humans. Skipping a meal will not affect human metabolic rate at all."

    One man article versus 12 references of published science articles. Of course it is up to you, what you find as more reliable research... :

    You should actually look at the resources and consider the other available studies. In total there's been somewhere around 26-27 studies and the majority do not point to an increased meal frequency being metabolically beneficial. James Krieger has these all laid out in his site.

    Edit: and yes it's poor form on my part to mention studies without linking them but I'm in the hospital posting from a cell phone. The main consideration here is that when you consider the entire body of evidence in humans the study results are mixed with the majority showing no differences and a few on either side (a few pointing towards high frequency being beneficial and a few showing lower).

    Seeing as she posted articles versus actual studies, I don't really think you should be apologizing. But my 2 cents.
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
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    Intermittent Fasting (IF) is the closest thing to what you are describing.

    Maybe if you learn about that you'll have an idea how what you're planning might go.

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