OMAD Help

Well first, IF takes time to adjust to and jumping straight into OMAD sounds like torture to me, and I'm someone who does OMAD and loves it, but there's no effing way my system would have accepted it right off the bat.

Also, you will read A LOT of conflicting info about fasting, but I follow the Gin Stephen's approach, which is to avoid all food, even zero calorie during fasting. It's not just food that triggers the brain/body to prepare for a meal, smells, time of day, and tastes all play a role in triggering the body to prepare itself for food, which is what triggers the sensation of hunger.

You can't control a lot of that, but you can control what you taste and to a degree what you smell. I was having a brutal time when I first started IF because I was drinking fruity herbal teas at night and this was triggering my hunger signals like crazy (my eating window was in the morning). Also, I was trying to cook while fasting and the smell was highly triggering. In those early days, any hunger triggers can be intense. That's why Gin recommends being really strict during your fasting window: just water, black tea, and black coffee. Everything else is likely to set you off.

But also, don't push your system so hard!

I started with 18:6 only 5 days a week with 2 "normal" eating days mixed in. I very gradually moved towards OMAD every day, not because I pushed myself, but because that's what naturally became easy to do over time.

Listen to your body and work with it, not against it. You don't get "better" results by being as hardcore as possible as quickly as possible. More fasting isn't even necessarily better in terms of outcomes. I was getting great results with my 18:6 routine 5 days a week. I've actually only slipped into OMAD for maintenance. But that's me, that's what *my* body likes.

You need to figure out *your* body an what the right approach is for you, but I can say that if it feels like suffering, it's not likely the right approach.

With 200 pounds to loose, there is a lot of lead way into methods for loss. If you are struggling on OMAD, but like IF try @Xellercin 5days IF: 2 day regular approach. Seems like a great way to ease into IF.

That being said if IF isn't for you that's ok. IF isn't magic it's just another way to limit the calories you eat in a day.

I don't technically consider what I do IF, but I rarely eat while at work. I have a snack (fuel a workout) when I get home then workout then have dinner most days. So I eat between 5:00 & 9:00 MOST days. Then there are days, usually after I've had a hard workout the evening before where I am just ravenously hungry. For this, I've learned I need to keep some protein bars or other filling low calorie snacks at work because if I don't I'm going to hit the vending machine. Then the downfall begins... Chips and sweets just make me want more chips and sweets and on these days I frequently surpass my calories for the day.

The whole "failure to prepare is preparing to fail" thing. There is no reason to white knuckle diet and always be on edge or afraid your going to mess up. We don't really mess up, we just live life and make choices. Last night I chose to drink 3 light beers, and it fit in my calorie allotment. Last week I chose to drink 3 beers and it didn't fit into my day, but it was a choice and 300 calories one day isn't going to kill me. When I make a conscious choice to go over by a bit, it is different that saying screw it I'm going to give up for the day and binge (which I have also done).

It's kind of a mind game, make choices and accept that they are either pushing you to your goal, or slightly delaying your goal. None of these choices prevent you from hitting your goal.

Good Luck!

You don’t have to fast or do omad. It’s just another way of approaching a calorie deficit. It might be beneficial for insulin.. maybe? But generally I would only ever do omad if you know you are going to be very busy during the fast.

16:8 two meals a day has always worked for me. The majority of my fasting time is when I am asleep so it makes things easier plus I've never been a big morning meal person. Some days I will go OMAD if I'm not hungry until later in the afternoon. I will break fast around 11AM and try to have my last meal before 6PM on work days.

That being said my way of eating is LCHF which is more satiating to me. My bridge drink is coffee with unsweetened creamer and water throughout the day. I've found that sugar (even in fruit) and ultra processed foods will send me on a hunger spiral so I avoid them.

Jumping right into OMAD will take some time for your body to adjust and not try to retain fat thinking you are in starvation mode. Like others have said listen to your body and avoid hunger triggers. Dr. Cywes (Carb Addiction Doc) on YouTube has some good information on body processes even if you don't go full carnivore. Most of all give yourself some time and room to lose the weight.