You may have heard recently of one of the latest fitness trends called O.M.A.D. it stands for One Meal a Day and in this blog Let’s look at the OMAD diet, how it works, why it works, and whether it is the right approach for you.

So, what’s the basic idea/concept behind OMAD?

Omad is a form of intermittent fasting that can also be referred to as a 23:1. This means you are fasting for 23 hours and eating within one hour. In my own opinion this is not a sustainable food program as you are creating an environment in which you naturally reduce caloric intake and although it is one of the clinical benefits of OMAD.

The other side of that coin is that it can be difficult to obtain adequate calories if eating OMAD especially long-term, without interruption. OMAD can then start to look a lot like chronic caloric restriction. Potential side effects include the fact that your body needs time to adjust I recommend if you go down this track start with fasting once a week whereby you eliminate all foods from midday to midday this will accelerate your relationship with food and give you much appreciation for what you consume. Yes you will feel hungry on the OMAD this problem can become quite severe in the early days, as your body is likely to experience bursts of hunger pangs at any point during the day.

At times, these hunger pangs can be very difficult to manage, and you may wonder why this is happening to you, when you suddenly limit yourself your body can get confused, as a result, it may start releasing a hormone known as ghrelin into your body to make you feel hungry. Typically, this hormone level peaks around breakfast, lunch, and dinner time. Like any form of restricted calories its important to keep your liquid intake up you don’t want to restrict your fluid intake also known as dry fasting see the blog I did here https://realfit.com.au/how-much-water-do-we-really-need-each-day/

What about food cravings yes, we all have them, but the problem is your body is indiscriminate when it comes to food cravings for example if you eat salty snacks your body will periodically crave these to satisfy the need.

Decrease levels of energy are also a major factor why I don’t recommend the OMAD program, especially if you are burning calories in the gym you will need to replenish your energy reserves and not to mention the headaches and irritability, especially around your loved ones. The biggest issue is the potential to overeat as your body will go into a free fall because you’re in a flight or fight mode and your eyes will be bigger than your stomach most of the time.

You see your body can only absorb a certain amount of nutrients at one time its said that protein absorption usually is anywhere between 30 to 50grams here are my top 6 tips when it comes to approaching your nutrition to se you up for success.

Rome was not built in a day. “Great things do not happen overnight, but with the right mindset and consistency. Diets do not work because they are too restrictive. Change the way you live forever. Stay disciplined 80%of the time. Incorporate cheat meals and take a break often so you take small steps back instead of thinking of quitting altogether or sabotaging your progress. It is a marathon, not a sprint, why burn yourself out.

Manage your expectations by tracking your progress so you can check your results when hitting a plateau. Mix up your workouts with fun activities to keep it fresh and let go of that gremlin in the back of your head.

Stop concentrating on the scale and on your weight. Body composition, in terms of muscle-to-fat ratio or body fat percentage, is more important than what you weigh. The best gauge for your body is a mirror. Muscle appears smaller than fat and burns more calories for maintenance. One of the most important pieces of advice I can give you is to be consciously aware of every food you put into your body.

Break each food down to the macronutrient level and shift your focus from eating for the taste to eating for fuel. Focus on your meal choices throughout the day and your activity levels each day to ensure muscle growth and fat burning. Constantly become a student of exercise and nutrition. Be sure to prepare your meals beforehand and make time for the gym and other exercises.

My client Kati was able to use the mirror on a consistent basis with amazing results

Just like a car cannot run without gas, you cannot run without food. You need to take in lots of nutrients.

However, there’s a difference between regular gas and premium gas. Eat premium quality food, like healthy whole foods in their natural state. You must also eat frequently to maintain blood glucose levels and to prevent a catabolic hormonal environment. To maintain an anabolic hormonal response, it is best to eat protein, complex carbs, and healthy fats every 2.5 hours.

Bodybuilders often say they would rather skip a workout than a meal. That should shed some light on how important it is to your system to retain muscle and burn fat. Your body is smart at adapting, so the longer you go without food, the better your body is at preserving energy. You want your body to act as a furnace. Keep the fire stoked but do not smother it.

Eat until you are satisfied, but not full. Also, never go hungry. It is a balancing act.

You will do far better if you stop counting calories and you listen to your body instead. 3,000 calories of Sour Patch Kids do not equal 3,000 calories of grilled chicken and brown rice. Your body’s hormonal response is very dependent upon the types of foods as opposed to calories alone. Also, eat in order of priority because your body has natural full mechanisms based on its needs:

First, drink your water. A lot of people think they are hungry when they are thirsty. Second, have your salad and vegetables to get fiber and micronutrients. Your body will often stay hungry until these needs are met. Third, eat your protein source. Lastly, go on to your calorie-dense carbs and fats.

Substitute all of your drinks for plain water with a lemon in it to alkalize you. This by itself will shed off fat from the caloric reduction of what you used to drink. You will also burn tremendous calories when drinking cold water since your body has to heat the cold water up to meet your body temperature.

Moreover, the more you drink, the more subcutaneous water will be flushed out to give you a leaner look. Aim for 3 liters in a day so your organs can function optimally, and your body can focus on fat-burning rather than detoxifying.

You must exercise! The calories you eat immediately go toward repairing and refuelling as opposed to storing.

Join a gym like Realfit. Not only does it force you to work out since you are paying for it every month, but there is more equipment at your disposal. Just like using a computer makes you more efficient than using pen and paper, you will be able to achieve results quicker with all the machines at the gym than using your bodyweight at your home. This includes the great promises of home DVD sets. Hundreds of people have switched from P90X and Insanity to my best-selling Program because of the gym component.

Models on magazine covers belong to gyms. You can try to bypass the process, but do not expect great results with shortcuts. Mirror someone who has gotten the results you want to achieve. Don’t fall victim to trial and error.

High-Intensity Stimulation Training is a system I developed from my wrestling days. With this easy-to-follow H.I.S.T. method, I doubled my bodyweight and got myself down to 6% body fat naturally. I tripled my squat, bench press, and deadlift while running a 5:10 mile.

Even if you do not get my program, follow a mentor!

Thanks for reading my Blog, what was your biggest takeaway comment below.