Is this healthy?

avatarrules123
avatarrules123 Posts: 66 Member
edited November 9 in Food and Nutrition
My dad wants to lose weight, but he absolutely can't stand cardio exercise. He used to weight lift like a bear (and looked really good with his shirt off), but now he's quit that and gotten a beer gut. So, since he wants to lose weight, he's stopped eating breakfast and lunch and only eats one meal a day. He gets a little shaky now and then, and I'm wondering if it's because he's hungry since he doesn't eat all day. (I for one can't stand skipping a meal, or else I'll faint or bite someone's head off because my hunger triggers intense anger).

So, is this approach to losing weight healthy?

Replies

  • goldthistime
    goldthistime Posts: 3,213 Member
    If he is eating enough calories, yes. But sounds like he isn't.
  • neveragain84
    neveragain84 Posts: 534 Member
    I've heard of people doing this. However their dinners are huge and make up for all the calories missed during breakfast and lunch. Personally, I couldn't do it. Ask him next time you notice his shaking. Point him to the website and maybe suggest at least eating twice a day. As long as he's eating at a slight deficit, he'll lose weight no matter how many meals he has.
  • Krueger92
    Krueger92 Posts: 109 Member
    Gets shaky from blood sugar levels dropping low. A lot of days I only eat 2 very large meals because of my schedule but I make sure to hit my macros for the day. That just works for me. However only eating one meal he's definitely not getting required calories to be healthy. He will lose weight yes but eventually his metabolism will crash and not its not healthy.
  • Kevalicious99
    Kevalicious99 Posts: 1,131 Member
    No .. sounds like a recipe for disaster, unless he is really eating a ton during that one meal. The beer gut .. a calorie deficit with a minimal amount of sugar and lots of exercise.
  • musicandarts
    musicandarts Posts: 187 Member
    edited January 2015
    I don't think it is a good idea to eat once a day. The recent guidelines say that we should consume about 1500 calories per day. Is he getting all that in one meal? He could spread it out by drinking a bottle of Slim-Fast in the morning and a salad for dinner and still eat a hearty lunch.
  • TriShamelessly
    TriShamelessly Posts: 905 Member
    Suggestion for him - eat in moderation when hungry and while still maintaining a deficit. Most importantly, go lift like a bear again!
  • avatarrules123
    avatarrules123 Posts: 66 Member
    Yeah, he says that he can't go back to lifting weights (there's actually a weight set in our basement that's gathering dust) because he doesn't have a spotter. I certainly couldn't spot the amount of weight he lifts (300 easily). I get that, but it's still excuse city. Now (me, his daughter) is the one using all those weight sets. Kinda ironic.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    Feeling "shaky" isn't a good thing. If I were him, I'd go see the doctor...and I'd eat a little more often until I got there.

    Good luck getting him to do anything. Dads have a way of doing what they want whether you approve or not, lol. :)
  • avatarrules123
    avatarrules123 Posts: 66 Member
    That's so true. Actually, everyone in my family (including myself) doesn't take any advice from anyone else in the family. I think it's a trait that we all sadly share.
  • MKEgal
    MKEgal Posts: 3,250 Member
    No, it's not healthy, and he's likely eating as many or more calories than he would if he ate like a sensible person.
    He could try charting what his weight loss (if any) is for a month eating his way, then try eating healthy for a month & see what happens. Also he should pay attention to energy, shakiness, mood, etc.

    And if there's any chance he can be persuaded to change by showing him facts, here are some studies.

    "Breakfast is associated with lower body weight ..."
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24898236

    This study compared eating a small breakfast, medium lunch, and large dinner, [200, 500, 700 cal]
    with eating a large breakfast, medium lunch, and small dinner [700, 500, 200 cal].
    "The [large breakfast] group showed greater weight loss and waist circumference reduction ... fasting glucose, insulin [&] triglycerides ... decreased significantly to a greater extent in the [large breakfast] group."
    In addition, hunger was less and satiety was greater.
    Abstract: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23512957
    Full text:
    http://genetics.doctorsonly.co.il/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Jakubowicz-at-al-Obesity-2013-oby20460.pdf

    "subjects assigned to high caloric intake during breakfast lost significantly more weight than those assigned to high caloric intake during the dinner"
    Abstract: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24467926
    Full text: http://www.tradewindsports.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Nutrient-Timing-and-Obesity-2014.pdf

    "data suggest that a low-calorie Mediterranean diet with a higher amount of calories in the first part of the day could establish a greater reduction in fat mass and improved insulin sensitivity than a typical daily diet."
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24809437
  • Krueger92
    Krueger92 Posts: 109 Member
    avatarrules123 wrote: »
    That's so true. Actually, everyone in my family (including myself) doesn't take any advice from anyone else in the family. I think it's a trait that we all sadly share.

    sadly that's how most familys are! haha
  • kitonlyhuman
    kitonlyhuman Posts: 15 Member
    It sounds like already know the answer... Unfortunately if he won't listen to advice, that is his choice.
This discussion has been closed.

Categories