How to Do One-Meal-a-Day (The Basics)

arguablysamson
arguablysamson Posts: 1,706 Member
edited May 2021 in Social Groups
It violates all modern dietary advice, but this is how our hunter-gatherer ancestors ate since the time before humans could even be called humans. And this is the ONLY way I know of that basically guarantees that you will lose the weight and keep it off forever. Not only that, but you will feel better and be sick less. I am living proof. Here are the basics...

#1) Pick a goal weight range--not a weight, but a weight range of about 15 pounds since we humans are always in a state of flux. This will change as you get more confidence and approach where you first set out to be at.

#2) Weigh yourself to begin with. Weigh yourself when you wake up and use the same scale.

#3) Continue to weigh yourself ONLY ONCE every seven days. Don’t break this rule! Pick a day of the week and weigh yourself on that day without fail. Body weight fluctuates, so don’t weigh everyday. You will psych yourself out. For every 3,500 calories reduced over 7 days, that is generally 1 pound of body fat lost. You lose weekly, NOT daily. So weigh weekly.

#4) Set aside a 4-hour window to eat in. It should be the same time everyday. It can be morning, noon, or evening. It won’t change the results, but keep the same window everyday.

#5) Eat your one meal within your window always. Do not vary the times.

#6) Eat with "the 4 ones" in mind…

A. Only ONE meal per day - no snacking or anything with calories afterwards. Any medications or supplements can be taken with the meal. Eat whatever you want. You'll find you crave healthier foods as time passes and your stomach shrinks. Don't worry about that now. Just no "junk food" (i.e. foods like chips or candy that you'd never want to make a meal of anyway).

B. Eat ONE average-sized dinner plate completely filled up - including any desserts, sauces, etc. No eating from containers or bags, but fill up your plate. Don’t starve (there is a difference between being hungry and starving, btw). The idea is not to starve, but to shrink your stomach back to a reasonable size. This is especially important if you are a binge-eater and can consume six plate-fulls of food and thousands of calories per day. Don't try to overdo your efforts. Fill up. It is mightily difficult to get more than 1,700 calories on one plate. This is a form of de facto calorie-counting, but also invokes the fasting portion to reset and regulate blood-sugar levels and metabolism. This is why this plan works when others do not. There is a reason why every culture the world over has historically had fasting as an integral part of their regimens. It helps the mind and body.

C. Have ONE calorie beverage with the meal - this will help get your calories (beer, milk, or juices, but should generally be no more than 12 to 16 oz in size). Save the calorie-free beverages for later as meal replacements. You want your body to associate them with no insulin production.

D. Finish within ONE hour. Eat and be done with it.

#7) After the meal, only calorie-free liquid consumption can be had, like water, coffee, and teas. Diet sodas and water enhancers are also an option, but teas and coffees are preferred since they aid in weight loss tremendously and have next to no calories at all. It is best, however, to vary your beverages since you build up resistance to the weight loss effects if done every single day. Mix them up.

*** If you are diabetic and have unsafe blood-sugar drops, you can use juices to raise it back up, but only if medically necessary to do so. You don’t want your pancreas active during fasting. ***

#8) At least twice a week at meals, consume 1 cup of the juice of your choice with two tablespoons of raw, un-distilled apple cider vinegar. This is an old folk remedy, but will help enormously in losing weight. It makes the body more alkaline and has a plentitude of health benefits.

#9) Allow one splurge day per week. For this splurge, you will eat one meal or multiple throughout the day, but ignore the one-plate/one-beverage rules. Try not to gorge, but it’s ok if you do (generally, when you are more thirsty than hungry, you can stop eating). The splurge will push your metabolism into high gear and help to make up for any deficiencies. Vary your splurge days, but never have more than two splurge days back to back unless you are close to your goal weight.

#10) Try not to deviate from too many of the above rules. You can have what you want, but you only have 23 hours at the longest until your next meal. Don’t get talked out of it. OMAD doesn’t “teach your body to store fat,” does not “mess up your metabolism,” and is not “unhealthy.” Don’t listen to the parrots. They only know what they hear from the nonsense dietary wisdom of their time, which happens to be false.

This will work if you do it. “The shakes” will go away and you’ll feel better as the weeks progress, although the first week will be difficult. It is no different from a drug addict having to detox. You must learn to break your dependence on food. Your following your cravings and psychological eating is what made you need to lose weight in the first place, not pigging out at Thanksgiving. By eating at the same time everyday, you will never again struggle with weight for as long as you do this. But your body will always go for what it is IN your stomach instead of ON your stomach if you keep up the multiple feedings. This is why those who carry on about eating multiple times a day either don’t lose weight, or don’t lose beyond a certain point. Serious weight loss requires being a little hungry, even though this is against modern dietary advice.

