I’ve played around with eating one meal a day and I’ve come to find out that it’s pretty great in almost every way. It keeps me focused, energized, productive and feeling good. Physically, it keeps me lean, muscular and trim.
I never really plan to eat just one meal a day, it just kind of happens. (Usually when I’m very busy.)
When this is the case, I typically eat my daily meal around 7 or 8 o’clock at night. I’ll take my time at the dinner table and enjoy a proper feast.
I will sometimes string together two or three days in a row where I only eat one meal each day. The one constant thing when I eat one meal a day is that, whenever I do it, I feel great.
I love the one meal a day diet because it’s no frills and no filler. It’s super simple and anyone can do it with a little willpower.
Eating One Meal a Day Benefits
The benefits of eating one meal a day are numerous. For starters I am focused, energized, and productive.
Eating constantly makes you sluggish and tired because digestion takes a lot of energy. You could use that energy on a project or another worthy pursuit.
For that reason it’s perfect for when you have a pile of work to plow through.
Eating one meal a day is also great for losing weight. It’s the ace up my sleeve for when I need to lose weight quickly. (Or if I want to NOT gain weight but have a big feast planned.)
The one meal a day diet is a type of intermittent fasting, so you’ll get all the benefits that go with it such as:
- Fat burning
- body detox
- boosted growth hormone
- increased testosterone
Intermittent fasting over a long period of time could potentially help you live longer as well. Probably because processing all that food wears you down. Fasting keeps you in better shape, longer.
Besides, it’s no secret that people overeat. Here’s a little ancient wisdom for your musings:
“Half of what you eat keeps you alive, the other half keeps the doctor employed.” – Ancient Egyptian proverb
Most people should consider eating one meal a day for a week. The mental challenge alone is worth doing it, and your body will thank you.
Who Should Eat One Meal a Day?
For the average guy or girl that wants to be above average, eating one meal a day is worth a shot.
Why?
You’ll be more productive:
- You’ll have more time to work since you’re not cooking, eating, and cleaning up the mess.
- You’ll have better focus and more energy – eating dulls your senses and makes you sleepy.
Fasting all morning and afternoon makes me sharp as a tack. I get way more work done, I do my work faster, and the quality is better. It feels almost effortless.
You’ll Be lean and healthy:
- Eating one meal a day will keep you lean and trim. It’s impossible to overeat and get fat when you only eat once per day.
- Fasting boosts the immune system. You’ll be fasting 22-23 hours between meals.
My One Meal a Day Diet
I don’t count calories or macros. There’s a time and a place for that, sure – but not here and not now.
I eat anything I want for my one meal. It just so happens that what I want is a big slab of premium meat, vegetables and a hearty salad. Sometimes there’s an adult beverage or two involved, and I’ll top it off with dessert if the mood is right.
Here’s a few examples of what I eat when I eat one meal a day.
- 2 full racks of slow-cooked barbecue ribs.
- 3 sirloin steaks, asparagus, spinach salad with light a vinaigrette, and 5 fist-fulls of sweet potato fries with ketchup and a glass of Spanish red wine.
- 2 pulled pork sandwiches with creamy coleslaw, chop salad topped with seared steak, a pile of fresh-cut french fries and a couple cocktails.
- 1 pound of lean ground beef and two boxes of organic macaroni and cheese.
- 5 chicken enchiladas.
- 3 pounds of brisket and a big bowl of baked bean.
- 6 beef patties with cheese and a big mixed salad with bell peppers, onion, tomato and avocado, dressed in extra virgin olive oil and fresh squeezed lemon juice.
- You get the idea…
If I’m eating at home, I’ll usually end the meal with a half box of cereal or a protein shake/smoothie.
Note: These meals are not typical. I only indulge in certain types of food and drink like this when I eat one meal a day.
I can eat like this and not gain a pound. That’s not to brag, but to show you it’s possible to stay lean when you eat once a day.
Eating big, filling meals is also very satisfying, I sleep like a rock after my dinner and I wake up the next morning feeling great. I’m energized and don’t crave food until afternoon the next day.
The One Meal a Day Meal Plan
Now, if I planned on eating one meal a day for a long period of time, I would clean up my diet a bit.
First, I would cut out the alcohol and sugar. I would load up on beef, chicken, and fish. I’d eat a pound or more of meat or fish each meal.
I’d then have a big green salad with garden vegetables, all tossed with a light vinaigrette or fresh lemon juice.
