Need Support Right Now to Get Back to OMAD

Hello. I haven't been here for a while and I am trying to get back into OMAD. I did try to start last Monday and did great; but, then on Tuesday, I didn't do so well. Seems like every other day, I do great. I am going through a rough time dieting wise right now. I have gained back a lot that I lost and now need to lose 30# again.
So, I need lots of support right now.
I have a wedding to go to in October, so got to get this off by then.
Is it okay to post menus here to keep me accountable? I think that would help me a lot and others could see what I am doing right or wrong :)
Appreciate any support and advice anyone can give me.
Sue
 
Hi Sue,
I am only 3 days back on the wagon. It seems crazy to me that I lost 30 kg last year on OMAD and found it quite easy but somehow just let things go and put it all back on and then some.
I had a whole lot happen in a short period and got so distracted from my goals. I had mad an emergency 1000k drive for a suicidal brother one month, my Father died the next and then all hell broke loose in my crazy family (I am the "baby" out of 9 kids).

I have been so unwell of late with compounding issues from my weight gain that I often go to bed worrying that i may not wake up.

Anyway, you have a goal for October, I have a short term goal of 6 weeks until my birthday and will reevaluate after that. Do you feel particularly hungry on the second day, or are there certain foods in the house that test you? I find day 2 the hardest day to push through and then start to feel quite well on the 3rd day.

Last night I had grilled chicken breast with pearl barley and pumpkin risotto and Brocollini . It is now 2:30 pm the following day and I have no inclination to eat until my window of 6-7pm. I won't say it is totally easy. I tend to go all in so I have cut out my daily consumption of zero sugar cola and this has added to the headache that I normally get when starting a calorie deficit.

I wish you all the best, keep that goal in mind but maybe make a closer one so it is not for far away and give yourself a non-food reward when you achieve it. I have a spare wardrobe full of clothes from when I was lighter, some are like new and I look forward to trying some on in the coming months.

Take care, Al
 
Hi Al,
I am on my second day of really doing well on OMAD. Yes, I was really hungry today. I have been trying so long to get started back after putting 30 back on. I told myself that I wasn't going to do this again, but I did.

I know what you mean about having clothes that won't fit. I just hate that and my 30 extra pounds sure has made that getting into most of my clothes impossible.

Do you always eat your meal in the evening? I was going to wait until around 4:00 today, but got so hungry that I ate at 2:30. I grilled some burgers, sausages and veggies and had yogurt and blueberries for dessert. I try to count calories just to know where I am at for my daily totals. Iam still full, so believe eating earlier will be okay for today.

Sounds like you have had a lot going on, so that makes it extra hard to stick with plan. I quit my job when all of this virus stuff started so was home all of the time, so that didn't help.

I think you are right, I should make smaller goals for myself. Might not be so overwhelming.

I know we can do this.
Take care,
Sue
 
Hi Sue, I quit my job too, though it was more to do with an incompetent colleague than Covid. This does make things extra hard as I really didn't want to resign after ten years working at the same school. I have been very down about that and have only just starting pulling myself together this past week, including starting Omad again in ernest.

I believe your meal time needs to suit you and if you are not having really late nights and can avoid the urge to snack through the evenings, go for it! Speaking of late nights, I have been prescribed corticosteroids and they play havoc with my insomnia. Haven eaten between 6-7 last night, I went to bed with my wife at 10. I lay there for a couple of hours before getting up to read as I was so alert and on edge from my 4th day on prednisone that I couldn't possibly sleep. I went back to bed at 2am and again, laid there for 2 hours before getting back up. Just as well i didn't have to go to work today, I ended up dozing off minutes before my wife's 6am alarm!

I'm not counting calories as such, but having done that a number of times in the past, I have a good idea of what constitutes a sensible, fairly large one meal a day. Last night I had roasted chicken drumsticks with steamed baby broccoli and sweet potato. Not a snack all through the miserable night alone so all good.

I have more weight to lose than you, but that being said, I am a 6'2" male. I have always been a big man but ten years ago was the first time I'd ever really felt "fat". I used to do powerlifting and strongman and just looked big and strong at 120kg (240pounds). I tore rib muscles in training one evening and during a long recovery, I kept eating (and enjoying beer) like I had for many years though I was no longer burning the fat and building muscle with my training. I swore when I lost weight early last year that I would never put it back on... here I am! I peaked this past Christmas at 153kg (335 pounds) and felt like any night was going to be my last.

Despite my 4 hrs of sleep and feeling a little crappy, I will again stick to the plan tonight. I will have a different protein and mix up the vegetables. I find there is no need to squeeze all the macro's into every meal, just mix the meals up. I do take vitamin C, magnesium, and a liver tonic that supports its function in eliminating waste during fat loss.


Anyway, I have rambled enough. The world is a mess at the moment, know that there are people who do care for their fellow humans, always happy for a chat on this forum. One day at at time Sue, take care, Alex from Down Under.
 
