ClassX Video Lessons Youtube Channel The Infographics Show I Ate One Meal a Day For 30 Days – Food Challenge
OMAD stands for “One Meal a Day,” a popular health trend that suggests eating just one big meal each day, similar to how our ancient ancestors might have eaten. The idea is that this could be healthier than our modern eating habits. But is it really effective, safe, or healthy? Instead of asking doctors, I decided to try it myself and see what happens.
I love food, so when I heard about this challenge, I was a bit worried. Eating is one of my favorite things to do, whether it’s sushi, Italian, or Mediterranean food. The OMAD diet sounded simple: eat one meal a day, but as much as you want during that meal. I did some research and found that eating earlier in the day might help burn more calories, so I chose lunch as my meal time.
Even though the diet says you can eat whatever you want, I realized that if you’re trying to lose weight, you should still be careful. Eating too much of anything isn’t good, and it’s important to learn moderation. A successful diet is about making small, manageable changes rather than drastic ones.
During this challenge, I ate foods like steak, pasta, and potatoes. I cooked most of my meals, which made them healthier than fast food. However, dining out was tricky. My girlfriend and I usually eat out in the evening, which was tough since I had to wait all day to eat. One night, we went for sushi, and I ended up with a hefty bill because I ordered so much!
Eating one meal a day also affected my energy levels. After eating, I felt sluggish and often needed a nap. My sleep schedule changed, too. I had more energy in the evening, which pushed my bedtime later than usual.
After 30 days, I found that I didn’t lose much weight—just one pound. I wasn’t focused on weight loss, but this showed me that OMAD might help some people lose weight without changing what they eat too much. However, I wouldn’t recommend this diet. Waiting 24 hours to eat again is challenging, and it didn’t feel natural to me. I think having smaller meals throughout the day is more balanced.
This experience made me think about how much food we consume daily. Our bodies need a lot of calories, but it seems more efficient to spread them out rather than eating them all at once.
Interested in more food challenges? Check out “I Ate Insects For a Week” or explore other videos!
Research the concept of OMAD (One Meal a Day) and its potential health benefits and drawbacks. Create a short presentation to share with the class, highlighting key points and any scientific studies you find. This will help you understand the broader context of the diet and its impact on health.
Plan a balanced meal that you would eat if you were following the OMAD diet. Consider nutritional needs, portion sizes, and food variety. Present your meal plan to the class and explain why you chose each component. This will help you learn about nutrition and the importance of balanced meals.
Conduct a small experiment by tracking your energy levels after eating different types of meals throughout the day. Record your findings and compare them to the energy levels described in the article. Share your results with the class to discuss how diet affects energy and productivity.
Participate in a class debate on the pros and cons of the OMAD diet compared to traditional eating patterns. Prepare arguments for both sides and engage in a respectful discussion. This will help you develop critical thinking and public speaking skills.
Keep a food diary for a week, documenting what you eat and how you feel after each meal. Reflect on your eating habits and consider any changes you might want to make. Share your insights with the class to learn about different eating habits and their effects on well-being.
**Sanitized Transcript:**
OMAD – one meal a day, the latest health trend that encourages you to “eat like our ancestors.” The rules are straightforward: eat one single meal a day, as large as you desire. But does OMAD work? Is it safe? Is it even healthy? We could have consulted doctors, but why do that when you have your very own test subject?
**Challenge Start:**
I really dislike it when the show interferes with my food. I love eating; it’s basically my favorite hobby. Want to grab some sushi? Count me in! Italian? Sure. Mediterranean? Yes, please. So when I heard my next challenge was food-related, I was concerned—but this one didn’t sound too bad. As I would soon discover, I was very wrong about that.
It’s called OMAD, one meal a day, and the idea is that because our ancient ancestors probably only had one meal a day, it’s healthier than our modern diets. Our ancient ancestors also didn’t achieve space travel or develop modern hygiene practices, but sure, let’s take their advice on diets. At least it’s not as questionable as the paleo diet.
The rules state that I can only eat one meal a day, but I can eat as much as I want during that meal. I did some research and found a lot of OMAD videos from fitness enthusiasts on YouTube, but I also found a few by actual doctors. Further research indicated that if I wanted to avoid gaining weight, I should eat earlier in the day rather than late at night, as you burn more calories from what you eat earlier in the day. That makes sense, so I decided that lunch would be my feasting time.
I’m also not really eating “whatever I want” as advertised. If you’re in this for weight loss, the “eating whatever you want” mindset is probably what got you into trouble in the first place. Dieting won’t work if you’ve trained your body to indulge excessively, because that was the issue initially. Sure, you might lose weight, but then you’ll likely regain it because you never learned moderation.
The secret to an effective diet is not just about cutting calories; it’s about making small, manageable lifestyle changes. If you’re looking to lose weight, maybe only cut 200 calories instead of 600 or more, until you get used to it, and then cut a little more. Better to go slow and steady than to burn out because you dislike your diet.
