Eating one meal per day?

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  • Alassonde
    Alassonde Posts: 228 Member
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    My husband only eats one meal a day because he says he is only hungry once a day. However: 1) His one meal is huge, more like all three meals at once. 2) He runs about 6 miles a day, but despite that and only eating once a day he is gaining weight. 3) His hands shake a lot, which his doctor said was caused by his eating habits. 4) He turns into a slug in the evenings and can barely get off the couch.
    Sounds like it works for some people and not others. I know I could never do it.
  • suremeansyes
    suremeansyes Posts: 962 Member
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    And if it works for you, you're going to want to tell everybody about it all the time, and it will annoy them.

    HAHAHA, yes. Probably why I don't have any friends. People can only take so much "advice" (read: gushing about results) and complaints about having to buy new clothes.
  • esaucier17
    esaucier17 Posts: 694 Member
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    My mom just started doing this. But she has lots of good snacks throughout the day and her one meal is always a healthy one.
    Like she has apples, almonds, low fat yogurt, a banana for snacks and then for her meal when she gets off work something like a chicken salad. She's just started and says in a week she's lost 3 pounds this week and says she has more energy and honestly is not starving. She walk or bikes at night for exercise also.
  • spydergirl47
    spydergirl47 Posts: 36 Member
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    This is absolultely horrible for your blood sugar!! You're just asking to gain weight on a diet like this in the long run. I advise against it. I eat 5 to 6 times a day, but they are small meals mostly (lunch or dinner are usually my biggest meals out of the day). Eating small amounts regularly throughout the day regulates your blood sugar keeping in it the "fat burning zone." Of course you still have to eat the right things to keep your blood sugar from spiking / crashing. Complex carbs are a great way to do this... fruits and veggies.... fiber and good fats... just saying.
  • apparations
    apparations Posts: 264 Member
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    I really think it's all a mental/lifestyle thing. If eating one meal a day makes sense to you and it's going to make it easier to stay within your calorie limit, go for it. If it's going to make your life miserable and more difficult, don't bother. You can lose weight no matter how many meals you eat.
  • thyme4
    thyme4 Posts: 35 Member
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    I don't really think the timing of your meals will impact weight loss. That is really based on your TDEE and what your deficit is. However, I have been following an intermittent fasting protocol and it can provide some specific benefit when working on body composition, especially when combined with strength work. So in that sense, you may experience results in terms of higher percentage of fat loss, but TDEE and cut will still dictate loss overall. I'm down to about 20% BF using this approach.

    I typically eat my meals within an 8 hour window. I don't have any medical issues that require me to eat more frequently, and since losing weight my blood sugars are far more stable anyway so a 16 hour "fast period" (which includes when I am sleeping) just isn't a big deal for me. I do my workouts in a fasted state (cardio and strength, each 3x per week) with no problems. However, I did not start following this protocol until I was within 10 lbs or so of my goal, so my experience might have been different if I had done this when I still had a lot more to lose.

    I would not recommend this approach if you are eating at a significant deficit. I think that one of the reasons it works well for me is that I am not trying to make 1200 calories sustain me for that period; I would really not be able to follow this plan at that level. But if you are already inclined towards fewer meals, just make sure you are minding your TDEE and give it a try.
  • fushigi1988
    fushigi1988 Posts: 519 Member
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    I need 2500 calories a day, no way I can get that in one meal. And even if I could, I have mild hypoglycemia and need to eat at regular times.
  • onmyway214
    onmyway214 Posts: 9
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    I do 1MAD works for me. I love it, wish I had found it years ago. Search the groups for intermittent fasting .

    I like doing this because I seem to feel better during the day. It's not unhealthy because I get my calories in. I saw the 1mad diet and that's where I got my idea from. I decided to do the "cheat" days after I get further into my weight loss. They actually say that keeping nothing on your stomach during the day adds to the digestion process and keeps your pancreas inactive so it's not producing insulin which means what you eat it used as energy to digest and to get through the next day and none is being stored. So when you need energy the next day, your body burns fat.
  • Swiftlet66
    Swiftlet66 Posts: 729 Member
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    I did this today (not intentionally though; just happened to do it lol) within a three hour time span around 10 am to 1 pm and quite frankly, I feel the same. Not hungry either for the rest of the day and I didn't have to worry about food and had more time to study and do other stuff. Hmmm maybe i should do this more often... Well, if you stick to something for a while your body gets used to it but like others have mentioned, blood sugar can rise and crash quite quickly with that much food at one time. Idk, you should try it out for awhile to see if it's for you.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
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    It does not matter when we eat.
    By preference, I eat one or two meals a day. It is working for me.
  • Romyarts2014
    Romyarts2014 Posts: 201 Member
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    I do it.
    Im down 12 pounds this week
  • lelyke
    lelyke Posts: 47
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    I just started doing it this week and I've lost 5 pounds!!!! Compared to my 2 pounds before, just make sure you don't binge when you eat. It's great!
  • VladaLucia
    VladaLucia Posts: 4 Member
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    It's been proven again and again, that intermittent fasting can increase life span, reduce stress and make you overall a healthier person. Obviously this completely depends on what you actually put in that one meal, whether or not you fill up on "non calorie" drinks filled with chemicals during the day, and whether or not you have a lifestyle that is simply too active in the daytime to sustain this long term. Most people with average jobs where you sit/stand most of the day, some moderate walking etc, could definitely do this lifestyle. There's a good documentary on a man trying this, and he had a medical team doing a full health check before, during and after, and his excess weight quickly dropped off and then stabilized, all his blood work improved drastically (despite his doctors expecting the opposite), and he ended the documentary by doing several tests showing that he could handle stressful situations better.

    So yes, it's absolutely a good thing, but it's not for everyone. Try it out for a while and see how you feel :)
  • 43mmmgoody21
    43mmmgoody21 Posts: 146 Member
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    depends on daily calorie allotment. i'm currently eating 3500/ day -- that would be one hell of a meal!
  • onmyway214
    onmyway214 Posts: 9
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    It's been proven again and again, that intermittent fasting can increase life span, reduce stress and make you overall a healthier person. Obviously this completely depends on what you actually put in that one meal, whether or not you fill up on "non calorie" drinks filled with chemicals during the day, and whether or not you have a lifestyle that is simply too active in the daytime to sustain this long term. Most people with average jobs where you sit/stand most of the day, some moderate walking etc, could definitely do this lifestyle. There's a good documentary on a man trying this, and he had a medical team doing a full health check before, during and after, and his excess weight quickly dropped off and then stabilized, all his blood work improved drastically (despite his doctors expecting the opposite), and he ended the documentary by doing several tests showing that he could handle stressful situations better.

    So yes, it's absolutely a good thing, but it's not for everyone. Try it out for a while and see how you feel :)

    That's what I read. I am a hair stylist so getting busy and forgetting about eating happens a lot but it's not a strenuous job. I stand but I have points where I am just sitting. I thought about doing this because I do so on accident some days and read that it actually helps in weight loss. It's just a purposeful plan :) I lost 6 pounds in the first two days! We shall see what next week holds :)
  • yosassi
    yosassi Posts: 30 Member
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    I actually do not over eat during Ramadan and always make sure to get a work out in. The reason I personally gain weight is the timing of the meals. Unfortunately, your first meal at 9:45pm is not ideal. I was a swimmer on the NY State team for the majority of my Ramadan fasts, and though I am no longer, have played soccer competitively for the past three years, so have NEVER used Ramadan or my faith as an excuse "not to take the stairs" or work out.

    The negativity on this thread and lack of information is astounding.

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