I also might have a pile of roasted potatoes, grilled asparagus or sweet potato fries.
The meal would conclude with dessert – A teeny slice of fresh-baked cake or pie, or maybe a small bowl of ice cream. If I wanted to eat cleaner, I would whip up a peanut butter protein shake or have some chia pudding.
That would be my one meal a day meal plan: One pound of meat + a big salad + lots of root/green veggies + dessert.
I would just mix up the ingredients based on what I have a taste for each day. This allows you to make an unlimited amount of meals by combining new items.
Should You Workout When Eating One Meal a Day?
Yes, of course.
Sometimes I workout on days I only eat one meal, and other days I don’t train at all.
Like I mentioned before, the reason I eat one meal is usually because I was very busy that day. Meaning I skip breakfast and lunch, and I skip my workout out if necessity, in order to meet the work demands of the day.
But, when I do train, I train like normal – Heavy weights and plenty of volume to pump up my muscles.
The best time for me to train is about an hour or two prior to my meal. I’ll time my workout so it ends about an hour before dinner time. This gives me enough time to shower and clean up before eating.
Is Eating One Meal a Day Good for Bulking?
Not really.
It’s very difficult to gain any weight when you are eating only one meal a day. Even if that meal is enormous.
Skinny guys trying to gain weight need to be eating all the time.
Eating one meal a day is good for weight loss. I indulge when eating one meal a day typically, but if I cut out the alcohol and dessert I would lose weight.
How Much Weight Can You Lose Eating One Meal a Day?
You can lose a lot of weight or you can lose a little. It all depends on how long you do it, how clean you eat, and how much body fat you have to begin with.
An obese person could lose 30+ pounds quickly if they eat clean.
If you’re already lean or eat junk meals then you will not lose much weight.
When you don’t eat for a while your body consumes your fat stores for energy. The ONLY way to lose fat is to have your body consume your fat stores. And the only way it consumes fat is if your stomach is empty.
Eating one meal a day is also efficient and saves time.
Eating one meal a day is great for maintaining low body fat when you can’t make it to the gym.
Is Eating One Meal a Day Sustainable?
Of course it is.
It takes will power but eating once meal a day 100% sustainable.
There are several high-performers that thrive from eating one meal a day (General Stanley McCrystal and Herschel Walker are two people that come to mind.)
Besides, you can get used to anything if you stick to it long enough. Your body will adapt.
“But I thought you were supposed to eat three meals a day.”
Three square meals a day gets you one round gut. Look at the people that follow the ‘Three square meals a day’ plan. Eating like the average man will get you an average body – which by today’s standards means being 25 pounds overweight with hypertension.
It’s sad but true.
Conventional advice gets you conventional results. You only think you need three meals a day because you’ve been conditioned to believe that.
Are you Living to Eat or Eating to Live?
People that worry constantly about their next meal seldom care about much else.
You need to look beyond that and realize that food is sustenance. Sure, food is delicious. I love it. But at the end of the day it’s you that needs to be in control of your eating habits, and make sure your whims and cravings are not dictating your meal schedule.
“If the mind is willing, the body can go on and on with very little.” – Lao Zhu
Any man with a worthy cause and steadfast believe can press on in the face of adversity.
Attila the Hun didn’t stop and eat three square meals a day while in pursuit of their enemy. They had conquering to do.
They didn’t stop at 9 am every morning and scramble some eggs. They marched vast distances to run down their destiny.
Moral of the story: Champions defy convention and soar.
How?
It’s all in the mind.
You are capable of so much more than you think your are. The problem is you’ve been conditioned.
Conditioned to eat three square meals a day. Conditioned to consume.
Hunger is Good.
What do they call the guy or gal with a burning desire for more?
They call them hungry.
Without hunger there is no drive for more.
Food makes you lazy. It satiates you. You lose your edge.
Stay light, stay nimble, and stay sharp by eating one meal a day.
One Meal A Day: In Conclusion
People could easily get by on less than half the food they currently consume and be perfectly fine.
People need to eat 3000 calories a day because our food is 50% less nutritious than it used to be. You can get full nutrition in half the calories and feel content.
Many people would make huge improvements in their life by reducing the amount and frequency of food eaten.
The hardest part is the first day. But after you eat your first huge meal you won’t be hungry until 3 p.m. the next day. Then just coast for a few hours until dinner.
The trick is to eat nutrient-dense foods. All-natural, organic whole-foods are all you need to thrive.
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