This demands some sacrifice, yes, but the difficulty passes, and it calls for less sacrifice than merely “moderating” portions three times a day. It is precisely because this is difficult that you know it will work--because anything worth anything costs something. Don’t give up. It doesn’t matter what anyone else says or does. For you, you eat once a day. Stick to that resolution and the pounds will fall right off!
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Replies

  • ms_tris
    ms_tris Posts: 82 Member
    I think you should post this under the regular message boards. Maybe in the food and nutrition one?
  • PockySnacks
    PockySnacks Posts: 1 Member
    Should I take vitamin supplements in the morning or when I have my meal (in the evening)?

    I am really interested in the one meal a day diet, after my first year of college I gained more than 20lbs, I feel my tshirts are slowly getting tighter and some of my jeans do not fit anymore. I made my account here today and I calculated what I ate today, which accounted for over 3000 calories. I am determined to break from my old eating habits and to start losing weight.
  • arguablysamson
    arguablysamson Posts: 1,706 Member
    krawhitham wrote: »
    This is excellent! I love fasting, I sleep better, I'm more energetic during the day and when I go running I have more endurance.

    The reason I love this way of eating is because I like to SIMPLIFY my life. I don't want to be thinking three times every single day "what am I going to eat for X meal" If I am just eating once a day, I think about food ONLY THAT TIME each day and then I can focus on/do more important things I have to accomplish in life!

    I have to also add that it took me almost an entire year to be able to limit the number of times of day I eat. I would get "hangry" emotional, too tired, insomnia, the whole nine yards when I was starting out shifting my eating schedules. My body wasn't used to it and it took some time.

    Sounds like you found what will (I have no doubt at all) revolutionize your life. I still reflect on how huge the changes have been to me. And it happens to be that simplicity is just about ALWAYS an improvement! :-)
  • OMADTammy
    OMADTammy Posts: 30 Member
    edited February 2015
    Do you think there is one juice that would be better tasting with acv? I couldn't imagine it mixing well with most. Is there a specific day we should incorporate the acv?
  • arguablysamson
    arguablysamson Posts: 1,706 Member
    Do you think there is one juice that would be better tasting with acv? I couldn't imagine it mixing well with most. Is there a specific day we should incorporate the acv?

    Don't worry about juices. They help, but are still optional. Organic cranberry juice is the best (and lowest sugar) juice around, but I loathe the taste. But with apple cider vinegar, you need to try it with grape juice. It tastes like sweet merlot wine, more or less, and is not very offensive. You can also do it with less and do it everyday with maybe 1 TBSP instead of two...don't be afraid to play around with that. But it does speed up weight loss, I assure you.
  • OMADTammy
    OMADTammy Posts: 30 Member
    Do you think there is one juice that would be better tasting with acv? I couldn't imagine it mixing well with most. Is there a specific day we should incorporate the acv?

    Don't worry about juices. They help, but are still optional. Organic cranberry juice is the best (and lowest sugar) juice around, but I loathe the taste. But with apple cider vinegar, you need to try it with grape juice. It tastes like sweet merlot wine, more or less, and is not very offensive. You can also do it with less and do it everyday with maybe 1 TBSP instead of two...don't be afraid to play around with that. But it does speed up weight loss, I assure you.

    Thanks
  • OMADZombie
    OMADZombie Posts: 15 Member
    This sounds wonderful and I plan to start tomorrow! I'm 170 pounds overweight and need to get in control of myself before I keel over. :(

    Thank you so much for posting this! Is Bragg's a good brand for the apple cider vinegar? I only have the regular kind right now so I'll have to get some raw stuff. :)
  • arguablysamson
    arguablysamson Posts: 1,706 Member
    edited March 2015
    This sounds wonderful and I plan to start tomorrow! I'm 170 pounds overweight and need to get in control of myself before I keel over. :(

    Thank you so much for posting this! Is Bragg's a good brand for the apple cider vinegar? I only have the regular kind right now so I'll have to get some raw stuff. :)

    Hey, there. Glad you could join us. You'll definitely see results. Say goodbye to those excess lbs.

    Raw, organic, undistilled apple cider vinegar is best, but I'm sure it won't hurt to finish up what you have. I have used Bragg's almost exclusively. It seems truly unprocessed, unlike so many other kinds.
  • OMADZombie
    OMADZombie Posts: 15 Member
    Awesome! Thanks for the reply! I will look for some Bragg's at the store when I go tonight. If I can't find any I'll just use what I have until I find some.