Top 7 Reasons You Are Not Losing Weight On OMAD

The OMAD (One Meal A Day) intermittent fasting method has been gaining popularity. It seems like an obvious choice for weight loss since you are narrowing your eating window to one hour. But what if you are not losing weight on OMAD?

OMAD: What is it?

First, let’s quickly talk about how OMAD works. It’s simple (although not necessarily easy): eat all your calories within one hour. This intermittent fasting method is also called the 23:1 method because you are fasting for 23 hours and eating for one hour.

What can you have during your OMAD fasting window?

If you want to do “clean” fasting, you should have only water, black coffee, or black tea during your fasting window. However, some people do “keto” fasting, which allows you to put some fat in your coffee, for example. I put full-fat coconut milk in my coffee and have achieved my weight loss goals.

What does a typical meal look like on OMAD?

The OMAD Method doesn’t restrict calories or specify a given macronutrient ratio. It’s a convenient intermittent fasting method for people on shift work, those who travel, or people with a hectic schedule because it cuts down food preparation to only once a day. All you need to be concerned about is eating lots of nutrient-dense foods and avoiding processed foods.

If your daily calorie goal for sustained weight loss is 1,200 calories, you would have a nice big salad like I make for my Easiest and Simples Meal Plan Ever to DIY the Fasting Mimicking Diet. That comes to about 600 calories. Let’s say you also have coffee with coconut milk and the Power Shake, and now you are at around 800 calories. Add one serving of chicken breast (around 4 ounces), and you have almost all your calories for the day.

Image Credit: Wake the Wolves

OMAD Benefits

I mentioned the practical benefits of the OMAD diet. Less cooking and less worrying about food can free up your time. Of course, you also have the other benefits of intermittent fasting, which include:

  • Improved insulin levels
  • Improved cholesterol
  • Increased human growth hormone
  • Lower inflammation
  • Better cognitive function
  • More energy
  • Better sleep

Moreover, fasting for 24 hours (we are close to OMAD with 23 hours) boosts gut stem cell regeneration. As you know, your gut health is critical for your general well-being.

7 Reasons You Are Not Losing Weight on OMAD

Since I don’t have any experience with the OMAD diet (I have done a DIY fasting-mimicking diet, the eat-stop-eat diet, the 5:2 method, and the warrior diet), I decided to ask other women about their experience with OMAD. I am going to share what I have learned from them.

1. Your Body Needs Time

Some women told me it took them a while to lose weight (a few weeks). Sometimes, your body needs to heal first (you will find similar advice in my post Top 5 Reasons Why You Are Not Losing Weight With Intermittent Fasting).

2. You Are Eating Too Many Calories

Are you fasting during your fasting window? Are you putting fat in your coffee or consuming anything that elicits an insulin response? I mentioned that you could achieve your weight loss goals with keto fasting. However, fat in your coffee can add up to your calories fast. It’s hard to “eat” too many calories within one hour, but it’s not as difficult to drink them in the form of MCT oil and coconut milk.

3. You Are Eating Too Few Calories

Eating only for one hour each day increases the chance that your body will get used to fewer calories. Some women find they experience success at first with OMAD, but the weight loss stalls later. I think this can happen with any type of intermittent fasting. I have experienced it with the Warrior method. In my case, the weight loss has slowed, but it is still happening. Since I love how I feel, and how convenient this method is, I am still using it. You can choose to make this decision too. Weight loss is not everything but listen to your body.

4. You Are Choosing the Wrong Foods

Make sure you don’t eat processed foods that are high in calories and that cause inflammation. Pick nutrient-dense whole foods like fruits and vegetables, clean meats, nuts and seeds, and whole grains in moderation.

5. You Need to Switch Things Up

If you want to lose weight and are not seeing the results you were hoping for, it might be time to switch things up. Many women unable to lose weight on OMAD finally lost weight with the Alternate-Day Fasting method. This one came up over and over as an effective weight-loss tool.

Alternate-Day Fasting

Alternate-Day Fasting means you are fasting overnight (12 hours), the next day (12 hours), and overnight again (12 hours). This adds up to 36 hours, and you do that twice a week.

Prolonged Fasting

Another fasting method to try when weight loss is stalling is prolonged water fasting (most women saw results when fasting between 3-5 days). A prolonged water fast will help your body heal (which may be why your weight loss is stalling). If, like me, you don’t feel up to prolonged water fast yet, try the fasting mimicking diet.

If you are struggling to lose weight, check out my 30-Day Intermittent Fasting Transformation, a Step-by-Step Success Formula to Lose Weight, Kick the Cravings, and Tone Your Body in Just 30 Days.

6. Your Body Is in A State of Stress

Are you working out too much? Or maybe you are feeling deprived and unhappy. Fasting increases cortisol production (a stress hormone). Cortisol helps decrease inflammation and lose weight. However, when you have too much cortisol, it causes you to store fat. I would say that whatever intermittent fasting approach you pick for weight loss, it’s important that you don’t feel deprived and unhappy about it. Your mental state is very important. If OMAD is too restrictive for you, try the Warrior Diet (increasing your eating window to four hours) and enjoy your food freedom during your eating window. Make sure that the method you pick makes you happy!

7. The Scale Is Not Telling the Whole Story

Many women told me they had to stop worrying about the scale (another thing that would increase their cortisol levels). Your worth is not tied to the scale; the important thing is that you are doing something good for your body. Things fall into place when you take good care of yourself and give your body a chance to heal.

Take Your Measurements

You can take your measurements once a week. Many women lose inches before they lose weight. Measure your waist and your hips to track your progress.

Image Credit: Omni Body Shape Calculator

Test Your Ketones

I enjoy testing my ketones once in a while to check another form of progress. With experience, I can feel when I am in ketosis, but it’s interesting to see how high my ketones can get. When your ketone levels are above 0.5 mmol/L, you are in ketosis. When you are in ketosis, you know your body is using your fat cells for fuel, so ultimately, you will lose weight!

If you are curious about purchasing a ketone monitor, I love mine, and it’s called the Keto-Mojo. You can also use it to measure your glucose level (which is helpful to know if your keto coffee is affecting your insulin, for example).

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OMAD and Keto for Women

In my post Intermittent Fasting Without Keto, I talk about the fact that intermittent fasting and keto may be too much stress for a woman’s body. If you are doing OMAD and keto, try increasing your carb consumption. OMAD and keto may work for some women, and they may not. It’s up to you to experiment.

When You Stop OMAD

Be aware that whatever weight-loss method you choose, you risk gaining the weight back when you stop. If you are doing OMAD and stop abruptly, you may find that you quickly gain the weight back. You need to take it slow and watch what is happening to your body. One week, I gained 5 lbs just because it was the week before my period, and I ate a lot more on top of not following the Warrior Diet I had been on for 2 days. A whole month of progress was lost in one week, just like that!

If you reach your weight loss goal and decide to increase your eating window, go gradually.

Not Losing Weight on OMAD Video

Summary

As you probably have figured out by now, it’s not a one-size-fits-all-all when it comes to health and wellness. The same thing applies when you are having difficulty losing weight. If you are not losing weight on OMAD, remember that the scale doesn’t tell the whole story; treat yourself with kindness, and experiment with different fasting approaches. Take your time; this is a lifestyle, not a band-aid solution!