Intermittent Fasting - OMAD and TMAD

Christie_Smith
Christie_Smith Posts: 11 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have come to realise the only way I am successful is when I fast. I fast between 16 and 20 hours a day usually and just break my fast when I am hungry.

I am just wondering how many people have had a successful weight loss doing this?

I know some people are properly lifestyle serious with it, but what about people like me that just kind of do it naturally?
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Replies

  • glassyo
    glassyo Posts: 7,730 Member
    I've eaten every which way but my preference has always been eating most of my calories at night and trying to eat VERY lightly during the day. That worked. It changed from eating most at night to eating what I logged for the day the next day because my eating time got later and later and I really needed to get some sleep. :) THAT worked. (At least I stayed in maintenance by the time that point came.)

    I think you'll be successful if you stay within your calorie goal and don't over or under eat on a consistent basis. Eating only 1 or 2 meals a day is just a schedule which sounds like it'll work for you and that's one of the big hurdles of weight loss/gain/maintenance. Finding what works for YOU without ending up in the hospital. :)

  • musicfan68
    musicfan68 Posts: 1,143 Member
    I naturally eat OMAD due to my schedule. I manage to maintain my weight- probably 15-20lb overweight, doing this.
  • Christie_Smith
    Christie_Smith Posts: 11 Member
    glassyo wrote: »
    I've eaten every which way but my preference has always been eating most of my calories at night and trying to eat VERY lightly during the day. That worked. It changed from eating most at night to eating what I logged for the day the next day because my eating time got later and later and I really needed to get some sleep. :) THAT worked. (At least I stayed in maintenance by the time that point came.)

    I think you'll be successful if you stay within your calorie goal and don't over or under eat on a consistent basis. Eating only 1 or 2 meals a day is just a schedule which sounds like it'll work for you and that's one of the big hurdles of weight loss/gain/maintenance. Finding what works for YOU without ending up in the hospital. :)

    Thank you! It's hard to get out the mindset of doing right or wrong etc. O-TMAD definitely works for me but I had so many people tell me 3-4 meals + snacks I start to doubt myself!
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,198 Member
    The most recent study that is making the rounds finds no advantage to time restricted eating vs "simple" caloric restriction.

    No advantage goes both ways. I.e. neither has an advantage. So time restricted resting is a tool and a means to an end.

    If time restricted eating helps you and works for you to appropriately restrict your calories (not too much and not too little)... then it will be helpful as one of your tools to lose weight.

    The more tools and layers you add... the more likely you will end up winning!

    Tools and layers?

    Some of mine were in no particular order. Eating more vegetables and fruits. Increasing protein. Engaging in increased movement. Replacing sedentary hobbies with less sedentary ones. Finding ways of eating that suitted me and discovering a multitude of low to mid high in calories relatively filling easy to prepare snacks I can get to in a hurry. Logging and reviewing logs. Not ignoring the scale. Learning more about nutrition and weight loss. Identifying some of the occasions in which I overeat even if not hungry and addressing some of them with partial success. Engaging with the community. And a few more....
  • gpanda103
    gpanda103 Posts: 189 Member
    I have found that 18 hour fasts work for me, but everyone is different. Well, it’s not technically a fast because I make 2 coffees with almond milk, but that makes up less than 1% of my intake so I don’t care. If you are able to stay occupied during your fast and not binge, I would definitely say go for it.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,382 Member
    edited April 2022
    Honestly, I just stopped listening to anyone about my food, meals, exercise, weight, weightloss etc. I lost 80 pounds, I've kept it off for 15 years. I think I have it figured out.

    With that said, when I was losing weight I found it better for me to eat a large evening meal and try to eat as little as possible during the day. I agree with @glassyo above - find a plan that works for you (and maybe stop discussing it with people in real life who really should have no say!)
  • kaydensmom2009
    kaydensmom2009 Posts: 57 Member
    I’ve hit my goal weight, from 200lbs to 126, from not necessarily purposeful IF. I usually eat 2 meals a day between noon and 7pm and it works great for me. I started purposefully not allowing myself to eat after 7 because I would binge eat at night and now the fasting from 7-noon is just what works best for me and what I feel best at. If I wake up and hungry for whatever reason, I do eat though because it’s not that often and I figure my body must need to eat for whatever reason. But 90% of the time I’m not hungry until noon or later. I don’t eat after 7 though unless I’m working midnights because I still crave junk at night.
  • ashverdo
    ashverdo Posts: 12 Member
    I lost a fair bit doing 2MAD but I kept getting in my own head because everyone kept telling me to eat 3 meals and 2 snacks or eating large meals will keep me hungrier etc. So I tried to divide my calories to eat many meals but I would end up never close to satisfied and would often go over.

