Why isn’t OMAD working for me anymore? Do you feel that cocktail of disappointment and failure as you look down at the scales?
The pointer hasn’t moved.
If you’re doing OMAD principally for weight loss, I know exactly how frustrating it can be to see no change.
But you know what?
With OMAD there’s usually something you can do differently to crack the code.
And don’t forget – OMAD isn’t just about weight loss; it has multiple health benefits too.
Have you been doing OMAD for a while already? Did it start great, then begin to plateau? Or have you just been on OMAD for a couple of weeks and haven’t yet seen a change?
All these situations are different, with many possible combined reasons for a slowed response for weight loss on OMAD.
If OMAD isn’t working for you, this post is for you.
So without further ado, vamos, andiamos, let’s go . . .
When you first start OMAD, practise it every day for sure – so that you can get into it.
Pass over the initial hump, you know, the period while your brain still expects 3 meals a day and your body still rumbles for breakfast for example.
In the beginning, if you need to break in gently, start off with a 4-hour eating window and gradually reduce it. For example, first, skip breakfast, then eat lunch at 2 p.m. and a healthy snack at 6 p.m.
Each day, bring the snack time earlier until it’s easy to cut it out altogether and do OMAD.
At that point, do OMAD for several consecutive days so that you get time to train your brain and body so that OMAD feels just fine.
Great, in fact.
Once you’ve established OMAD and feel at home doing it, then it’s time to shake things up a bit.
Because when OMAD becomes easy, the body will adjust and adapt. It will figure out that the calories are coming every day at 6 p.m. for example.
This can lead to a plateau in weight loss, especially if you’re eating a lot in the eating window.
And instead of counting your calories, practise eating a healthy balanced diet, which for me personally, is the WFPB diet.
So for example, on one day do a 16:8 day, then go back to OMAD for several days. Then do a normal day without fasting, or do a 36-hour fast.
Whichever way you go, give the body a surprise rather than always following the same schedule.
Our bodies are intelligent and will soon figure out the routine and adjust accordingly, putting a stop to further weight loss.
By juggling things around a bit, you use the body as designed – burning fat when there’s no food for energy and carbs when there is.
This approach also means you can make sure you get enough protein in your diet (because you can eat two meals on the non-OMAD days and increase your protein intake if necessary). And by ensuring you eat enough protein, you help mitigate the question of whether OMAD will cause muscle loss.
Here’s what Dr Mindy Pelz, author of Fast Like a Girl, has to say on it . . .
Dr Mindy Pelz on Why it isn’t Ideal Doing OMAD Every Day
# Not Drinking Enough Water
Make sure you keep drinking water throughout the day while you’re on OMAD.
Drinking water can actually make the body burn calories at a slightly higher rate than the resting rate (as does food digestion).
Also, thirst can quench the feeling of hunger and stop you from overeating, so get into the habit of drinking water whenever you get a hunger pang (as well as at normal regular intervals).
A lack of water will slow down your metabolism and stop your body from being able to switch over to fat-burning – your body can’t burn fat if it’s dehydrated.
The kidneys react to dehydration by retaining fluid, which can lead to bloating, and water helps to flush out toxins.
To get the best out of OMAD, drink water throughout the day and make a point of becoming conscious of how much you’re drinking.
Any nutrient deficiencies can have a negative impact on your metabolism and as a consequence, on your weight loss results – to the point where you stop losing weight.
It’s super important to feast on nutritious food during the eating window, eat a balanced meal containing protein, healthy fats, fibre and complex carbohydrates to cover your daily requirements.
While people say you can eat what you want in the OMAD diet lifestyle, it needs to be balanced and healthy food regardless of whether you want to lose weight or adopt this way of life long term.
Eating sugary foods is okay as an additional dessert or special occasion but it shouldn’t make up your main diet.
Sugar creates cravings – and it’s addictive – which can lead to overeating. It’s also high in calories and lacks essential nutrients.
If you’re addicted to sugary foods, try going back to 16:8 and removing sugar from your diet before you do OMAD.
# Eating Before Exercise
When you eat before your exercise routine, your body will get the energy for that exercise from the food you’ve eaten and you’ll be missing out on the opportunity to burn fat to fuel your exercise routine.
To be honest, most people feel better exercising in the fasting window anyway, so this is a less likely cause of your plateau, but still worth taking into account.
# Eating Too Late
The question of when to eat your meal on OMAD is so often overlooked, but it’s an important part of the puzzle for success.
It’s best not to eat your OMAD too late at night. When you eat in the evening, your blood sugar rises and stays higher, not only affecting your weight loss but also contributing to possible cognitive health issues.
If you find your weight plateauing, check that you aren’t going to sleep on a full stomach. Instead, bring your eating window forward so that you have at least four hours to digest before going to sleep.
# Drinking Alcohol (and Other Sugary Drinks)
Alcohol (= sugary drink) can stop your body from switching over to burning fat; it also gives you cravings, spikes your insulin and generally does everything you don’t want on a fast.
If you’re serious about fasting, learn to avoid alcohol or save it for occasional days.
And it isn’t only alcohol which can sabotage your fasting attempts. It’s important to drink the right things while fasting in order to get the best results.
# Diet Drinks in Your Fasting Window
Are you unwittingly stopping your body from flipping the switch over to fat-burning mode by drinking diet drinks during your fast?
You know, while some people will tell you they drink a zero-calorie coca cola while dieting because it’s zero calories, this isn’t recommendable for OMAD.
Despite being zero calories these diet drinks contain artificial sweeteners which can cause an insulin response and interfere with your fasted state.
Drink water, herbal tea, normal tea and black coffee and you’re good to go.
You can also add fresh lemon or ginger to your water of course.
# Eating Too Much in Your Feast
Yes, it’s possible.
Not easy, but definitely possible.
Especially if you’re eating the wrong kinds of foods. And if you’re eating tons of calories in your one hour of eating, your body may find enough energy to perform its tasks just from those calories.
And so the weight loss stops.
But really, if you’re eating WFPB diet then it’s unlikely to be the reason because of the type of food you eat: whole, healthy and not processed.
If you’ve plateaued and you think you might be eating too much, try keeping a food diary.
Don’t become obsessed by calories, instead think about the quality of the food you’re eating, as well as covering all the macros.
If you really find yourself binge-eating too much, because you’re just too hungry, slip back to a 20:4 routine until you feel good again and once you’re cool with that, you can start OMAD again.
Remember, for OMAD to be great, it should feel good. If it doesn’t, you either need to have a bit more patience, or you need to tweak something in your habits.
# Medical Conditions
If you have insulin resistance, PCOS or Hypothyroidism, OMAD should be done with the support of your health advisor – and all of these can interfere with you losing weight and burning fat.
# It is Actually Working
It’s possible that OMAD’s working just fine but you have unrealistic expectations. Sometimes your body can be losing fat without a drastic change on the scales. Try taking measurements of your waist before you begin, so that you aren’t only looking at the scales.
Notice how your clothes feel. And what about your energy levels? OMAD can help us feel better in so many ways, try not to restrict it to just that number on the scales.
Weight loss doesn’t happen in a straight line. It goes in steps. You may find you haven’t lost weight for several weeks, only to then suddenly notice a change after a month of OMAD.
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