Eat once a day and lose weight: how to organize meals, menu options, will there be any results?

You can eat once a day and lose weight; for this, the menu can include fermented milk and vegetable products, lean meat, and prepare all dishes by boiling or baking. There is a “light” diet, when you are allowed to drink juices and teas without sugar during the day.

It is important to exclude contraindications, go to bed on time, give up sweets/fatty foods and remain physically active. Be sure to prepare for this lifestyle, which includes gradually refusing to eat during the day. It is worth remembering to limit your daily calorie intake to 1800 kcal. During the first 7 days, get rid of 2-3 kg, and in a month - up to 10.

Is it possible to eat once a day

You can eat once a day - this is what doctors say, but they clarify that such a regimen is only suitable for absolutely healthy people. Such nutrition does not imply calorie restrictions, but you should not exceed the daily norm, which leads to weight loss (1800 kcal maximum).

In ancient times, people also ate once a day - Europeans, for example, began to have breakfast only at the end of the 19th century, the ancient Romans and Jews also ate in a similar way. The monks of Tibet still have a vow not to eat food after lunch; they eat once a day in the morning.

What are the safe alternatives

One meal seems very attractive when you want to lose weight quickly. However, there are safer ways to lose weight.

Exercise regularly . Try to do at least 150 minutes of cardio every week. For example, do jogging or aerobics.
Keep a food diary . You will notice what unhealthy foods you eat and when exactly.
Get support . Support from loved ones or those who also want to lose weight will help you not give up.
Eat a balanced diet . Eat enough fruits and vegetables, reduce your intake of fast food.
Consult your doctor . It will determine if you have diseases that affect your weight.

Is it worth organizing meals once a day in the evening?

The optimal option is to eat once a day in the evening, and this fact is easily argued:

in the morning and at lunchtime there is often no feeling of hunger, because a person is busy with business and does not want to be distracted - food enters the body simply because “it’s necessary”;
at night, the body actively spends the calories it receives, because all its systems and organs do not sleep, but work - an evening meal will ensure normal functioning;
During an active working day, waste, toxins and excess fluid are removed from the body.

In addition, appetite increases in the evening, and while losing weight, refusing this meal can provoke a gastronomic breakdown and psycho-emotional disorders.

We recommend reading the article on how to lose weight in a few days. From it you will learn whether it is possible to lose weight quickly, ways to lose weight - fasting, alternating physical activity, drinking coffee, giving up solid food, as well as the rules of fasting days. And here is more information about how many kg you can lose weight over different periods of time.

Is one meal a day a diet that is not suitable for everyone?

Is one meal a day a diet that is not suitable for everyone? Or is it possible to eat once a day? Let's figure it out.

What is the essence of the diet?

This is a type of short-term fasting. It is assumed that during the day you do not eat or even drink anything high in calories for a long time. The ratio of the time when you can’t and can’t eat is 23:1. That is, you fast for 23 hours a day and consume calories for one hour. Most often people only eat dinner.

What can you eat

There are different diet options. Some offer healthy foods that are rich in nutrients. Others allow you to eat whatever you want. The main thing is that it is one meal.

What are the advantages

Rapid weight loss.

The diet is easy to stick to because you don't have to count calories.

You can’t lose your temper, because you’re allowed to eat everything.

Possibly short-term fasting:

Helps reduce blood sugar levels and excess weight in people with type 2 diabetes.

Positively affects sleep and nutrition cycles in obese people and increases life expectancy.

Improves memory and functioning of the cardiovascular system.

However, most of the studies were conducted on men. The effect of such diets on the female body has been studied less. It most likely differs due to women's hormonal cycles. In addition, women have different nutritional needs. For example, they need more iron. During fasting, you will not get enough of it.

Are there any risks?

Eating one meal a day is a risky approach. During the day you may experience symptoms such as:

strong feeling of hunger;

shiver;

weakness;

irritability;

inability to concentrate;

overwork.

People with underlying health conditions, such as diabetes, hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), and thyroid disease, are especially at risk. They definitely need to eat several times a day.

One study found that short-term fasting increased levels of bad cholesterol (LDL). And this is associated with an additional risk of heart disease, in particular stroke. In addition, participants did not lose more weight after completing the diet than those who simply reduced their daily calorie intake.

Also, during such a diet, the risk of compulsive overeating increases. This is an eating disorder in which people eat a lot of food in a short period of time. Even after you've already eaten.

What are the safe alternatives

One meal seems very attractive when you want to lose weight quickly. However, there are safer ways to lose weight.

