The OMAD diet involves eating one large meal within one hour and then fasting for the remaining 23. While the OMAD diet naturally leads to calorie restriction, its benefits come more from autophagy, a cellular process that clears waste from the body and helps improve overall health and longevity. If you’re considering working OMAD into your life, understanding the benefits and the risks can help you make the decision that’s right for you. Aside from that, the only other real rule with OMAD is to stick to the same daily schedule. That means, if you decide you’re going to eat between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. (one of the most common eating windows for people following OMAD), that will be your ongoing eating window. But while the OMAD diet outlines when to eat, there aren’t a lot of specific rules about what to eat. There’s no strict breakdown of macronutrients or calorie guidelines to follow. As long as you’re sticking to your eating window, you’re technically following OMAD. That being said, as with any dietary plan, it’s always a good idea to make healthy choices when you do eat. Amy Shah, M.D. says, “Avoid carb-loaded meals and sugary drinks as they will cause a blood sugar roller coaster, raising your insulin levels and making you feel even more hungry." Shah adds that refined carbohydrates aren’t just a problem in the moment, they also make fasting the next day even more difficult because hunger hormones, like ghrelin1, will be raised and you’ll feel hungrier. During your hour eating window, try to stick to lean proteins, healthy fats, and plenty of vegetables. The only thing you have to really think about is when to break your fast and then stick to that same schedule on the days you incorporate OMAD. They found that while types of calorie restriction can lead to weight loss, intermittent fasting may help promote a greater amount of fat loss, while also helping retain lean body mass (or lean muscle). Another small, controlled study with 32 participants found that even when overall calories weren’t restricted, eating all calories in one daily meal3 resulted in greater loss of body fat. Note: It’s important to point out that researchers from that study also found that eating one meal a day led to slightly increased blood pressure and cholesterol levels (although it did decrease cortisol levels too). In one small study, researchers had pre-diabetic men follow different intermittent fasting schedules4, but gave them enough food to maintain their current body weight. After 5 weeks, the men had better insulin levels, improved insulin sensitivity, and better beta cell response. They also saw improvements in their blood pressure and had decreased oxidative stress levels. Another small study followed 10 obese men with type 2 diabetes who were currently taking metformin, one of the most popular diabetic medications. After two weeks of fasting, the men had better blood sugar control5 than when they first started the study. One study showed that prolonged fasting can increase availability of serotonin6—a mood-boosting neurotransmitter—in the brain. It may also boost natural opioid and endocannabinoid production. As one 2019 review points out, research on animals and humans indicates that reducing your food intake through fasting can significantly slow or reverse aging. In fact, one of the longest-running animal studies focused on prolonged fasting7 found that rats could increase their lifespan by as much as 80 percent. However, the effects of fasting also depends on sex, age, overall diet, and genetic factors. But while there’s definitive research on less intense types of intermittent fasting, there isn’t a lot of focused science on whether or not going for longer periods without eating (as with OMAD) has additional benefits. If you have Type 1 diabetes, OMAD may not provide enough nutrients to keep your blood sugar levels steady through the day, especially in the initial phase when your body is adjusting to it. While an OMAD diet isn’t strictly off-limits for women, women are generally more sensitive to the hormonal effects of fasting due to a protein called kisspeptin8. If you’re a woman and you’re considering OMAD, or any type of fasting, make sure you’re familiar with the potential concerns surrounding fasting and women before jumping right in. As always, consult with your doctor to determine the right plan for you. If you’re currently under a great deal of stress and are having trouble handling day-to-day life, hold off adding additional stressors, like OMAD, until you get everything else under control. It’s also a good idea to stay away from restrictive eating plans like the OMAD diet if you have a history of disordered eating or you’re pregnant or breastfeeding. And keep in mind that it’s meant for adults, not children or young adults. Even though there are no strict rules about when to eat your meal on the OMAD diet, research shows that you may be better off getting all your calories in before the evening. According to one study, eating calories after 5 p.m. was associated with a significant increase in levels of C-reactive protein9 (or CRP), an inflammatory marker that’s been connected to breast cancer, heart disease, and other diseases. Instead of jumping right into OMAD, Taz Bhatia, M.D., a board-certified physician specializing in integrative medicine, says “you can always start slowly, with shorter and gentler fasts a couple times a week, and see how your body responds.” While you may feel great during these short fasts, she adds “You may discover that fasting doesn’t work for you at all, and that’s okay, too.” The goal is to find a plan that works for you by gradually increasing the duration and frequency of your fasting over the course of several weeks to a month to give your body time to adjust. If you’re new to intermittent fasting, start with an easier-to-follow plan, like the 16:8 method, and then work your way into OMAD. Some other tips to get you started and increase your chances of success include: Focus on lean proteins, healthy fats, and lots of different types of veggies. And don’t eat the same thing all the time. Varying your food choices helps optimize your overall nutrient intake. The major goal is to stick to one nutritionally-balanced meal per day and eat around the same time daily. There are no hard rules about how long you should follow OMAD, but it’s important to always listen to your body and check in with how you’re feeling to see if you need to make any adjustments to your routine. It appears to offer many of the same health benefits as other forms of intermittent fasting, like weight loss, improved mood, better metabolism, and balanced blood sugar levels. However, it’s not for everyone. If you have Type 1 Diabetes, are under chronic stress, or are pregnant or breastfeeding, you should steer clear of OMAD (and any other type of intermittent fasting). If you do decide to try OMAD, ease in slowly over a period of several weeks and make sure you’re regularly checking in with your body and making adjustments based on how you feel. She has written twelve books and has had more than 2,000 articles published across various websites. Lindsay currently works full time as a freelance health writer. She truly believes that you can transform your life through food, proper mindset and shared experiences. That’s why it’s her goal to educate others, while also being open and vulnerable to create real connections with her clients and readers.
