Struggling to get enough calories on OMAD

(Apple Valentine ) #1

I’ve been eating a OMAD keto diet for a few weeks now and I’m really stuggling to get enough calories in. I eat until I can’t anymore and often I don’t get over 1000 calories. I’m worried about lowering my metabolism.
I’m eating under 20g carbs no more than 70g protein and I’m trying to get between 80 - 90g of fat.

(Michael ) #2

It certainly will. I have trouble doing less than 4 hour eating windows for this reason. However, if you feel satisfied like this, why not continue. Maybe just throw in one or two cheat days a week to try and stop your metabolism from adjusting. Obviously, long term it isn’t sustainable or eventually you’ll run out of body fat. So, cheat days and different IF protocols might be the best way to get OMAD benefits long term. Just my thoughts. Im a bit of a gym rat and OMAD makes it damn near impossible to get enough protein so i only do it once in awhile

(Apple Valentine ) #3

I do feel really good, I’m never hungry. I have heaps of energy and do weight training 3x a week and swim alot. I’ve still got 15 - 20kg of fat to lose, it will be a while before I run out :blush:. I will take your advise ad mix it up with some ‘kinda’ cheat days. Thank you

(Richard Hanson) #4

Are you fat? If you have a lot of weight to drop then you have a lot of calories you have stored from what you ate in the past. I went months and months of eating less then 1000 kcal/day without any problem as I was also burning a lot of calories I had stored in fat. When I got thinner I also reached a point when I felt more hunger. If you not experience strong hunger then you are likely just fine. I now eat more than I should and am putting weight back on but I am not doing a good job stooping when I am not hungry.

I hope this helps.

Keto for Life!

Warmest Regards,
Richard

(Apple Valentine ) #5

I’m 5’2" and 76 kg I was 87kgs just before Christmas when I started keto . My ideal weight is 55 - 60kg.

(Sheri Knauer) #6

If you are struggling to get the calories in, why not have at least 2 meals a day making it easier to not undercut?

#7

Your seeing why many people have issues with OMAD, including possible lowering of BMR. Here’s what I see in what you’ve said. You never stated any stats so we can figure what you “should” be eating.

Your only eating one meal a day, and NOT getting in the calories you’ve decided you need. You say your doing weight training 3x a week AND swim a lot, yet only taking in 70g protein day. Depending on what your stats are I’m willing to bet that’s on the low side. Other than weight do you have your LBM or BF% to base any of this on? If so let us know. You’ve really given us nothing to work with. I’m a fan of fasting and do it a lot, but not as much a fan of the eating windows thing because it typically ends the same way for most, especially with OMAD.

#8

Who counts calories anymore?

Monday- Friday I eat Omad of mostly protein and fat to satiety. Saturday and Sunday I feast on protein and fat all day long. It keeps my body guessing and I never count a single calorie.

Best of luck on your journey!

(Richard Hanson) #9

Hi Apple,

As you are “never hungry”, I would not bother eating more. When people are starving, they are hungry and as you get closer to your goal you are likely to experience a growing appetite as you will no longer be able to derive as much of your energy needs from stored body fat.

When a body is not getting enough energy it will make adjustments to use less energy and to increase caloric intake. It is common to feel cold and exhausted and famished. If you not experiencing any of these issues, then just soldier on.

Listen to what your body is telling you, and then use your intelect to make sure that what you give your body is good and healthy food.

Keto for Life!

Warmest Regards,
Richard

(Carolus Holman) #10

I have dropped 65 pounds. OMAD, i would just eat to satiety. Now i am eating more, just listening to my body, eat when you are hungry. It is more psychological than i realized.

#11

I have a couple of people in my household who are actively trying to gain/keep weight on. We focus on calorie dense foods, where a small serving has a lot of calories. Eating 2-4 oz of nuts/seeds daily, side dishes made with mayo and avocado (tuna/crab/chicken/egg salad) and HFLC smoothies. Some folks use fat bombs, but most of them are sweet and we prefer savory.