Eating One Meal A Day?

My thoughts are that - as this is in reality - nothing more than another take on a fad diet - its probably best taken with a huge grain of salt.

Particularly as - apart from the fact that starving in order to detox is totally unnecessary - for the simple reason that - the body is continually detoxifying itself naturally - as that is what the kidneys, the liver, the intestinal tract and to some degree the respiratory tract and the skin are designed to do - remove toxins from the body - with or without food.

But also as being overweight is generally the end result of eating more calories than the body actually needs over a long period of time and it is therefore - not something that can be changed in an instant because there are no miracle cures to this problem - starving the body and depriving it of the necessary calories and nutrients it needs - with a view to changing food choices or to lose weight - is not the answer - as not only does it not work - as most of the initial weight lost is not actually body fat but water - but starving - is the equivalent of trying to run a car with no fuel.

Which is why - rather than looking for a quick fix and unnecessarily starving your body of everything it needs - the best and healthiest option would be to avoid it happening in the first place - by eating a well balanced diet containing a wide variety of foods combined with a regular exercise routine - as that way - because healthy lifestyle habits and eating a diet full of natural nutrient rich foods helps to keep weight in check naturally - not only will you never have to worry about trying to lose excess weight ever again - but you'll be way healthier too.

 

This method does not make any sense to me at all. Starving myself and only eating one meal a day will not make me want to eat healthier only more food. What happened to eating small meals throughout the day to keep your metabolism working at an even rate? How would this diet be good for someone with diabetes who need to keep their glucose levels steady? I would have to say that this is a fad diet that will only work for so long before you do not lose any more weight because your metabolism is screwed up. I do not think I would be able to eat only one meal a day. I guess if it works for people and they like then that is their choice. I do not see how this could be healthy for you. I say just make healthy choices for all your meals and call it good.

 

I have heard both sides and reasonings - that you should eat every 3 hours to keep your metabolism working. And that you should fast (or eat once a day, or eat one day and not the other etc) so that your body will start actually taking fat from your cells instead of the food you are eating.
I honestly have been reading so much that I don't even know anymore! The more I read about health and nutrition the more confused i get. At the end of the day you should do what works for you and what makes you feel good.

 

I don't think it's healthy if you work because you will need constant energy. It can also lead to things like diabetes or other issues if there isn't a balanced diet. When I freelanced sometimes I would have one meal a day and snacked, and my body suffered, so unless you are at home and inactive I think it's an unwise thing to do.

 

I think it is just safe to assume that a balanced diet is probably a better option than something like this. It is not to say that it doesn't work for some people, and for them more power to them, but on the whole I think that moderation and eating better is the way to go. Staying full on good foods can do just as much.

 

I'll tell you right now this wouldn't work for me AT ALL. I'd be the grumpiest person you never want to meet LOL I get very grouchy when I get those nasty hunger pangs, worse than a man. So no, I wouldn't want to go there. I'd rather have 5 small meals spread through the day. I'm not a fan of diets, anyway. I don't like to be told what and when I can eat. Plus is this even sustainable?!

 

People considering something like this need to instead consider why they have such a terrible relationship with food. And themselves. This is no way to treat your body.. especially for your mistakes. Your poor body just wants to do it's job.. part of which is cleansing ITSELF, which was stated above. Don't punish it for what you need to take up with your brain because in the end, you'll just cause more damage.. both physically and emotionally. Anyone considering cleanses or fad diets needs to sit down and take the time to get to know nutrition and how their body works. They would come to find that weight loss is not a huge chore, in fact, it's much easier than they ever thought. Most people will need to reconcile with food first though.. and break up with the food that helped get them here to begin with. Because eating properly requires actual eating.. and often more than anyone expects when they think of weight loss. When your ideas of eating, health, weight loss are all old school, it can be difficult for some to allow themselves to let go and trust their bodies. But believe me.. it knows far better than you. Stop trying to trick it and let it do it's thing. Which can only be done when it's fed properly.

 

I don't care for all of these fad diets, I believe you shouldn't trick your mind or body into "famine" mode like the article eluded to. Just seeing the word famine, connected with health or nutrition is just Crazy!

