Why OMAD Is A Good Choice For Healthy Living

I’ve been fasting intermittently since July, 2017 but I gradually transitioned to OMAD this year. OMAD(One Meal A Day) is a type of intermittent fasting which has become very popular. Since I was already fasting intermittently (16hours fast and 8 hours eating window), I kept increasing my fast time and decreasing my eating window till I made the switch.

Intermittent Fasting – How I Lost 5kg in Two Months 

I know you may have read ONE MEAL A DAY and thought oh wow I’m not sure I can do this. Well, you can. The truth is you have the power to do anything and change starts with you. One of the reasons I chose OMAD diet is because I reduced my exercises to maintain my current weight goal. I realized I was always needing to eat as soon as I broke my 16 hours fast though I wasn’t necessarily hungry. Everything looked like food once something went into my mouth so I decided to extend my fast to 22 hours with a 1-2 hours eating window hence, OMAD.

“A diet changes the way you look. A fast changes the way you see.” – Lisa Bevere

BENEFITS OF OMAD

• Easier & Convenient
• More Savings
• Weight Loss
• No Weight Gain
• Increased Energy
• Mental Clarity
• Better Sleep
• Self-Discipline

EASIER & CONVENIENT

When you’re eating only one meal a day, you spend less time worrying about what to eat and preparing what to eat. Your meal prep during the weekend can carry you all through the week and even if you don’t meal prep, you only have to cook once a day.

MORE SAVINGS

If you are eating only one meal a day, you will definitely spend less money on food and save money. I know I save more money than my colleagues because I watch them order lunch everyday and watch them eat two meals at work sometimes while I’ll just be sipping on my tea or water most times.

WEIGHT LOSS

As with every other form of fasting, you lose weight and fat with OMAD. You notice changes in your clothes, your waist line, your stomach and your overall appearance.

NO WEIGHT GAIN

With OMAD, you get to maintain your weight goal and not have to worry about putting on weight. I have been able to maintain my weight all through the year. Unlike most fad diets, the moment you go back to your routine eating habits, you gain all the weight you lost back. With OMAD, one of the main benefits is the fact that you won’t do so. Since you are making a lifestyle change, you will be far less likely to go back to your old eating habits.

INCREASED ENERGY, MENTAL CLARITY & BETTER SLEEP

When you eat one meal a day, you are freeing up the energy your body uses for digestion. After you eat, it takes about six to eight hours for food to pass through your stomach and small intestine. Food then enters your large intestine (colon) for further digestion, absorption of water and, finally, elimination of undigested food. So OMAD allows enough time for food to completely leave the body and be fully digested. OMAD makes you feel lighter and increases your energy levels which makes you quicker on your feet. You don’t feel bloated and heavy, your concentration and mental abilities improve and you also sleep better.

SELF-DISCIPLINE

OMAD keeps you disciplined. Take me for example, sometimes I go off course(eat something I don’t eat normally, eat earlier or more than once). When I do,  I realize I wasn’t missing anything and breaking my diet was just not worth it. Sometimes, I also feel nauseous or bloated and by the next day I switch back to my regular eating pattern quickly like nothing ever happened.

Its normal to go out of your diet occasionally, attend a party here, go out to eat there.  The good thing is that it’s easy to switch back. OMAD diet doesn’t mean you have to necessarily give up your favourite foods. Since you are eating only once a day and thanks to the medicinal benefits of fasting, you can easily have your fave meal and not add any weight.

If someone comes to you and tells you 5 meals a day is a better eating pattern than OMAD, urge them to try OMAD or another form of intermittent fasting first themselves before telling you their opinions on them. The truth is that eating a lot makes most people add weight/fat more often than not.

Have you ever tried OMAD? I’d like to hear your thoughts.

Thanks for reading.

Mariam Shittu