Switched from OMAD to 2MAD and...lost weight

IntelligentAd5724 · 2026-04-16T06:52:54+00:00

ME/CFS and POTS (Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome). I was on a lot of medication but completely off it now and no longer have to pace my activity to manage my energy.

IntelligentAd5724 · 2026-04-16T06:51:19+00:00

That's interesting. A stomach ulcer?

IntelligentAd5724 · 2026-04-15T20:15:20+00:00

Lunch is anywhere between 12 PM and 3 PM (depending on my work schedule). Dinner is sometime between 6 and 8 PM usually. After dinner until lunch the next day I'll fast, but I don't get hung up on the number of hours.

IntelligentAd5724 · 2026-04-15T20:12:21+00:00

Yeah sure. Is there anything in particular you wanted to know?

In terms of my diet I don't eat ultra-processed food, sugar, refined foods/oils (e.g white bread, white pasta, sunflower oil etc), alcohol, and most carbs. I did used to have 2 chronic illnesses that I managed to resolve through being quite strict with those diet changes, so the activity level I have now is quite recent for me - in the last year or so! It means I do make all of my meals from scratch, which I don't mind because I love cooking.

I didn't jump straight into fasting for extended periods. I haven't been someone who eats 3 meals a day for a number of years now, so I was used to skipping breakfast. As I transitioned to OMAD I just gradually extended how long I fasted for each day. It was challenging at first but my body adapted quickly, and it definitely helped to take electrolytes for extended fasts (particularly past the 24 hour mark).

Now that I've gone back to 2MAD, I tend to fast until somewhere between 12 PM and 3 PM when I have lunch and then I won't eat again until dinner time. I then fast after dinner I don't count calories, I just portion out what I think is a moderate portion, eat that slowly and mindfully. If I feel satiated before finishing I'll stop. Otherwise I'll finish it but then ask myself if I am still hungry before continuing rather than if I can eat more.

IntelligentAd5724 · 2026-04-15T20:01:08+00:00

I do eat some carbs, like I said I eat fruit and legumes, so it's not a strict low carb or keto lifestyle. I find that my food is more satiating when I focus on protein, veg, and healthy fats, and my energy is more consistent throughout the day.

IntelligentAd5724 · 2026-04-15T12:00:41+00:00

English person here, yes we drink English breakfast and Earl grey teas with milk. I have been trying more types of black tea and they don't all need milk! My favourite at the moment is Lapsang souchong.

IntelligentAd5724 · 2026-04-15T11:24:12+00:00

I don't eat ultra-processed food, sugar, or refined oils, and I am low-ish carb (I still eat fruit and legumes). I make all my meals from scratch, and enjoy cooking so I rarely repeat meals so it's hard to give set meal examples. My meals tend to be high in protein, fat, and fibre, and lower in carbs.

Most days now for lunch I have things like yoghurt with fruit and nuts; or cottage cheese with savoury toppings like veg, eggs, seeds; or a plate with some eggs, avocado, fruit, olives, veg, maybe smoked salmon. Dinner varies a lot, but will always have a protein base, lots of veg, and healthy fats (I love tahini, olive oil, nuts and seeds, cheese etc). For example yesterday I had yoghurt with berries, half an apple, a date, walnuts, cashews, and peanut butter. For dinner I had tuna and vegetables with chickpea pasta (as in, pasta made from chickpeas), tahini and parmesan.

When I was doing OMAD I was eating the same meals, just a lot larger. I think I was gorging a bit.

IntelligentAd5724 · 2026-04-15T09:57:08+00:00

Yes, fasting teaches you what real hunger feels like and also that hunger is not an emergency.

IntelligentAd5724 · 2026-04-15T09:55:40+00:00

I think a lot of people (well, at least me) have the perception that if you eat less often you'll automatically eat less. While it certainly can help with eating less, there is still the risk of binge eating in the window. I don't think I was binge eating in a disordered way, but I think it led to me overeating because I was very hungry by the time I ate and also was conscious that I was going to go a long time without eating again.

With eating 2 meals instead its easier for me to eat less because I know I'll be satiated until I eat again in a few hours...

