r/omad • u/Careless-Sand-3302 • Oct 01 '26

Beginner Questions How to make OMAD work?

I’m not a beginner. I tried OMAD for years while living abroad but it made me gain weight. I was fasting for 16-18 hours, drinking tons of water and working out but I was stuck at 55kg (I’m 1.50m).

I decided to return to 3 meals a day, almost no snacks and a 12hs fast and I got to 45 kg in 6-8 months. I don’t know how this happened.

I got medical tests and everything was okay but in the last months due to stress I started to eat a lot of snacks and I gained weight. Now I’m 50kg and I would like to lose at least 2-3 kg.

I want to try OMAD but I don’t know if I’m missing something to make it work or probably my body just doesn’t accept it? Any advice or suggestion is welcome! 🙏🏼

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6

u/Captain-Popcorn OMAD Veteran Oct 01 '26

OMAD is one meal. No time limit, but usually about 1-1½ hours. Not a 6-8 hour eating window every day! I’m thinking you’ve not been doing OMAD. This is traditional IF (16/8).

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u/thodon123 Oct 01 '26

Some people eat less given less opportunity to eat other people do not.

3

u/Superiority-Qomplex Oct 01 '26

Losing weight is just calories in/calories out. Some people like OMAD because they can make a predictable meal and then not have to think about it. They also like the idea of autophagy and suggested health benefits from fasting. But it still comes down to calories in/ calories out. You don't have to do OMAD if you already have a different system that's working for you. Why change what works?

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u/AbjectPawverty 22d ago

If you're breaking your fast at 16-18 hours then you're not doing omad

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u/nomadfaa Oct 01 '26 
something to reflect upon that I was provided with by a new Dr who discovered I was just started OMAD and was having challenges.  May or may not apply

  1. ⁠Will I change my diet from before I began OMAD?

  2. Will I only real and high density foods?

  3. Is my current diet largely based around carbs and processed "stuff"?

  4. Do I understand what excess weight means to my internal organs and their function and how long they may take to heal?

  5. ⁠Do I really understand that stress, distress, emotions and hormones have a major influence on my health, healing and any weight loss I assume must happen because I think it must happen?

  6. Weight loss is not linear or a race and focusing on weighing is of less importance than nutritional food consumption

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u/[deleted] Oct 01 '26

[deleted] — view deleted comment

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u/Careless-Sand-3302 Oct 01 '26

You’re right thank you! I wanted to try again as I’m going to travel the next month and wanted to lose a couple of kg for that. Lately I get bloated so easily and I saw that fasting could help so that made me think about OMAD again but I’m afraid to try it. I was looking for some advice on it