Hi Sue,
I am only 3 days back on the wagon. It seems crazy to me that I lost 30 kg last year on OMAD and found it quite easy but somehow just let things go and put it all back on and then some.
I had a whole lot happen in a short period and got so distracted from my goals. I had mad an emergency 1000k drive for a suicidal brother one month, my Father died the next and then all hell broke loose in my crazy family (I am the "baby" out of 9 kids).

I have been so unwell of late with compounding issues from my weight gain that I often go to bed worrying that i may not wake up.

Anyway, you have a goal for October, I have a short term goal of 6 weeks until my birthday and will reevaluate after that. Do you feel particularly hungry on the second day, or are there certain foods in the house that test you? I find day 2 the hardest day to push through and then start to feel quite well on the 3rd day.

Last night I had grilled chicken breast with pearl barley and pumpkin risotto and Brocollini . It is now 2:30 pm the following day and I have no inclination to eat until my window of 6-7pm. I won't say it is totally easy. I tend to go all in so I have cut out my daily consumption of zero sugar cola and this has added to the headache that I normally get when starting a calorie deficit.

I wish you all the best, keep that goal in mind but maybe make a closer one so it is not for far away and give yourself a non-food reward when you achieve it. I have a spare wardrobe full of clothes from when I was lighter, some are like new and I look forward to trying some on in the coming months.

Take care, Al
Hi I've been doing this omad for 1 week and I did not even know it was a thing.. I have sibo (small intestinal bacteria overgrowth) and I gained 65 pounds in 9 months.. I'm a grazer but for 2 weeks now I have been if 17-7 and 1 meal a day.. it's been relatively easy and I find I get full faster I'm on week 3 and once you get 5 days behind you it will get easier.
I drink 160 ounces a day of water and I drink unsweetened almond milk ( I use to drink whole milk!) So this was a huge change..I would try the 16/8 if or even go longer since your doing 1 meal a day..you can do it..
 
Hi Keli and Al,
Sounds like both of you are doing great. I am on day 3 and been doing 23/1. I am down 3# today. I would like to do 16/8, but just can't let myself eat more than 1 hour or I will eat too much. That is just me. It does get easier. When I lost my weight before, I really enjoyed eating this way. Ilwould much rather be able to eat one nice meal instead of several little ones.
Today's menu:
Tuna, beef, green beans, 1/2 banana, 2 T peanut butter and 2 sl of toast, yogurt and blueberries
I know we can all reach our goals.
 
Hi Keli and Al,
Sounds like both of you are doing great. I am on day 3 and been doing 23/1. I am down 3# today. I would like to do 16/8, but just can't let myself eat more than 1 hour or I will eat too much. That is just me. It does get easier. When I lost my weight before, I really enjoyed eating this way. Ilwould much rather be able to eat one nice meal instead of several little ones.
Today's menu:
Tuna, beef, green beans, 1/2 banana, 2 T peanut butter and 2 sl of toast, yogurt and blueberries
I know we can all reach our goals.
Hi there and thank you for sharing! I guess I am also doing 23/1 and did not know it.. dang it as peanut butter sounds so good..today I ate a wrap on lavoshe bread, 1 tbsp mayo and 2 slices of maple turkey and a slice of asiago cheese that I should not eat 1 dill pickle spear and 1/2 cup of spaghetti and now working on my water..any other meal suggestions would be welcome.. cheers..
 
Hi Keli and Al,
Sounds like both of you are doing great. I am on day 3 and been doing 23/1. I am down 3# today. I would like to do 16/8, but just can't let myself eat more than 1 hour or I will eat too much. That is just me. It does get easier. When I lost my weight before, I really enjoyed eating this way. Ilwould much rather be able to eat one nice meal instead of several little ones.
Today's menu:
Tuna, beef, green beans, 1/2 banana, 2 T peanut butter and 2 sl of toast, yogurt and blueberries
I know we can all reach our goals.
3 down is great Sue! lets all stick to the plan and support each other!
 
Hi Keli & Sue,
Well i survived another horrible night of insomnia. If I was going to crack this week it would have been in the wee hours of this morning. Having 2 young ones still at home, there are quite a few snack foods in the house.
We decided to freeze muffins and some other lunch items so I cannot just grab one and eat it. I would have to go through the process of defrosting which gives me time to have a drink of water and make a choice to avoid it. Keep kicking on ladies!
 
Hi to all. I am still plugging along. Have lost 7 lbs since I started back with Omad. Seems like it is a lot slower than it was the last time I ate this way. Trying to do pretty much low carb to keep blood sugar under control. I think I will start adding more carbs in since I seem to lose better when I do eat more.
Today's menu:
Sloppy jo meat, salad, olives, 2 sl bacon,1 oz cheese, sf pudding made with plain greek yogurt, and some cherry tomatoes. Ended up being around 900 calories.
Hope all of you are doing well. Take care
 
Hi all, I haven't posted in a while, my mental state has been and still is terrible. Since leaving my job and having no new work since, I have lost the plot.

