OMAD With Kids

OMAD (One Meal A Day) is an extreme version of intermittent fasting where you only eat a single meal a day. You fast for 23 hours, and then you eat all of your food over the course of a “single” meal. If you have never done it before, it sounds like a crazy diet, and it can be. But it is also a diet that works really well for some people, and we are going to discuss some of the tips for doing it while raising kids.

If you’re planning to try OMAD, then you need to ease your way into it. You’re not going to be successful by simply moving to OMAD overnight. Sure, you can probably fast for 23 hours, and then eat, but doing it consistently every single day is going to require that you take your time to get into it. Before you begin, make sure you have a plan of how you’re going to get into the habit of only eating once a day.

Recommendation: add a fast day every week for 7 weeks until you’re doing OMAD every single day. For example, the first week, only fast from Saturday into Sunday, and then eat like you normally do the rest of the week. On week two, add in another 23 hour fast on another day, perhaps Wednesday. Continue this until you’re fasting for 23 hours every single day of the week - you’ve now eased your way into it.

If you need to eat again, then don’t beat yourself up over it. OMAD is a long term diet plan. Failing to meet your goal on every single day doesn’t mean you’ve completely failed. Simply get back on the bandwagon the next day and keep at it. There are plenty of times where you’ll not fast for the 23 hours because you’re either too hungry or plans are in the way - don’t stress as you can get back into it the next day.

With kids, you’re going to have to continue to feed them, obviously. At first, it may be difficult to not eat when you’re making their food. If you’re struggling, make sure you have water or coffee close by to help keep your urge down. If you do end up eating, then that’s fine as well (you can get back to it tomorrow). Keep your mind focused on when you’re going to eat later. Know the time of when you can start to eat.

For some people, knowing what they’re going to eat is actually really beneficial as well. Perhaps you’re going to have one of your favorite foods - tell yourself that you’ll be eating that food starting at the time you start eating. OMAD is both physical and mental in terms of getting through it. If your body knows what time it will eat, and what it will eat, it can get through a lot of the difficult periods.

Keep snacks that you like out of the house. OMAD is great because it helps you to avoid snacking throughout the day - you may eat some snacks with your meal, but not all day long. Buy healthy snacks for your kids, but keep your favorite snacks out of the house, or at least hidden away in a place that’s hard to get to. By feeding your kids healthy snacks, it’s less of an issue if you do eat them - at the very least you’re breaking your fast with something healthy.

Ultimately, moving to OMAD as a diet plan works well for some, and not so much for others. You may find it doesn’t fit your lifestyle, especially with kids. If that’s the case, focus on long term lifestyle changes that will allow you to simply eat healthy and not overeat. However, for some, OMAD is a great option. It will take time, but it can be a great choice to help you lose and maintain weight.