How I started OMAD
Back in 2009, I started OMAD “cold turkey”. This is to say without any previous adaptation. I had no preconceived notions of what it would take or if it would even be successful. I was not exactly sure of what changes would my body undergo. I just believed I needed to do something about my obesity. Further, I thought that eating “whatever I wanted”, only once a day, was something I could live with. To be honest, I had no grandiose expectations. In fact, my expectations were so low, I did not take a “before” shirtless picture of myself. Perhaps I was too embarrassed about my appearance back then.
Details of my OMAD
In my case, it made sense to make noon, the perfect time to have my one meal. At 7-8 pm, I experienced hunger in the first few weeks (3 weeks). I overcame my hunger by keeping busy, working at the computer, or doing anything that requires my complete attention. Most of all, I was as far from the pantry as possible. I was always one of those looking for a morsel to put in my stomach. With this approach, my mind drifted away from the thoughts of food. And before I knew it, it was time to go to bed, and I did not feel hungry anymore. I was never a breakfast lover, but a cup of black coffee (no sugar) kept me going. Then, I got busy with my tasks for the day.
My morning routine before OMAD
The stock market opens at 6:30, California time, so I could work on my options trading for 1 hr. Then I usually felt (and still feel), a burst of enthusiasm for my calisthenics and weight lifting workouts. By 9-9:30, I play tennis for 1 hr. By 10:30, I’d take my shower and get ready for my meal. It has always been surprising to me that I can workout while fasting, but now that I know the theory behind intermittent fasting and insulin spikes.
An OMAD routine if you have a job
Not everyone is semi-retired or able to work from home like I am. I remember a time when I was much younger and I would jog at 5 am for 1 hr. Clearly, one could easily burn about 600 calories with this routine. By 7 am I was showered and ready to go to work. I would imagine that working would have kept me busy until dinner (about 6pm), when I could have my one meal. However, I can also see that I could easily eat my one meal at the cafeteria at my place of work. Eating in the cafeteria could limit how much control you’d have over your macronutrients and your satiety.
Find your own way to an OMAD routine
Everyone is different, so I would simply say that OMAD is a flexible regime. One would have to find the best time to exercise and the best time to eat. Although most people are affraid of the word “fasting” my experience has been very good. Adapting to OMAD is not hard at all, except perhaps for the first few weeks (3 weeks). Then you’d be very incouraged by the decline in your body weight, and your inclination to exercise more. It is all hormonal.
In the video below you’d see how you can adjust to the OMAD method progressively, not with the “cold turkey method”, but with the window reduction method. Check it out!