 

I have to say that I read articles on health and nutrition just so I can hear how extreme they can be. I think that eating one meal a day to accomplish a weight loss goal isn't all bad, if it is the plan that works for you. Seeing weight loss plans like Nutri-System, Jennie Craig and that other one are just as extreme as having one meal a day. At least you are saving money eating your own meal than paying for a pre-planned one.

 

This is an interesting article that I have not yet seen before. I have however done research on detoxing and do agree that it is a wonderful way to 'reset' your taste buds and allow you to actually taste your food again. I think what we eat (too many chemicals) ends up coating our tongues and all we can search for is sugar and salt. But when we detox and cleanse our palette, we are able to taste the array of herbs and spices the earth produces and it causes us to not crave the sugar and salt as much anymore. In fact, in time I believe we begin to hate the masking taste of them. You begin drinking a Coke an no longer taste the sugar as much as the salt that is in it and you realize, 'I'm drinking a bottle of chemical salt water!' So this is regime is probably a good idea for a short term detox. But I do feel detoxes should be monitored and done at a time where you will be doing the least amount of physical activity.

 

I don't know if this is a good idea. A person one may be able to detox by other means than just eating one meal a day. Which regular mealtime would be the most Ideal for this purpose? What about the possibility of developing gas resulting from being on an empty stomach for continuously long periods? Doctors have advised that eating habits like these may prompt your body to store extra bad calories which it would normally burn off thus leading to obesity.

 

And, this is exactly why people should check with a healthcare provider before attempting new "diets." This would be a horrible idea, and could even be dangerous, for people who have hypo/hyperglycemia. It may also prove dangerous for people with other conditions or those who take meds that need to be taken throughout the day with food.

Good post, @JosieP.

If anyone is considering doing this as a money saving tool, I wouldn't suggest it for that either. My guess is your eventual medical costs will tally more than what you save via this method of eating (or not eating).

 

I haven't personally tried this diet of eating only one meal a day. I think it can be quite a hazardous and dangerous diet because you can become sick by doing it every day. I understand that some diets can be quite restrictive, some even allow people to just drink juices for a couple of days. But that's the thing, it's only for a while. You cannot rely on this diet for a long time, because chances are, your body might not be able to take it.

Anyway, for me, a healthy and balanced diet is the key to losing weight. Eat more of the vegetables and fruits, less of the fatty meats and oily foods. Try to eat at least 5 times a day, each meal with smaller portions. Drink more water to hydrate and remove bloating.

Good luck!

 

I think there might be some good points in there that sound a bit sensible but overall it might just be a fad diet. It would be better if it had some scientific studies to back it up and until then I don't think it would be wise to try it out for an extended period of time. For me I find just cutting down on the portions and eating just as I would has been enough to lose a good amount of weight. Going to extremes is very dangerous so it's a lot better to stick to safer methods until you can research enough about the alternate methods.

 

I have to admit that I am in need of a diet for my excess 20 pounds. But I don't know anyone who had done that once a day meal. As per my sister who is a nurse, that it is risky to be having only 1 meal in a day when your body is used to eating 3 meals (I have 4 or sometimes 5 that includes snacks). The stomach may develop acid or gastritis, worse ulcers. For best results, divide into 3 the 1 full meal that you will eat for that diet. And it's the same with better results.

 

I think this would make your body store more fat and you would not lose weight. Your body would go into starvation mode and just store the fat and make you grow excess hair. No thanks for me!

 

This just sounds like someone took the idea of fasting and tried to market it as a gimmicky fad diet.
Fasting can have some great positive benefits. BUT it's not easy... if you are already struggling to lose weight this probably won't work for you.
I would say better advice would be to eat 6-8 very small meals during the day instead of one giant one.

 

Eating 1 meal a day is actually quite unhealthy, you end up starving yourself in the process and you get all those acids in your throat. But I have unwittingly done that though when I'm too lazy to eat or when I don't like the food at home, and it just makes me more hungry when it comes to eating the next meal.

 

I think eating one meal a day would make you over eat when you do eat. It is better to eat a balanced meal and get more exercise. If you must cut back on something cut back on carbs to lose weight.