Exercise regularly. Try to do at least 150 minutes of cardio every week. For example, do jogging or aerobics.

Keep a food diary. You will notice what unhealthy foods you eat and when exactly.

Get support. Support from loved ones or those who also want to lose weight will help you not give up.

Eat a balanced diet. Eat enough fruits and vegetables, reduce your intake of fast food.

Consult your doctor. It will determine if you have diseases that affect your weight.

conclusions

This diet is not suitable for everyone. Before switching to it, carefully assess all the risks. Although researchers have found benefits of short-term fasting, the data is still limited. It is impossible to say exactly how safe it is.

If you want to lose weight, start with small, gradual changes in your diet and lifestyle. Talk to your doctor or dietitian, especially if you have underlying health conditions.

lifehacker.ru/2018/04/16/mozhno-li-est-odin-raz-v-den

Advantages and disadvantages of eating once a day and losing weight

Both doctors and those who have already tried this diet note the obvious “advantages” of eating once a day for weight loss:

the meal is spent with great pleasure - a person actually feels hungry in the evening, any food seems incredibly tasty (even boiled broccoli);
tastes gradually change, and if with 3-4 meals a day you often feel the desire to eat fast food, shish kebab, chips, then with a one-time dinner you always want something “right” - boiled vegetables, baked fish, and so on;
increased gas formation, bloating, intestinal colic disappear - food enters the “clean” stomach and intestines, fermentation processes are excluded;
the risk of hysteria about constantly counting calories and worries about readings on the scales is reduced to zero - with one meal you can eat any food and dish.

With this kind of weight loss, constipation is not a concern, because during the day a person drinks a lot of liquid - clean water, ginger or lemon drink.

Unfortunately, there are obvious disadvantages to this diet:

periodically (especially in the first days/weeks) the feeling of fatigue bothers you;
a slight trembling may appear in the body;
attention becomes less concentrated;
general weakness manifests itself in the daytime;
The psycho-emotional background may change - irritability, mood swings, and causeless tears will appear.

Watch this video about the dangers of single meals:

Efficiency and disadvantages

The longer the hunger, the more calories the body has time to burn between meals. On average, a person's daily energy consumption ranges from 1800 to 2500 kcal. And to satisfy even the strongest hunger, no more than 700–800 kcal is enough. If you eat once a day, the deficit required for weight loss will be 1000–1700 kcal. In just a week, this way you will inevitably lose up to 2–4 kg of weight. And by increasing physical activity, you can get rid of more body weight.

The main advantage of one meal is the absence of worries with the choice of products. There is no need to force yourself to eat unloved raw vegetables or cottage cheese if you don’t want to. You can enjoy whatever you want without any consequences for your figure. Everything received will still burn out over the next 23 hours. In addition, this mode is not burdensome for busy people.

The disadvantages of 1/24 fasting are explained by its non-physiological nature:

Eating once a day promotes rapid muscle loss.
A long absence of food often provokes severe weakness, tachycardia, leads to decreased mood, impaired concentration, and painful attacks of hunger.
Those who prefer to eat in the morning find it difficult to fall asleep on an empty stomach. They often break down, becoming victims of night gluttony.
Those who like to eat in the evening usually lose weight more slowly. Food is not digested for a long time, preventing the release of growth hormone, which speeds up metabolism. In addition, in the late hours there is a higher risk of eating much more than you should, relaxing and having an endless dinner in front of the TV.

You can lose weight this way, and quite well. But there is an important condition: only healthy people can lose weight in this way.

This method is dangerous for people with chronic diseases. For those suffering from cholecystitis, gastritis, peptic ulcers, colitis, and kidney pathologies, eating once a day can provoke an exacerbation. The method is also contraindicated for pregnant and lactating women, children, adolescents, and the elderly.

Risks of eating once a day

Eating once a day is a risky “event” according to many scientists and doctors, as here is what can happen:

sharp fluctuations in sugar, uneven “release” of insulin into the blood - this can trigger the development of diabetes mellitus;
increased “bad” cholesterol – a stroke may develop;
compulsive overeating – a person eats a lot of food at one time, even after feeling full.

Some claim that lost pounds come back in greater quantities as soon as a person returns to their usual diet. And the weight loss effect with this method is no greater than if you use traditional weight loss methods.

Who shouldn't eat once a day and lose weight?

Not everyone will be able to eat once and lose weight; this method is contraindicated for:

disorders of the endocrine system, including problems in the synthesis of hormones by the ovaries and adrenal glands;
diseases of the gastrointestinal tract - gastritis, peptic ulcer of the stomach/duodenum, colitis;
cholelithiasis and after removal of the gallbladder.

