OMAD - Rabbit Food Calories

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I've just finished a bowl of salad, not the store bought nonsense but homemade, I like cooking and good food.

Now when I say bowl, I mean an actual salad mixing bowl. So when I sat down with a full stomach to enter the meal to MFP I was kinda expecting upwards of 1k kcal, instead I got just 568 kcal.

The problem is that I'm on One Meal A Day (OMAD) diet with an avg. 700 kcal exercise, ideally I'm aiming for around 1.5k kcal or sleep is difficult and leads to having to add a snack in the evening which is unhelpful to the fasting times.

There's no way I could eat two bowls of salad. The vast majority of calories come from the cheese and mayo and tbh I couldn't increase these without ruining the salad mix.

The only ingredients I didn't record are herbs/seasonings. I'm focused on restricting calories & low carb, high fat & protein. Note that this isn't a long term diet, so no need to offer unrelated advice, ta.

Replies

  • WholeFoods4Lyfe
    WholeFoods4Lyfe Posts: 1,518 Member
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    Honestly, if that is the case, then maybe a salad isn't a good option for your OMAD.

    Do you have meat/protein on your salad? If so, what kind of fat are you using for cooking? That could help increase calories if you aren't already cooking them in fat, you should start. Also adding 1-2T of EVOO would for sure help if the salad is indeed as big as you say. You can add things like sunflower seeks that aren't voluminous but are calorie dense.

    Can you post exactly what was in your salad? It will be easier to make recommendations that way.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    First, have you made sure you're eating only 568 calories (weighed out at least the more calorie dense items)? You could be eating more.

    If you're still having trouble getting to 1500 net, add in other items, eat the salad with an entree, or decide not to go with OMAD and eat something earlier in the day.
  • WholeFoods4Lyfe
    WholeFoods4Lyfe Posts: 1,518 Member
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    Lounmoun wrote: »
    You need to add some calorie dense foods and drinks and maybe prelog your meaps so you get something that reaches your calorie goal better.
    To increase the calories of a salad you could add beans, nuts, seeds, hummus, roasted potato slices, avocado, bacon, whole egg, creamy dressings, croutons, tortilla strips, fried wonton strips, pork rinds, fried chicken, dark meat poultry, less lean beef, full fat cheese, dried fruit, salmon, sardines.
    Eat less salad and a big portion of something else instead.

    He said he's eating low carb, so a lot of the things that you suggested would not fit in that WOE.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
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    It's the "unrelated" advice you need to pay attention to, I'm afraid. Even if this is a short term diet, if it makes you feel miserable, you'll rebel (which means regain); even if you don't feel miserable, you can be miserable and not feel it because you're so excited by your new diet; no short term diet has any value, because weightloss is slow, and takes patience and learning new, better habits.

    Of course you're not supposed to eat two bowls of salad, and just that. You can eat anything you want.

    Is your goal to eat once a day, or to lose weight?
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    Eating 500 cals and burning 700 cals is not a good idea for any length of time
  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,728 Member
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    Honestly, if that is the case, then maybe a salad isn't a good option for your OMAD.

    Do you have meat/protein on your salad? If so, what kind of fat are you using for cooking? That could help increase calories if you aren't already cooking them in fat, you should start. Also adding 1-2T of EVOO would for sure help if the salad is indeed as big as you say. You can add things like sunflower seeks that aren't voluminous but are calorie dense.

    Can you post exactly what was in your salad? It will be easier to make recommendations that way.

    Quoting myself because I just looked at your diary. This is what I would add:

    Ditch the mayo and use an oil based dressing vinagarette
    Add 1-2 sliced hard boiled eggs
    Add 4-6 ounces of steak/chicken/seafood cooked in a cook/healthy oil
    Add 1-2 T sunflower seeds
    Use a more nutrient dense lettuce instead of iceburg (kale, spinach, spring mix for example)

    Those small changes should get you much closer to your calorie goal.

    All of that lettuce is a lot of volume, and while it's filling you up, chances are that it's doing you no favors helping to keep you fuller longer. Fat is satiating and more calorie dense, so I'd add more fat where you can.


    This!!

    Or just don't eat salad or don't eat OMAD.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
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    Lounmoun wrote: »
    You need to add some calorie dense foods and drinks and maybe prelog your meaps so you get something that reaches your calorie goal better.
    To increase the calories of a salad you could add beans, nuts, seeds, hummus, roasted potato slices, avocado, bacon, whole egg, creamy dressings, croutons, tortilla strips, fried wonton strips, pork rinds, fried chicken, dark meat poultry, less lean beef, full fat cheese, dried fruit, salmon, sardines.
    Eat less salad and a big portion of something else instead.

    He said he's eating low carb, so a lot of the things that you suggested would not fit in that WOE.

    Low carb doesn't mean no carb. I don't know what level his low carbness is supposed to take. Low carb might mean no tortillas, beans or potatoes ever to some but others might be fine with adding small amounts of those foods.
    He can figure out what food suggestions fits his WOE with a simple internet search or hire a dietician to help him design a food plan. My salad addition suggestions were free and low effort on his part and he is free to ignore them.

    If his WOE leaves him so far under his calorie goal he might reflect on that and want to change his WOE from low carb to more moderate carb, less vegetables and more meat and dairy, or eating more than 1 meal a day. Salad is probably not the best meal choice.

    https://kalynskitchen.com has lots of great low carb friendly recipes.
  • michaelludgate31
    michaelludgate31 Posts: 10 Member
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    Hi guys & gals, didn't expect so big a response, so not addressing people directly.

    Thanks to those that took the problem as posted, I'll certainly look to incorporate ideas such as sunflower seeds and making up a side dish of assorted meat glued with cheese :smiley:

    Part of the problem is that I historically budget £2 for a main meals primary component, and hadn't considered the savings around the other meals not occuring so didn't want to add a chicken breast. Reckon large salads are just not compatible with OMAD; because after my meal today I really couldn't have eaten any more, but suffered more than usual on the evening walk.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,988 Member
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    Hi guys & gals, didn't expect so big a response, so not addressing people directly.

    Thanks to those that took the problem as posted, I'll certainly look to incorporate ideas such as sunflower seeds and making up a side dish of assorted meat glued with cheese :smiley:

    Part of the problem is that I historically budget £2 for a main meals primary component, and hadn't considered the savings around the other meals not occuring so didn't want to add a chicken breast. Reckon large salads are just not compatible with OMAD; because after my meal today I really couldn't have eaten any more, but suffered more than usual on the evening walk.

    Ya, I couldn't do OMAD because I feel sick after 800 calories plus.

    My OH and I do have entree salads all the time. I always add 100 grams of meat to mine. He adds more meat and salad dressing, plus cheese and an egg to his. His are probably 1000 calories.
  • motivatedmartha
    motivatedmartha Posts: 1,108 Member
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    I too love and eat lots of salads - proper ones. All that chewing adds to my saity You could add a few nuts - cashews are good, a few raisins or grapes, hard boiled eggs, feta cheese, roasted butternut squash etc. Tonight I added some new potatoes- Jersey Royals, some green lentils and with some chilli marinaded chicken breast strips. Having said that, mine still wasn't sufficient to constitute my only meal of the day.
  • ljashley1952
    ljashley1952 Posts: 273 Member
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    Some of my salads can pack a lot of calories if I'm using salad as the entire meal. I will typically dice up chicken, cheese, hard-boiled egg, avocado, but I'm sparing with the dressing. Bacon is a treat I seldom use, but when I'm in the mood for a Cobb salad, I will toss it in with chicken and bleu cheese. Those calories add up, depending on how much you use.