I eat only once a day. As someone who her calories are between 2000-3000 on any given day, and likes to stay bulky, I get asked a lot about how do I manage to eat them all in one meal. Here's some tips and what I do:
- Don't drink water close to breaking my fast. In fact, I don't overdo it with water overall. I drink only as much as my body needs (usually thirst and the color of your urine are the only indicators you need).
- If I'm not hungry when it's time to break my fast, I either extend my fast for a few more hours, or I start with my kefir shake and fruits, and wait a while for my appetite to get going. Also, there's nothing wrong with eating less than you planned for the day.
- When I first started doing OMAD, I gave myself up to 3 hours to eat everything. As I got used to the regimen, and after I cured my IBS, I'm now able to eat everything within one hour.
- Remember to always chew slowly! It's just one meal every day, enjoy it. But also, take care of your gut. You'll be able to digest your meals better if you eat slow and chew your meals until they're liquid in your mouth before swallowing.
- Plan my meals the day before. I used to plan the calories and macros, but since I'm a creature of habit, I eat the same meals and even on new recipes I always use the same ingredients week after week and remember by heart how many calories and macronutrients everything contains. So as soon as you find several recipes that you enjoy, and meet your macronutrient goals, you don't have to count calories anymore. I do still plan my meals though all the way down to the snacks (10g 100% dark chocolate, 2 passion fruits, 1 carrot etc). Always plan your meals.
- Choose calorie-dense, high fat and protein foods. As you can see in the picture above (click to open in full resolution to see the numbers), and if you scout my Recipes section on this website, I have no problem getting all my calories and protein for the day through big, yet simple and affordable meals. And that's excluding the snacks (dark chocolate, fruits, carrots, kefir shake etc). Excellent sources of protein, healthy fats and to get your extra calories:
- adding extra virgin olive oil in foods,
- adding honey in foods (post on benefits and why you SHOULD be eating honey, coming soon)
- shredded coconut and coconut milk,
- soy
- boiled or oven baked potatoes
- full fat dairy (yogurt, milk, kefir, cheese)
- organic 100% peanut butter,
- fish (salmon, tuna, sardines, cod, hake etc)
- nuts and seeds
- legumes
- meat (mostly lean unprocessed chicken for me, I don't really like red meat much)
- No, you don't need 7 cups of veggies a day. Whether it's a fresh salad, boiled mixed veggies, oven baked potatoes, some fresh cherry tomatoes and cucumbers, or just plain broccoli, I no longer eat a gigantic portion of them. Excess fiber is just as bad for me as no fiber at all (based on my experience on how my stomach feels afterwards). What I do is I fill my plate with the amount of the protein of the day I need, then I fill the rest of the plate with the veggies. 1 or 2 cups are more than enough.
- 1 fruit a day. Although I tend to overdo it with fresh fruits on occasion (especially on vegetarian days), it's best to stick only to one or 2 fruits a day.
- On vegetarian days, they're naturally low calorie days and it's perfectly fine to have those on occasion. Legumes are excellent for your gut microbiota and contain some protein too. To top up my protein or caloric needs, I may add coconut milk when I cook some of them, or have some greek yogurt, skyr or quark for dessert with nuts and seeds and peanut butter, or a can of sardines, or a low calorie fresh fish (hake is my favorite).
- We don't need as much protein as we think. Throw away the protein powder, it will spike your blood sugar and insulin levels. Our bodies recycle protein through lycosomes in the cells, that recycle amino acid building blocks by capturing and breaking down malfunctioning proteins (something we should allow the body to do, instead of stuffing it with excess protein). The important thing is to keep strength training. As Hippocrates said: "Exercise strengthens, inactivity wastes".
Lastly, realize that OMAD takes time for your mind and stomach to adjust into. Don't rush to eat your meal. Take your time. You don't have to eat at the exact same time every single day. Just, you know... don't accidentally turn it into a 16:8 buffet lol. Stick to 3 hours feeding window when you're starting out, 1 hour when you get the hang of it.
Check out the simplest, fastest, high protein OMAD meal that doesn't even require cooking.
Disclaimer: This YT channel & Blog are a documentation of my health journey. The content is based on what worked for me and is for informational purposes only, not a replacement for medical advice from a professional.
I’m NOT a doctor, nutritionist, dietitian, coach, nor a personal trainer. Furthermore, we are all different and my results may not reflect your own. Any action you take upon the information provided by ZenGainz is strictly at your own risk.