Gallstone disease
It is imperative to take into account the amount of physical activity, work schedule, lifestyle (night, day).

Single meals are not recommended for patients with oncology, mental disorders, or nervous disorders (for example, epilepsy).

Tips for beginners

Those who want to switch to single meals for the purpose of losing weight should follow the following recommendations:

Start reducing the number of meals with one or two - remove breakfast first, then give up lunch (or other meals as desired).
You need to consume enough calories per day so that the body works without failures and metabolic processes do not slow down.
You need to keep the meal that is ideally suited to your lifestyle - for example, if you are active at night, then it is not advisable to refuse dinner.
Snacks are not allowed, but beginners can eat apples, microcrystalline cellulose, and low-fat kefir before eating their main meal.
You need to drink a lot of water a day - at least 2 liters. This volume does not include compotes, fruit drinks, and teas, although they are also allowed for consumption.
To lose weight, you will still need to give up junk food - sugar, baked goods, desserts, and too fatty foods are excluded.

Healthy Weight Loss Options

The one-meal-a-day diet may appeal to those looking for quick weight loss solutions, but there are safer and healthier ways to lose weight.

In addition to a healthy diet, a person may consider the following options:

Regulate your portion size
: Eating smaller meals over several meals may be a more effective and sustainable way to lose weight.
Reduce evening snacking
: Snacking and eating large meals before bed can lead to weight gain and increased body fat.
Exercise
: It is recommended that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week.
Keeping a food diary
: Keeping a diary that shows what a person ate and when can help understand how diet affects weight.
Getting support
: Talking to a dietitian or counselor, sharing diet plans with friends or family, or joining a weight loss club can help.
Eating a balanced diet
: A healthy diet that includes fresh fruits and vegetables and limits processed foods can help a person lose weight and improve health.
Talk to your doctor
: Your doctor can check for underlying health conditions, such as thyroid problems, that may increase your chance of obesity.

Research article on the topic: Intermittent fasting can help prevent many liver diseases.

What can you include in your diet once a day?

One meal per day may include only healthy foods:

cottage cheese, kefir and other low-fat fermented milk products;
boiled, raw vegetables, smoothies, baked vegetarian dishes;
boiled, baked, steamed fish;
lean meat, boiled, baked, grilled or steamed chicken;
Rice, buckwheat, oatmeal porridges cooked in water.

It is allowed to drink any drinks, only sweet carbonated drinks, compotes/jelly with sugar, and juices in industrial packages are excluded.

Menu when I eat one meal a day and lose weight

If a person eats once a day to lose weight, then his approximate menu could be as follows:

morning - a glass of freshly prepared juice or a cup of green tea, coffee without sugar;
lunch – fruits, sweet and sour or fermented milk drinks;
evening - a full dinner.

During the day, to successfully lose weight, you need to drink a lot - both whenever you feel hungry and when you feel thirsty. For variety, you can add lemon, honey, and mint leaves to the water.

Watch this video about what single meals are, its pros and cons:

Is it possible to do without sports if you have one meal a day?

One meal a day involves moderate physical activity:

2-3 full-fledged workouts per week - gym, strength, aerobic exercise;
yoga or stretching exercises;
walking - at a slow pace, 150-170 kcal are burned in 60 minutes, a fast step “destroys” up to 400 kcal.

Even a minimum of calories entering the body per day will not result in effective weight loss - weight loss will occur, but the skin will sag, the muscles will not become stronger or more elastic, so physical activity is necessary.

Benefits of Intermittent Fasting 23:1

People who follow the one-meal-a-day diet find it provides many benefits, including:

a person loses weight quickly;
the diet is easy to follow because there is no need to count calories;
no food is off limits.

Researchers suggest that intermittent fasting may help people lose weight, although they warn of numerous risks, such as increased body fat.

In one study, researchers focused on a one-meal-a-day diet. Participants in this study consumed daily calories during a 4-hour window in the evening. Many experienced a decrease in fat mass and body weight, while others had increased cholesterol and blood pressure.

Other researchers concluded that daytime fasting was no more effective than a calorie-restricted diet in terms of weight loss, cardiovascular risk, or ability to stick to the diet.

Intermittent Fasting Research:

Short-term fasting
, in which people eat within 4 to 8 hours, can reduce blood sugar and weight in people with type 2 diabetes.
Fasting 15 hours a day
for a month can benefit a person's overall health and improve the body's cells' ability to resist disease.
Eating within an 8-hour
window or shorter triggers autophagy, which is a process the body uses to clear out damaged material, according to a 2021 study. This will help in the prevention and treatment of many age-related chronic diseases.