I've had a falling out with my wife who often sabotages my weight loss efforts ( I know that I am ultimately responsible for what I consume). I will be travelling really well with Omad & in a good head space and my wife will text to save she really feels like a drink after work and would i like something too. I'll tell her that I don't eat to mess up my plan and this will go back and forth with her saying "are you sure". The problem is when I give in and have a few beers to make her feel better and not drinking alone, all the diet plans go out the window and it can take weeks to get back on track.

Anyway, last week my wife sat beside me before dinner time with a platter of different cheeses and crackers etc, enough to fee and army. I folded under the temptation. That same night I went to talk to my teenage son in his room and there were bags of snack foods, chips ,cereals etc in his room which I thought was quite odd.

I asked him what it all was doing in his room and my poor boy felt like he'd been put between us. He repeatedly said "I don't know, Mum told me to take it into my room.

Anyway, I feel like a POS having my wife use my 14 y.o to be the guardian of unhealthy foods as though I have zero self control when It is my wife that constantly challenges that self control and would not acknowledge the contradiction.

I now feel twice as self conscious about my weight and have not eaten in 5 days. I just can't bring myself to have a single bite despite my wife asking me to carve the meat and to prepare beef jerky for her to sell at her work.

Think I have finally put the MAD into Omad! :(
 
Sorry to hear you're struggling Alexius and hopefully you find that ever elusive plot.

How is your satiety? My personal belief is that any system that's based on willpower will fail along a long enough timeline, but the strain on one's willpower is so much easier when you're not hungry at all.

Worthwhile to have a conversation with your wife, ideally when things are calm, to address you feeling that you are being purposefully undermined? It is a story I hear a lot sadly, and often it seems to stem from partners with low self-esteem being worried that they will lose you if you drop the pounds.
 
Thank you Jinx for the reply, ending the sixth day now and am not feeling hungry. I know it is due to the negative connotations I've attached to eating after these recent experiences. I feel I would not keep anything down at the moment anyway. My main concern is long term as I know that a very overweight person can fast for a long time as they have the energy stores to cope. But this was not started correctly. I have seen articles on long fasts that say to do a week of juice fasting before cutting out food altogether. This was not planned out at all.

I have had a few dizzy spells and was concerned about my heart rate last night but this is still not enough to make me inclined to eat.

My eldest daughter stayed over last night and we watched a fabulous Netflix series on tacos of all things. I could see the appeal in the food and it looked so tasty yet I felt no desire to go and make tacos.

I have suffered depression for many years but I am lucid enough to be aware that I may go in the opposite direction and develop a different eating disorder if this continues for too long. It is quite hard to explain. I feel so belittled that I am really turned off the idea of eating anything.

I'll just take it a day at a time, I would never do this for weight loss as I know my metabolism will stall soon. Again, thank you for the response. I am feeling lost, Alex
 
Not sure if this will help, but perhaps a peak inside my mind might help...

One of my biggest goals is to change my relationship with food, as it is a rather dysfunctional one right now, to something akin to "food is fuel, and I need the constituent parts in order to function". To that end I am seeking to move away from extremes of feast and famine, and walk somewhat more of a middle path where I fast for the benefits of cellular rejuvenation (autophagy) mainly and stay for the structure a OMAD lifestyle provides.

I worry that you are stopping eating more as a form of self-flagellation than as part of a larger dieting strategy. I hope you can see all that is working for you in things like having success with the diet previously, that experience being invaluable, seeking out a support system here, and writing so eloquently to demonstrate your reflexivity.

Here we find ourselves, compounding/confounding factors in our rearview mirror, but the effects are what we carry. It might be worthwhile to adopt the "I'm not where I want to be, but I am not where I was" sort of attitude, and set a one week goal (no food reward at the end though).

Care to do a one week goal with me? A commitment to eat on your respective program for one week. We can reassess after that and set new goals.

Which protein powder are you using BTW? I found a couple whey protein isolates that have no other ingredients, but I have heard some grumblings about whey protein being connected to increased insulin production.
 
Hi Jinx,
Thank you for another response and your wonderful offer to goal set with me. I have been reflecting on your last message. I am aware that this is indeed self-flagellation. Looking back on my history with Strongman and Powerlifting, I know my pride has taken a big hit that I will need to get over.

I have been experiencing stomach cramps and gut pain today and the food my family has been eating has smelled good. I cannot say that I am not hungry, it would be more correct that i have a greater desire not to eat at the moment despite knowing better.

I have had a talk with my wife and there are some deeper problems with our relationship which will take time to fix ( maybe that's for a different forum or relationship counselling).
This is not all my wife's fault. I am well aware of a long string of life events that have changed me and with that I have gained weight and lost so much. Swimming with the kids, bush walking, kayaking etc. I have 2 lovely road motorbikes that I don't ride as I just feel silly on them, no-one wants to make a 1400cc motorcycle look small.
Your goal commitment invitation sounds great and I really appreciate the offer. I know I'm not ready today but if you give me a few days grace, I hope I can get around this.

What a 1st World problem I have hey! Being overweight and not wanting to eat, what so many would give to be in this little predicament!
 
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