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by jasonpeacock·3y ago·view on hn ↗
Same here - it's much easier for me to not eat than to eat less. Though after almost 6mo of OMAD I better recognize when I feel full (and my stomach is has shrunk?) so I can actually eat less now which is a big deal. All my life I've been a big eater, and eating a normal portion always left me feeling unsatisfied after a meal.

Now a normal portion feels right and me weight is under control, yay!

2 comments
Do you have any tips for OMAD? Which meal/time do you go for? I do this accidentally sometimes and I always feel either awful all day before I eat or late in the day after I eat.
I focused on dinner only, and would start eating around 4pm and stop at 8pm - 2hrs before bedtime (technically that's 20/4 fasting and not OMAD).

I have coffee in the morning, 1-2 cups, then just water the rest of the day. If you're fasting for true fasting effect (autophagy, etc.) then you can't eat more than 50cal or you'll "break" the fast.

If you're fasting for dieting/reduced calories, then having a protein shake (100-200cal) is OK if it helps you get through the day.

I'm lucky in that my body responds will to fasting, but you may need to ease into it - aim for not eating until 12pm (12-8pm), then push that later each week as you feel better until you get to 4pm or 6pm and are doing OMAD.

Also very important when fasting is food quality. OMAD is marketed as "eat anything you like and lose weight!", and while that may be true you'll feel like crap if the only meal you have pizza and ice cream and beer. Start with a salad, then get some good protein & fat in your entree, with a side of carbs. Dessert is OK, but it should be a treat - not a full serving/second meal.

One note from experience.

Its better to stay under 50kcals (bit of milk with coffee), than to have small amounts of food (breaking autophagy). Small amount of food will cause hunger triggers making you hungry all the time.

With no calories my hunger fades away and its only mental experience of your brain saying 'you should be eating now' rather than physical one of your stomach rumbling.

Its a very interesting physical vs mental experience.

One more thing. To make most of OMAD its better to switch to Keto diet and focus on eating proteins.

Also, the non-alcoholic beers from Athletic Brewing are great and low-calorie. Their "Athletic Lite" is only 20cal, or their gluten-free is 45cal. The IPA is 65cal, IIRC.
Black coffee?
Yes, black, unless you can keep the cream+sugar <50cal or are not pursuing strict fasting. Tea is good too, but same caveats about milk+sugar.
Not who you asked, but I do OMAD some days and IF on others. I find it easier physiologically to eat a lunch for OMAD; maybe because it's "opposite" of the day from sleep time.

However, I live with my wife and son, and socially it's much easier to skip lunch and have dinner with the family.

Either works for me, and I don't generally OMAD more than 2 days in a row.

In general I kind of IF (I always skip breakfast) most days, OMAD a couple every couple weeks, do a 24 hour fast every month or so, and a 48 hour one every quarter or so.

OMAD can be effective with many patients for weight loss but it probably isn't optimal for protein metabolism. I wouldn't recommend staying on it permanently. While we don't have any good clinical studies on this issue, over the long run I would be concerned about a higher risk of sarcopenia.

https://peterattiamd.com/ama40/