However, many of these studies did not specifically look at the one-meal-a-day option.

Meal once a day and water activities

Eating one meal a day will give excellent results in losing weight, but it will not work to get rid of cellulite, weakened muscles and skin. Experts recommend doing exercises on the water - even banal swimming without any system for an hour strengthens muscles, skin and eliminates 600 kcal.

The advantages of water activities are that they have virtually no contraindications, can be carried out without a coach/instructor and at any convenient time of the day.

Once a Day Diet Options

The once-a-day diet comes in several varieties (detox cleanse, mucusless), each of which will produce the expected results.

Detox cleanse Clean

The developer of this weight loss system is Alejandro Junger, a cardiologist by training. The program implies that the processes of breakdown and elimination of fats begin only 8 hours after the last meal. To this time you need to add 4 hours - the period required for complete digestion of fats and carbohydrates.

According to Junger, you can eat food 2 times a day and still actively lose weight, but if you leave only one meal a day, then the body will spend more time working on existing fat deposits.

Mucusless diet "Eat 1 time a day" from Dr. Ehret

Dr. Ehret’s basic principle is “The body needs a break from food.” The “Eat once a day” diet is aimed at cleansing all organs and systems of mucus, which is formed as a result of the constant presence of food in the gastrointestinal tract. It is necessary to either switch to this diet, or eat every 1-2 hours something that is digested as quickly as possible - juices, vegetables, fruits.

Beginners can combine these two methods and get weight loss results.

The experience of ancestors in nutrition 1 time per day

Eating once a day is not new, but a “well-forgotten old” ; our ancestors ate this way for centuries:

gladiators spent their days training and could only eat in the evening;
the peasants were forced to work “from dawn to dusk” and only allowed themselves a hearty meal before resting at night;
in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the concept of “lunch” meant gathering the whole family at the evening table, and there were no breakfasts at all.

It is worth paying attention to the fact that the ancestors physically stressed their bodies to the maximum: gladiators purposefully trained for endurance, peasant work was always difficult, even aristocrats and landowners were forced to ride horses during the day, hunt, and this is all sport.

Risks

Fasting for 23 hours a day may have risks.

For example, a person may:

feel very hungry
experience weakness caused by uneven energy supply
experience shaking and irritability when blood sugar levels drop
have difficulty concentrating

For some people, eating only one meal a day may increase the risk of overeating during one meal. In some cases, this may increase the risk of developing eating disorders.

Why is it important to go to bed on time when eating once a day?

When eating once a day (especially at the beginning of the process, when adaptation to new living conditions occurs), you need to go to bed no later than 22-23 hours. In this case, your sleep will be sound, a gastronomic breakdown is excluded, and it will be much easier mentally to withstand long breaks between meals.

The body constantly produces hormones that suppress hunger, and this happens during sleep. On average, an adult requires 7-8 hours of rest to obtain the required amount of energy. But this indicator is not accurate; you need to focus on your own needs.

Results when eating once a day

Such weight loss will definitely give results - if you eat once a day, you can get rid of 2-3 kg during the first 7 days. If a person follows all the other recommendations of specialists (full sleep, physical activity, food choice, drinking regime), then weight loss will continue at the same intensive pace and in a month you can see a plumb line of 7-10 kg.

But in the future, the process of losing weight will stop, because the body will begin to make reserves in case of an upcoming hunger strike.

The result of losing weight with one meal

Intervals large and small

Eating once a day is one of the options for so-called intermittent or interval fasting. Its effect on the body in general and the processes of weight loss in particular were studied by Shelton, Bragg and modern nutritionists. The following conclusions were drawn:

Short-term refusal of food leads to a sharp decrease in blood glucose levels. This helps stop the development of diabetes at an early stage.
Regular absence of food for several hours every day accelerates metabolism, the resulting calories are burned faster, and subcutaneous fat is broken down faster.
Intermittent fasting triggers autophagy. The body eliminates existing pathologically altered, damaged cells. Thanks to this, the development of tumors is inhibited, inflammation subsides, the blood is cleansed, and the functioning of blood vessels, endocrine, and nervous systems is restored.

Unlike daily and multi-day fasting, interval fasting involves eating at least once every 24 hours. The most gentle option is considered to be 8/16, in which the time allowed for meals is limited to eight hours. For example, from 9 am to 5 pm you need to have time for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Nothing is possible earlier or later. More stringent conditions: 6/24, 4/24.

Eating once a day is the most extreme method. It is designated as the 1/24 version.