So I’ll be consuming some calorie-dense foods, but not necessarily junk. I’m talking steak and potatoes, pasta, and some of my favorite dishes. What excites me is that normally I watch what I eat at every meal, but on this diet, I’m encouraged to indulge all at once. Of course, I’ll be banned from eating anything else until 1 PM the next day, which will take some serious willpower because I love snacking.
Let’s fast forward and see what effect OMAD had on my diet and lifestyle. See you in 30 days.
**One Month Later:**
I’ve been journaling my thoughts on OMAD throughout this experience and now trying to form a conclusion. First, the basics. I wasn’t sure if I’d lose weight or gain weight, but I was surprised to discover I basically stayed the same, losing only one pound. I started this already in a good place weight-wise, so I wasn’t focused on tailoring the diet specifically for weight loss. The fact that I came out just a tiny bit slimmer shows that OMAD probably works for losing weight, and you likely don’t have to make significant changes to what you enjoy eating to do so.
What did I eat? Pasta, steak, potatoes, fried chicken, shepherd’s pie—honestly, my diet didn’t change from what I normally eat; I just had much larger portions. I also cooked most of what I ate myself, so it was healthier than fast food. We did eat out a few times, like on date night, so I also enjoyed sushi and seafood.
OMAD kind of complicated my dining out experiences. My girlfriend is usually busy with work until the evening, so our dining out typically happens at dinner. That was challenging when I’d been waiting all day to eat. We went for sushi one night, and I think the staff was concerned I’d eat everything. I love sushi, but it’s never been very filling for me, so I usually order a lot. This time, though, I ended up with a nearly $100 bill just for myself.
And speaking of bills, we have a few nice places around LA that we enjoy, and things got pricey. I’m glad the show was covering the costs because I ran up quite a bill at one of our favorite seaside restaurants. It’s called Moonshadows Malibu, a lovely place with a balcony overlooking the ocean. The food is excellent, but like most upscale places, they serve moderately sized portions. I ordered a seafood pasta dish that was $42… and I had four of them. I think the staff was a bit surprised by my order.
We had a similar experience at a steakhouse, where I ended up with a $210 bill. When I ordered four steaks, the waiter looked confused and asked if we were expecting more people. I told him no, this was a work thing, and left it at that. The staff didn’t seem to mind the tip, though.
Alright, aside from surprising fine dining establishments, what effects did OMAD have on my life? Honestly, I wouldn’t recommend this diet at all. Yes, it’s liberating to know you can eat as much as you want, but it’s quite challenging to wait 24 hours to eat again. If plans change and you have to wait even longer, it can be frustrating.
I found myself more sluggish than usual after meals. If there was an emergency, I would have struggled to react. I typically ended up napping for an hour after each meal, and even after waking up, I felt awful. It wasn’t until later in the evening that I started to feel normal again.
Also, eating one large meal a day can have significant effects on digestion. I think it also impacted my sleep schedule, as I would get most of my energy in the late afternoon or evening, pushing my bedtime back by about two hours. My girlfriend prefers to sleep around 10 PM, while I usually go to bed at midnight. This time, I ended up going to sleep around 2 AM, likely due to having more energy later in the day.
I really doubt our ancestors ate like this. I know they were hunter-gatherers and meals weren’t guaranteed, but it didn’t feel natural. I felt like I was starving myself until I could indulge in one large meal. It seems more natural to have frequent smaller snacks along with a larger meal.
This month made me reflect on how much food we consume daily. It’s quite a lot, and it’s not just us—many mammals eat a significant amount of food each day. I understand that our biology requires a lot of calories, but it seems inefficient from a survival perspective.
Check out another food challenge with “I Ate Insects For a Week,” or click this other video instead!
Health – The state of being free from illness or injury and having a good physical and mental condition. – Regular exercise and a balanced diet are important for maintaining good health.
Diet – The kinds of food that a person habitually eats, often with a focus on nutrition and health. – She decided to change her diet to include more fruits and vegetables for better nutrition.
Energy – The strength and vitality required for sustained physical or mental activity. – Eating a healthy breakfast can give you the energy you need to focus in school.
Weight – The measure of how heavy a person or object is, often related to health and fitness. – Maintaining a healthy weight can reduce the risk of many chronic diseases.
Moderation – The quality of doing something within reasonable limits, avoiding extremes. – Eating sweets in moderation is important for a balanced diet.
Calories – Units of energy that measure how much energy food provides to the body. – It’s important to balance the calories you consume with the calories you burn through activity.
Experience – The knowledge or skill acquired by involvement in or exposure to something over time. – Her experience with meditation helped her manage stress more effectively.
Challenge – A task or situation that tests someone’s abilities, often requiring effort and determination. – Learning to manage time effectively is a challenge many students face.
Sleep – A natural state of rest for the body and mind, essential for good health and well-being. – Getting enough sleep each night is crucial for maintaining focus and energy during the day.
Food – Any nutritious substance that people or animals eat or drink to maintain life and growth. – Choosing healthy food options can improve your overall well-being and energy levels.
