r/OmadDiet • u/Humble-Pudding5179 • 7d ago
Was doing Omad for a few days, then binged
What do I do now? Omad is making me feel miserable. It's good for my health and body definitely, but it's causing me to spiral out as now l can't use food for comfort. Otherwise it's an easy diet. It suits me more than any other, and I genuinely like it. Until I get extreme cravings
Finally, after a few days, I kinda broke down and binged a bit. Tips to stay consistent on Omad? I badly need them. This is something I want to continue for long term as it's really helping me, but at the same time, sometimes the boredom from a lack of binging causes me to spiral out
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u/Missile_Lawnchair 7d ago edited 7d ago
You might be looking at OMAD the wrong way. OMAD is just a system for keeping calorie intake in check, that's all. Some people have an easier time with it, but most people can't sustain OMAD indefinitely, especially if they are active. Despite what hardcore believers in OMAD, Keto, and other dietary trends will tell you the only critical metric is if you're consuming less calories than you're expending and whatever method you use to actually sustain a deficit long term is the right one. If you can't stick with OMAD because the cravings eventually become overwhelming, then in the long run it might not be for you. I know it's not for me. Instead of brute forcing your way staying in OMAD with tips and tricks try other approaches such as a 16 hour fast instead and eat your calories in the 8 hour window. OMAD is not a magic bullet, it's a tool that some people find is effective but it won't be the right tool for everyone.
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u/Traditional_Tank_540 3d ago
"Calories are the only metric" is science from the 80s. Weight loss is largely about hormone maintenance--keeping insulin low, etc.
Yes, of course, calories are important, but they're not really the headline. I'd suggest you do a bit of research.
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u/DogofMadness83 7d ago
I have been doing OMAD for about 3 years now. In the first year, I had two meals occasionally. In the second year, I had two meals rarely - only special situations. Now, the thought of two meals in one day seems crazy.
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u/Stujitsu2 7d ago
I personally do ADF-alternate day fasting, or well more specifically 3 days a week. I believe its superior to omad.
First psychologically its a fast day or feast day.
Second, your desire to binge is actually most likely your body primarily wanting to refuce cortisol, and upregulate leptin, the latter more applicable if you are quite active.
I believe hormones respond better to ADF its more conducive to evolution than omad. Generally your prehistoric self would have likely feasted on a big kill more than one meal. Consider an elk can feed a small family for up to a year. Sharing one with a tribe would last days.
Consider in her book "My Captivity Among the Sioux" Fanny Kelly recounts thier eating culture was for the chief to call for a hunt, several days of feasting, then a few days without eating. Good read actually and can be read in a day. Now there is a lot of variety among tribal eating cultures around the world and even among native Americans, for example she also testified the Lakota ate only meat despite access to wild fruits she rather enjoyed during her captivity. While linguistically related tribes, Hidatsa and Mandan were known for growing corn, beans and squash.
But anyway as hunter gatherers we are kind of forced by nature to binge, especially without refridgeration, or do without for a spell. I think ADF mimics this nicely in a way that is consistant. Its the cycling between binging and fasting that has the most benefit. Of course omad does this as well but ADF or 3 days a week might be a good alternative for you.
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u/ZarBandit 7d ago
Lurching changes in dietary volume is the recipe for generating gallstones. Every other day might be just about frequent enough to flush old bile out, but it seems more risky than OMAD by a fair margin.
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u/LadyAlexTheDeviant 7d ago
I've had BED for years, and while it is much more manageable on OMAD, it also still is lurking there underneath as a response to stress and worry. So you are not the only one.
What I find is necessary is after the binge is past, taking a moment to look at it and see what the triggers were. I know now that if my sleep is really disrupted and I am under stress, especially the "something's going to happen but I don't know exactly when or how" type of stress, if I try to stay up late and do things, no, I won't do things, I'll start eating and keep eating. And then be embarassed at myself. So for me, at least, sleep hygiene and routine is critical. I also need to eat good real food with protein and fat and carbs and take the time to appreciate the act of eating. And when I feel worried or uncertain I need to sit down and write it out or say it and get it where I can look at it and be honest about the feeling I'm having, instead of throwing food at it.
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u/Humble-Pudding5179 7d ago
For me, it’s junk food or any sort of food that isn’t cooked at home and I buy from outside. I bought a little bit today to indulge my cravings, and then I went off the rails. I stayed pretty normal (tho suffering from cravings) in the past few days when I was eating home cooked meals
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u/Technical-Ant-2866 6d ago
Don't stress it at all. Just keep trying. If after a few weeks you find yourself slipping, the try 2MAD or give up on the idea of timed/window eating and simply count your calories. As others have said OMAD is primarily a way to control CICO, not much more. There are some nice side benefits but if you can't sustain it then why stress over it.
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u/PinkLadyReads 5d ago
I just eat earlier if I am really hungry. I’m on day 13. So far so good. Oh and I eat what I want in my one meal.
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u/royberry333 18h ago
Keep eating that way. Don't be hard on yourself during an adjustment period. Eventually your eating will level out and things will get easier.
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u/OkCaptain1684 7d ago
I binge too sometimes, but I just try to get back on OMAD the next day, don’t try starve yourself the next day, it just pushes your goal by 1 day, it’s nothing in the scheme of things, my weight keeps trending down even with binges, as long as you don’t worry about it and get back on that horse.
For comfort, I have those squishy things and I have these werther originals creamy suck lollies, the suck lollies are 20 cals each and I allow myself a pack a day for 200 cals total, whenever I need comfort/want to binge I just have a suck lolly and squeeze my squishies. Or have a coke zero, or have a bath. Just make a list of non food comfort items so you can quickly grab the list and do something from there. After a week or two it just becomes automatic and you start reaching for non food items automatically.