Diet Guide
You eat everything in one single meal per day. Nothing else.
OMAD is the most extreme form of intermittent fasting. You eat one large meal a day and fast for the remaining 23 hours. Water, black coffee, and plain tea are allowed during the fasting period.
The one meal should contain your full daily calorie target. This is usually between 1500 and 2500 calories in a single sitting, depending on your size and goal.
There are no rules about which foods to eat. You just eat them all at once.
Think of it like charging your phone once a day. You plug in, charge fully, and then unplug. The phone runs on that single charge for the next 23 hours. Your body works the same way on OMAD. You fuel up completely in one meal, then your body runs on that fuel and stored body fat for the rest of the day. The long fasting window keeps insulin low and encourages fat burning.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Maximum simplicity, one decision per day | Very high hunger for most of the day |
| Long fasting window maximises fat burning time | One large meal can cause energy crashes |
| No decisions about food until the meal | Not suitable for people with blood sugar issues |
| Can eat a full satisfying meal each day | Hard to hit protein targets in one sitting |
OMAD creates a very long fasting window, which reduces total calorie intake in many people by limiting the time available to eat. A 2019 study found that OMAD produced similar weight loss to a standard diet but was associated with higher hunger levels throughout the day. Some unfavorable changes to blood lipid levels were also noted. It works well for people who tolerate extended fasting, but it is not suitable for everyone and should be approached carefully by beginners.
Read the researchThousands of people doing this diet share their experience on Reddit. Visit r/omad
OMAD is just one way to hit a deficit. Here is the only diet that actually works long term and how I went from 128kg to 86kg without it.
Make your one meal count with my go-to 1kg meal and the food calorie database.