OMAD For Parents

If you’re unfamiliar with the term OMAD, then you’re not alone. OMAD is an extreme version of intermittent fasting which stands for “One Meal A Day.” Doing OMAD may sound a bit crazy, and it definitely can be, but there are people that find this diet to be helpful to them to limit the number of calories and foods they consume in a day.

As a parent, intermittent fasting is already hard. Trying to move from an average eating window of 4 to 8 hours down to 1 hour is not easy. You are not eating, but your kids are. You still have to feed them, and there will be plenty of other foods and temptations around. That doesn’t mean you can’t do it, just realize that it will likely be harder than if you lived alone and could remove all of those food distractions that will invariably be there with a family.

Don’t force yourself to do it if you don’t want to

First off, OMAD is definitely not for everyone. This article is not meant to encourage you to try OMAD. If you don’t have any interest, then don’t do it. It’s an extreme diet that can help those that have trouble controlling what they eat. However, because it is so extreme, you may find yourself binging on days where you don’t do OMAD. Ultimately, this diet is not for everyone.

There are certainly better alternatives to dieting that are more sustainable over the long term. Simply limiting your calorie intake throughout the day, eating foods that are low calorie and higher volume (such as vegetables), and eliminating extra snacks from your home are much better strategies in the long term for living a sustainable diet.

For me, I did OMAD more for the challenge than for the calorie limitation. The calorie limitation was a side benefit, but I like to try to challenge myself in order to control what my cravings are and what I like. I actually found there were days where it was really easy to meet the goal, but I had also included OMAD as part of my diet for many years. It took awhile to get there.

Don’t do it everyday

First off, you should not be doing OMAD every single day. Talk with your doctor about starting any new diet, but something this extreme is definitely not sustainable over a long period of time. Those that are doing OMAD are generally including it as part of their diet once or twice a week. Much more than that and you’ll find that you’re too low energy and not getting all of the nutrients that your body needs.

A better strategy is to find the days that work best for you in terms of being able to only eat once a day. For example, you may find that on days where you’re constantly around your kids are harder than a weekend where you may get a break from them. Alternatively, if your kids are at school on the weekdays, you may find that it’s easier to do OMAD during the week. You’ll have to experiment with it, but don’t plan to do it every single day - it’s not sustainable or healthy.

I personally found that the weekends were easiest for me, but that’s because I had to think less on the weekends. I work full time during the week, and often I’m trying to solve some complex problems which really requires me to think hard. If I’m hungry, I find that I get strong headaches which don’t allow me to think - I have to eat. More importantly, I listen to my body for when it needs to eat. There are times where I don’t eat during the day and end up doing OMAD, but it’s only because my body doesn’t tell me it’s hungry.

If you need to eat, eat!

As noted above, listen to your body. If you need to eat because you can’t think or you’re in pain, then eat. OMAD should not be painful to the point that you can’t do anything at all. If your body needs food, then fuel it. Don’t fuel it with junk food though - use healthy options to feed that hunger. It will allow you to be able to be less hungry throughout the day.

Don’t be upset or angry with yourself. Once again, OMAD is an extreme diet. You should only be doing it a couple of times a week at most, and if you need to eat, then do so. OMAD is a way to limit your calorie intake. You can do the same thing by not following the OMAD diet. Use foods that are high in volume with fewer calories (generally vegetables are great options, but there are also a lot of interesting diet foods out there as well that help to fill this area).

Conclusion

OMAD is not for everyone, and is generally harder for parents. If you want to try it, then go for it, but don’t feel like you have to. There are better alternatives out there that are more sustainable over the long run.