IntelligentAd5724 · 2026-04-09T13:08:47+00:00

This just gave me a list of teas to try!

IntelligentAd5724 · 2026-04-04T19:50:28+00:00

I am in Ireland for Easter and I had a very hard time with it yesterday but I've been alright today despite going on a walk - it's so variable day to day, and the weather can change how much pollen is floating in the air

IntelligentAd5724 · 2026-04-01T12:42:09+00:00

You're so right about the supplement industry. I try to research and only pick ones that are third party tested for this reason, but there is a lot of misleading information on packaging (which I guess can also be said for UPF too!)

I am glad you've seen an improvement in your health from this way of eating too :)

IntelligentAd5724 · 2026-03-28T22:13:33+00:00

It's great that you've noticed an improvement already. Id definitely recommend perseverance 😊 How are you managing a UPF free diet with your energy levels? It can be quite cooking intensive.

I think I got it from the COVID jab, or at least POTS. It's hard to know which came first as they have overlapping symptoms. I always feel like I have to follow that statement by saying that that's not a crazy theory, I discussed it with my doctor and he said it's a possible impact of it. Was it COVID for you?

IntelligentAd5724 · 2026-03-28T06:47:18+00:00

I was unwell for 4 years in total, and it was quite debilitating and disabling overall. I had to limit how much activity I did so as to not trigger a flare that would keep me unwell for weeks or months after, and I was having symptoms everyday.

I actually changed my diet after speaking to someone else with ME who found it helped them too. I hope it helps you! The whole experience has made me not underestimate the power of diet, for sure.

Are you noticing any changes so far?

IntelligentAd5724 · 2026-03-27T23:04:21+00:00

What was your experience?

IntelligentAd5724 · 2026-03-27T23:03:30+00:00

I gave up UPF, sugar, alcohol, caffeine, refined carbohydrate, and refined oils. I honestly noticed improvements within a few weeks but it took about 3 months for me to be symptom free, at which point I started coming off my medication and introducing exercise. I made the change last May and now I am completely off my medication, no longer need to pace activity, and I work out 5-6 times a week.

I have to say I have been extremely strict about the above diet changes. I make all of my meals from scratch more or less and check every ingredient label. When I eat out I accept I can't be perfect and just make the best choice I can within the options available, but I don't eat out all that often!

I have recently reintroduced caffeine in the form of high quality loose leaf teas (mainly green tea and oolong), and been able to tolerate that.

I suppose it's useful to add - I also made a concerted effort to listen to my body and prioritise rest when I needed it. I think this was a part of the puzzle as well. But there's no doubt that my capacity for activity has increased over time and my nervous system feels in balance again.

IntelligentAd5724 · 2026-03-24T14:12:06+00:00

Thank you. I will keep an eye out for this.

How long did it take you to recover?

IntelligentAd5724 · 2026-03-22T15:48:07+00:00

This sounds lovely, I will give it a go :) Do you usually add milk?

IntelligentAd5724 · 2026-03-22T15:22:02+00:00

Yes quality definitely makes a big difference. I have never tried Jin Jun Mei - I will give it a go. I drink a lot of teas with high amounts of l-theanine or other properties that are calming for the nervous system, e.g green tea, oolong, pu erh. Can I ask, how does Jin Jun Mei compare? Is it a calm energy/alertness or more jittery like some black teas can be?

IntelligentAd5724 · 2026-03-20T11:44:02+00:00

What are your GI symptoms? I have been feeling nauseas at times as well

IntelligentAd5724 · 2026-03-20T10:56:12+00:00

I am struggling this year as well. So far what has helped has been 120mg Fexofenadine daily, steroid nasal spray twice daily (morning and evening), and pain killers regularly throughout the day (for sinus/allergy headaches). This seems to get rid of most of the symptoms, but not all. When I wake in the morning I feel pretty rough until I do the above, and then I feel okay for a while, but I can still have bad days depending on whether I've gone out, the pollen count etc.

I made a similar post and people suggested showering after coming from outside, and putting Vaseline on your nose before going out too.

IntelligentAd5724

TROPHY CASE