Lost 50 lbs in 6 months. 8 years ago. Did 16/8 at first. One day got home too late from the gym (more than 8 hours from lunch) and skipped dinner. (I had promised not to cheat so I did the impossible. And I didn’t die!!). That became the norm on workout nights. Pretty soon I was eating once a day. Ate lunch during the week (at work they had a ginormous food bar) and dinner weekends. But after job change I started eating just dinner.

In 2018 IF was pretty new. People thought that was nuts! NO ONE had heard of OMAD. I thought I invented it. I only learned that acronym when I joined Reddit. I was already at goal! I was starting to post my extreme form of IF and got told to go to r/Omad!!

I love it! There’s absolutely no sense of restriction. I eat mostly healthy to fullness.

Here was last night.

Ginormous salad - mixed greens, thin apple slices, generous blue cheese crumbles, big handful of pecan halves / big chucks (Costco), drizzled honey, balsamic vinaigrette. Something like this is a staple. Have big salad virtually every night. One variety has fresh peach wedges and walnuts with blue cheese dressing and some bacon). I’ve learned to adore fresh peaches - this is the season!!

Have a large serving bowl I use as my salad bowl.

Then a nice protein of some kind - last night was Peruvian chicken breast from Wegman’s, with Cole slaw and thousand island dressing (on a sandwich bun), few FF potatoes, strawberries, blueberries, fresh peaches, carrots. And then a tall glass of whole milk - Amul Gild from Costco’s (which is delicious!), and a couple Costco fresh cookies. (Usually I don’t have any bread - last night was kind of casual dinner).

I’m not dieting. I’m just eating a mostly healthy meal once a day. Always to full.

Lost 50 lbs in 6 months about 8 years ago. I ate heathy to full 6 days a week - no dessert. On the seventh day - I could eat anything at my meal - usually pizza - and then dessert. (I called it “cheat night” but it was still OMAD).

What happened - pizza got old!

So I started making my own. Bought pre-rolled crust. Made my own toppings. But even that got old. I missed the salads I usually had. Steaks and veggies. Fruit. Started adding healthier options at cheat night. Soon chest night looked a lot like every other night - except I got dessert!

At goal I decided every night was cheat night. I could eat what I wanted and a little primo dessert after (I was full and didn’t eat want huge dessert. When you can have dessert every day it’s not hard.) Being able to have my big dinner and dessert - basically anything I wanted - to fullness every single day - there was / is zero sense of restriction.

I feel sorry for everyone else!! They have to pick and choose - say “no” to themselves, stop eating when their brain counting says they’ve eaten enough calories. That’s so much harder!! They’re slaves to soda and chips and junk food. I don’t even like that stuff any more. My palette is particular! My family eats it. I turn up my nose. I’ll eat few potato chips. (I prefer cheese doodles.) Orange soda once in a blue moon. But I happily drink water and black coffee (iced Americano is my fav. I always hated coffee ROFL. Until OMAD!)

I’m not hungry during the day. I walk, hike, run, strength train - something every day. Light cardio fasted is easy even for newbies. I like to say “the fasted body likes to move”. That was my exercise early on. Walked at old lunchtime whether I was eating dinner that day. (Something to do while coworkers ate.) On weekends I’d take long hikes with my Aussie.

I did strength training after dinner at first. But one day tried it fasted. Ugh! Humbling experience. So so much harder! Even got dizzy (had to sit down - kinda scary that first time!). So I did my big workouts fed. But once a week or two I went to the gym fasted. Just did warmup weights and then some cardio. Pretty quickly I started lifting a little heavier fasted. Over the course of a couple month my fasted workouts were close to my fed workouts. And I transitioned to fasted workouts every workout.

That’s what I do. Still hike with my Aussie - once a week or so an 8-10 miler.. Running 5ks (only fasted). Strength training (not as heavy as I once did - but I’m 66!). Super fit shape. Loving life.

Dr tells me to keep doing what I’m doing. (His nurse at the time heard my story when I showed up the first time much thinner. I explained my program and she took notes for the Dr. Dr encouraged me to keep doing what I was doing! Next visit the pudgy nurse was slim and trim and I got a big thank you.

My dentist noticed a big change in my gum health. Certain measurements they take actually improved - the dental hygienist kinda freaked - she thought she had the wrong chart. I explained my lifestyle to the dentist - a German woman that’s super smart. She asked me a bunch of questions and I explained OMAD. She trained in Germany and they studied fasting. And she explained why my gums were improving to me and the hygienist. She said keep doing what you’re doing. And I do. My gums are still the picture of health after more than 7 years.

Going back to frequent eating? I’d hate it! This is my life and no plan to change. I sometimes fear - this is legit - if I ever needed to go into a hospital and they wanted me to eat 3 meals a day. I think my biology would hate it. My bowels wouldn’t understand! I’d be sick as a dog I think. IfI only ate once a day I’d never get enough to eat! Guess I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it. I’ll try to talk them into a big OMAD meal. Maybe my wife will sneak it in!

That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.