New to OMAD & Keto - advice needed

newbies
fasting

#1

Hi All. I came across this forum when searching for answers. I am newly following a keto and intermittent fasting and I have quite bad problems with my digestions. I am eating OMAD in the evening around 6pm and on occasion have had a small almond milk, nut butter, banana chia etc milkshake at lunch because I have felt so constipated and was thinking I don’t get enough fibre. Now I feel trapped in a cycle of constipation and diarrhea on a constant basis.
I must be doing something wrong or maybe my body has to just get used to the new regime? I am eating keto dishes when I break my fast and I generally have been finding this new OMAD Keto way of eating pretty easy and I have been losing weight as well. Any suggestion or advice welcomed. Many thanks!


#2

Hi janabanana, welcome to the forum.

I know for me, the chia can plug up the pipes if you overdo it. Also, bananas - not a great idea if you’re trying to get into ketosis.

Can you give us a better idea of what you’re eating during the day?


#3

Hi Carol
Thanks for your reply. Basically I only have one meal a day around 6pm. I only started the shake because I thought I needed more fibre after being constipated. But now I am going between diarrhea and bloating and constipation.
Evenings I eat a healthy fatty, protein meal with vegetables, quite varied and home cooked. I eat avocado and oils and meaty fats.
I will drop the banana and go easy on the chia. Any other advice? Can’t figure out the diarrhea? I have never suffered with upset tummy in my life. Thank you.


#4

Welcome to the forum janabanana.
If you’re new to keto you have to give your digestive system some time to adjust to the new WoE. You can also try switching to smaller meals, so your gallbladder can catch up with the higher fat intake and then move on to OMAD. Make sure you get enough electrolytes, salt and magnesium can also have an effect on your bowel movements.
I have troubles with constipation when I eat cheese, sometimes more fiber can also cause issues with constipation, etc. Try switching up your diet and see what works and what doesn’t.


(Susan) #5

Welcome to the forum Janabanana =).

I would try to do a lunch around noon and then a supper. It only counts as OMAD if you are only eating once a day, without snacks, etc.

You are better off having whole foods at both meals, instead of a shake. Basic Keto is 20 grams or less then carbs a day, NO Sugar, adequate protein and healthy fats, lots of water, and Electrolytes and salt.

I take Digestive Enzymes every meal (but I have had my gallbladder removed) and find I need them since doing Keto because of that. You can download cronometer.com for free, and it will help you calculate your fats/proteins/carbs/calories to keep track of how many of each you should have to balance out your macros. It is also very important to read labels, as there are a lot of tricky sugars and fats. A bottle of salad dressing my example usually has seed oils and sugars, both of which we don’t want to be having on Keto. Keto is easy and fun, and has a lot of variety, but it can take a while for each of us to figure out how our own bodies work, and what works well for me, might not work for you, and visa versa. If you are patient you will find out what works out well for your body though! I found the cronometer helps a lot.


#6

Hi Momo

Thanks for your response. I might just not have anything at lunch and see how I go - I did it for a few days and actually felt less bloated. Will also check out the https://cronometer.com/ that seems like a great resource. I guess its trial and error at the beginning.
The Digestive Enzymes sound like a good option. I will give them a try and see if that helps. I never had any issue with my digestion, so it’s quite irritating to have this happening. But I guess it does take time for my body to get used to it. Thanks for your advice.


(Susan) #7

The only disadvantage I personally find with doing the OMAD is I cannot get enough calories in only one meal, and if we don’t need enough calories, our bodies go into a calorie deficit and starvation mode. If you are able to eat enough calories in OMAD that is great, but I couldn’t so for me I do 1pm lunch and supper before 5 so I do a daily 20:4 and that works better for me most days.


#8

Oh that is good to know. How many calories are you basing this on?


(Susan) #9

When you get the cronometer it will tell you how many calories you should have, based on your height, weight, age, etc. I am supposed to have about 1500 a day, and I am 54, 5 foot, 2 inches, and currently 250 pounds (I was 293, I have lost 43 pounds so far, and I have 130 or so to go). I try to eat more calories for my lunch meal then my supper meal, but that doesn’t always work. That can also depend on family meals, like on Sunday my son comes for a meal, so on Sunday’s my bigger meal is at supper time.


#10

Thanks for the info and well done on your weight loss!


(Susan) #11

Thanks =). I still have a long way to go, but we will all get there over time, slow and steady wins the race =).


(Marianne) #12

Welcome.

Just staring out, I’d do 3 meals/day - even if you don’t want to - and no snacking. Don’t count calories. Eat enough at each meal to be satisfied. Eat cleanly and get enough fat, without counting calories. The day will come - very soon (2 weeks or so), where your body will reject three meals a day. Try to relax about your plan; live and feed your body; don’t obsess about food or what you are going to eat. Don’t rush the fasting. When your body is fat adapted, fasting will be pretty easy. Allow your body enough time it restore itself from years of bad eating - be gentle, you can spare a few weeks. Try it and you will be amazed; you have to forget everything you know about conventional dieting - that is not the way; this is different. Good luck.


(Jill F.) #13

Hi there @janabanana welcome! If you are just starting I would consider eating in an intermittent fasting window rather than just OMAD. I have lost 45 pounds doing this. I eat everyday between 12 to 8 PM. That way I make sure I eat enough calories and fiber.
I also had a lot of constipation issues early on. I started adding 2 tsp chia seeds to half bottle of water. I drink it around lunch and by bedtime or next am I can usually go. Another thing that helps is to try a couple of stool softeners a day. That keeps me regular too.
I agree sometimes we get impatient and want our gut to just behave after we have radically changed its fuel. It may take months to adjust but it will.