    I like to eat a lot of food. I like big meals. I like feeling full. I like eating higher calorie foods. I like being able to feel normal at dinner time or when out with friends.

    It’s easier for me to tell myself hey we gotta wait for our 2 meals but we can have basically anything for them then it is to be like okay we can have anything but only in a small amount.

    1700 cals broken up into 4-5 meals makes me feel resentful and hungry. 1700 in two meals? I am happy as a clam and find it far easier to stick to my calories.

    I literally do not care about any supposed benefits, I just do it to be able to eat big *kitten* meals but that’s who I am and it’s working great for me! I’m down 66 and like 55 of that is via 2MAD.
  • kimgjolly
    kimgjolly Posts: 7 Member
    edited October 29
    I just fasted 20+ hours today (just water and black coffee) and then ate low carb but not keto: had a chicken breast, avocado, tomato and cheese slice. I am hoping to fast up to 36 hours but need to work up to it. I need to lose 30+ pounds. Who has had success with OMAD?
  • tomcustombuilder
    tomcustombuilder Posts: 2,182 Member
    Your overall weekly calorie amount overtime will dictate whether you lose fat or not. Meal timing or meal frequency has really nothing to do with it unless those things actually make you take in fewer calories overall.
  • kimgjolly
    kimgjolly Posts: 7 Member
    edited October 29
    tomcustombuilder wrote: »
    Your overall weekly calorie amount overtime will dictate whether you lose fat or not. Meal timing or meal frequency has really nothing to do with it unless those things actually make you take in fewer calories overall.

    Listening to the numerous Fasting doctors I disagree with your statement.
    Because Autophagy.

    Here’s a few video explanations of why timing of when you don’t eat matters:

    https://youtu.be/A6Dkt7zyImk

    https://youtu.be/v9Aw0P7GjHE
  • tomcustombuilder
    tomcustombuilder Posts: 2,182 Member
    kimgjolly wrote: »
    tomcustombuilder wrote: »
    Your overall weekly calorie amount overtime will dictate whether you lose fat or not. Meal timing or meal frequency has really nothing to do with it unless those things actually make you take in fewer calories overall.

    Listening to the numerous Fasting doctors I disagree with your statement.
    Because Autophagy.

    Here’s a few video explanations of why timing of when you don’t eat matters:

    https://youtu.be/A6Dkt7zyImk

    https://youtu.be/v9Aw0P7GjHE
    you can disagree all you want.

  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,046 Member
    kimgjolly wrote: »
    tomcustombuilder wrote: »
    Your overall weekly calorie amount overtime will dictate whether you lose fat or not. Meal timing or meal frequency has really nothing to do with it unless those things actually make you take in fewer calories overall.

    Listening to the numerous Fasting doctors I disagree with your statement.
    Because Autophagy.

    (snip videos for reply length - watch them up-thread)

    So . . . what would be your explanation of those of us - quite a few people here - who lost weight without ever fasting at all?

    For example, I'm one. I routinely eat from shortly after I get up in the morning until shortly before bed . . . in rare cases, actually IN bed. (Don't worry; I get up and brush my teeth after. :D ) I lost 50ish pounds in less than a year (at age 59-60), while severely hypothyroid besides, after 30 previous years of overweight/obesity. I didn't materially increase exercise or change the range of foods I eat. I for sure didn't fast, because - as an inveterate hedonist - I personally would find that unenjoyable. I've stayed at a healthy weight for 8 years since, exactly the same way.

    Weight loss is all about average calorie intake over time. There's beaucoup science supporting that.

    IF/TRE helps some people reach that calorie level more happily. That's great, sincerely. Some people believe fasting has additional health benefits besides weight loss. More power to them.

    The primary direct mechanism behind weight loss is still the calories. There's scientific evidence up the wazoo demonstrating that.

    Do other things matter for consistent compliance with a calorie goal? Yes. Do similar individuals all have the same calorie needs? No. Are there complicating factors for counting calories accurately, such as that some foods' calories are more fully metabolized than others? Yes. Do people tend to undercount calories eaten, overcount exercise calories? Yes. Will just cutting calories work, if paying no mind to those supporting issues, including some individual, very subjective issues? Possibly not.

    Calories are still the basis.

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