For most people, there are no serious dangers involved in eating one meal a day, other than the discomforts of feeling hungry. That said, there are some risks for people with cardiovascular disease or diabetes. Eating one meal a day can increase your blood pressure and cholesterol.
The one-meal-a-day diet — also known as 23:1 intermittent fasting — may help people lose weight and body fat. However, it can lead to hunger and cravings and may not be suitable for everyone.
Conclusion: A single meal per day in the evening lowers body weight and adapts metabolic flexibility during exercise via increased fat oxidation whereas physical performance was not affected.
While it seems perfectly fine to eat two meals a day, such a routine is not suitable for everyone. There are a few groups of people who are advised not to try such a diet plan. It is because such a meal plan may increase their risk of health problems.
The goal is to eat every 3 to 4 hours in order to keep your blood sugar consistent and for your stomach to optimally digest. Setting this schedule consistently across days can also help curb overeating which can lead to bloating or indigestion.
OMAD can then start to look a lot like chronic caloric restriction. Although chronic caloric restriction helps with initial weight loss, it poses long-term concerns because it tends to lower resting metabolic rate, which makes weight loss very difficult to maintain.
One of the latest trends among celebrities is the “one meal a day” diet (or “Omad”). Fans of Omad include Bruce Springsteen and Coldplay frontman Chris Martin. Many proponents of Omad claim it helps them better manage their weight and keep fit.
"The Romans believed it was healthier to eat only one meal a day," food historian Caroline Yeldham told BBC News Magazine in 2012. "They were obsessed with digestion and eating more than one meal was considered a form of gluttony.
Eating once a day slows down your metabolism.
"If you go long periods of time without eating, your metabolism actually slows down to hold on to energy," Brenda Braslow, RD, MS with MyNetDiary. "It can defeat your efforts to cut back on calorie intake."
However, other studies show that while consuming 1,000 calories a day may result in significant weight loss, most people cannot sustain it and often experience significant weight regain . The reasons include regaining lost muscle mass and increased appetite. Also worth noting is that the human body can adapt.
If you have a big meal, your stomach doesn't magically get bigger and stay that way—it shrinks back down to its previous size in about four hours or less as your food is pushed along to the small intestine, Staller says.
The Theory: Nutrition experts tend to recommend eating 3 balanced meals (350 to 600 calories each) and 1 to 3 snacks per day (between 150 and 200 calories each). The calories for each meal and snack depend on a variety of factors including, height, weight, age, gender and activity level.
“On a day you don't eat for 24 hours, you're guaranteed to be losing a third or half a pound of non-water weight that's mostly from body fat,” Pilon told Global News.
Most adults need a minimum of 2000 calories to sustain metabolism, muscle activity, and brain function. However, too many calories can lead to weight gain and a variety of diseases.
Bottom line: skipping meals rarely results in weight loss for the long term and it can negatively impact your metabolism. So, consider waking a few minutes earlier to fit in a quick breakfast before your busy day gets away from you.
16:8 intermittent fasting is a form of time-restricted fasting. It involves consuming foods during an 8-hour window and avoiding food, or fasting, for the remaining 16 hours each day. Some people believe that this method works by supporting the body's circadian rhythm, which is its internal clock.
Orthodox Buddhist communities have only one or two meals per day, taken between dawn and noon.
Although various forms of intermittent fasting have been shown to be an effective way to shed pounds, the OMAD diet is not recommended by nutritionists and can even be dangerous for people with certain health problems.
Nutrition professionals do not advise trying the OMAD diet for any length of time. It's incredibly restrictive and unsustainable and can lead to extreme weight loss, nutrient deficiencies and binging.
It is best done a couple of times a week. Although beneficial, OMAD is not necessary for intermittent fasting weight loss results. If you experience extreme signs of fatigue, digestive issues, or discomfort, then choose shorter fasts to reach your goals.