OMAD diet for weight loss: Everything you need to know

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OMAD diet for weight loss: Everything you need to know


OMAD diet for weight loss

It's the latest type of intermittent fasting that everyone is talking about, which ensures weight loss and enables you to eat anything you want. But there's a catch!

You've been hearing a lot about intermittent fasting recently – well guess what? It’s not going anywhere anytime soon. First, there was 5:2, then 16:8, and now... brace yourself for OMAD. Here's precisely what you need to know.

What exactly is the OMAD diet?

The one-meal-a-day diet is a weight loss plan in which a person eats only one meal per day. 

It is a type of intermittent fasting that alternates long periods without eating or drinking anything containing calories with short time windows for eating.

The diet uses a type of intermittent fasting named 23:1. This means that a person spends 23 hours a day fasting, leaving just 1 hour a day to consume calories as much as possible without missing out on important nutrients required by the body.

By restricting the meal timing, the body naturally follows a pattern where fat is being burned constantly. It has been found that when you consume your meals regularly, your body creates energy out of the food you have recently eaten. But when you restrict the regularity of your meals to just one, your body is forced to use energy from other places, that is when the body burns fat.

How is it applied?

Most people who have followed this diet, consume their calories for the day at night in one meal. That meal is supposed to contain enough calories to get you through your days easily depending on your activity throughout the day. Rather than focusing on micronutrients, it is important to focus on adding food from as many food groups possible. 

What should a person eat on this diet?

There are several versions of the one-meal-a-day diet. Some suggest eating healthful, nutrient-rich foods, but most allow people to eat anything they want during their single meal.

Who should not try the OMAD diet

Experts warn that the OMAD diet can be dangerous to children, elderly, and people with health conditions like diabetes. These groups need a steady intake of calories to maintain proper health. Also, people who regularly take prescription drugs should steer away from the OMAD diet because most medications require you to eat when taking them.

As for a healthy adult, it may be safe, but that doesn't mean it is ideal because there is just not enough research to recommend this diet as a proper weight-loss technique. 

What are the benefits of the OMAD diet?

People who follow the one-meal-a-day diet believe that it offers numerous benefits, such as :

  • Eating once a day enables a process of autophagy, which cleans up the toxins in your body 
  • Your body becomes more tolerant to being hungry and burns fat longer, accelerating your metabolism
  • By sticking to the OMAD diet, you will restrict your calorie intake naturally and will control your weight much easier. You just won’t consume your usual amount of calories by eating only one meal a day

What are the risks of the OMAD diet?

The OMAD diet has not only benefits for your health, but possible risks as well. Moreover, this nutrition plan is not for everyone and its safety lacks factual evidence. This diet has too many common features with a disordered diet. The OMAD diet has a bunch of risks for your health, and it is important to take them into account, such as:

  • Skipping significant nutrients. You’re simply unable to consume enough essential nutrients while following this diet, even if you shed junk food. You should eat five portions of fruits and vegetables per day and consume enough fiber and protein, which one meal per day can’t provide
  • You may experience increased cholesterol levels
  • experience fatigue, due to an uneven supply of energy
  • feel shaky, weak, and irritable as their blood sugar levels fall have difficulty concentrating

Related articles about intermittent fasting:


Does this diet help to weight loss?

By decreasing your calorie intake and boosting your metabolism, this diet can help you to lose weight. However, keep in mind that your results also depend on the foods you decide to eat during your 1-hour window. It is better to consult a health professional and get some tips in order not to harm your body.

Is it necessary to count calories?

Your only task is to eat only one meal a day during 1 hour. You shouldn’t count your calories while sticking to this dietary plan, because your calorie intake will be extremely low.


In conclusion, the OMAD diet isn’t suitable for everyone. This nutrition plan is far from being risk-free. Before starting this diet, it is crucial to consult a professional dietician in order to avoid unwanted consequences for your body. Remember, that your major priority is your health.