Few people have yet to experience the glory that is eating one meal a day.
- No, eating one meal per day won’t make you fat.
- It won’t make you lose all your muscle.
- And it won’t screw your metabolism into the ground.
But it does allow you to feast like a fucking king every single night while eating your favorite foods.
And no, this isn’t a scam and there isn’t even any secret “guru” magic behind it.
It’s really just common sense.
But fitness and common sense is a lost art these days.
If you follow it, eating once per day JUST WORKS.
And if you’ve struggled with more traditional diets that make you eat 3-6 meals per day, then this may be the most stupidly simple way for you to successfully lose weight, ever!
If you’ve dreamed of eating 24 ounce steaks, with a mountain fries and ice cream, EVERY SINGLE night while still losing fat and building muscle then read on.
Eating one meal per day in a nutshell
The basic idea behind eating one meal per day is simple.
Every day, you eat one big ass meal (preferably at night). The basic idea is to get the majority of your calories in a single meal.
And during the day, you don’t eat anything.
However during the day you can eat 1-2 pieces of fruit or some protein after you workout.
This allows you to eat much more, feel fuller, and better adhere to your diet.
Remember, eating one meal a day is NOT magic
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When I first started eating one meal per day, I had this weird belief that eating once per day gave me the power to lose more weight than traditional diets.
While this might seem like the case, nothing could be further from the truth.
It might be nice to believe that eating once per day causes all these different hormones to change in my body that helps me to burn “more” body fat.
But that’s just not the case.
And insulin levels – everyone always brings up fucking insulin levels.
Don’t worry about your damn insulin levels.
Just focus on creating a calorie deficit – that’s the only way to lose weight and always will be.
Eating once per day just happens to be a great way to create a deficit that many people can actually stick with.
For example, let’s say you need to eat 2000 calories per day to lose weight.
Diet #1 has you eating 3 meals and 2 snacks.
Diet #2 has you eating one meal.
In the end of the day, calories are exactly the same.
You’re just splitting your calories up a lot more in Diet #1.
That’s it. There is no magic. Just simple math.
5 reasons why you should eat one meal per day
I originally came across the idea of eating one meal per day from the Warrior Diet back around 2008.
At that time I was brainwashed by all the “eat 6 meals per day or die” BS and the Warrior Diet was my first foray into intermittent fasting.
Hell, even Terry Crews does intermittent fasting.
I’m not saying it works for everyone, but if you love to feast every single day, have more energy, and potentially be 200x more productive during the day, then maybe this something you should give a shot.
Here are 5 reasons I recommend eating once per day:
Reason #1: Increased energy
How many times have you eaten lunch only to feel super tired 2 hours later? It sucks.
We’re all told lunch is supposed to give us this magic boost of energy, and maybe it does for some people, but I’ve found that most people just fall into a 2 pm slump where they eat lunch and their productivity shoots down the drain.
When you fast throughout the entire day, you experience this amazing surge of energy that lasts the entire day.
Reason #2: Never feel deprived when dieting
One of the many reasons people fail at diets is because they don’t get this sense of satisfaction with what they’re eating and how much they’re eating.
When you follow the conventional 6 meals per day model, you have survived on a couple of hundred calories every few hours.
At the end of the day, you just never feel satisfied.
You feel like something is missing…
Ironically, eating once per day solves this problem for most people.
The act of fasting throughout the day is a very powerful appetite suppressant, so when you have your massive feast at the end of the day, you practically feel “stuffed” every night.
Reason #3: More time & more productivity
Imagine how much more work you could get done if you didn’t have to worry about eating during the day.
No more worrying about that mid-morning snack, no more stopping at subway during lunch, and no more 2 pm energy slumps.
All this time you save can now be used to do more productive things that truly matter (like looking at pictures of cats online).
Reason #4: EVERYTHING tastes better
Fast the entire day, then eat a grape.
Just one grape.
I guarantee that grape will be the best tasting grape you’ve ever had in your entire fucking life.
Look, I don’t know the scientific reason for why food tastes so much better after a fast, and frankly, I don’t care.
But some of the best meals in my life have been after a long fast.
Reason #5: Because eating cake every night is awesome
Do you know what’s awesome? Cake.
Do you know what’s not awesome? Not eating cake.
Cake makes everything in life better but with traditional dieting, you aren’t allowed to eat cake, which sucks.
Everyone needs more cake in their life (scientifically proven), so why not have a slice…or two, every night.
When you only eat one meal per day, you can afford to have some cake every night since your calorie budget is so much bigger.
Is coffee, water, tea, or diet soda okay during the fast?
Yes, as long as it’s zero calories, it’s fine.
Coffee and tea is actually a great appetite suppressant.
Eat 1-2 pieces of fruit during the day
While it’s totally fine if you can go the full day without eating anything, a lot of people do get hunger pangs no matter how much experience they have with intermittent fasting.
In this case, you can have 1-2 pieces of fruit throughout the day. This shouldn’t add up to any more than 200 calories plus you won’t feel a huge drain in energy compared to eating something high in carbs like a granola bar or a sandwich.
I recommend 2 large apples due to the large fiber and water content to keep you full
Supplement with some whey protein after you workout
If you train hard with weights 3-4 times per week while fasting (and you should) and follow the 1 meal per day diet then you should consume some 100% whey protein powder after working out so you don’t go half the day without any protein in your system.
I’m not really anal about the post-workout “window of opportunity,” but it’s best to get some protein in within 2-3 hours after your workout.
Why 100% whey protein? Because it has the most complete amino acid profile which is great for muscle growth and recovery.
As for which protein powder is best? Try Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey Gold Standard.
The one meal per day approach might not work great for muscle building
You can absolutely build quality, lean muscle by eating once per day.
BUT…some people need A LOT of calories to put on muscle and if you’re supposed to eat 4000 calories per day, it’s going to be pretty hard for some to get that in one meal.
So unless you have a huge appetite, I would probably be better off splitting it up into 3-6 meals.
For more info on gaining weight and building muscle, check out these posts:
Eating one meal per day vs. other intermittent fasting protocols
Eating once per day is just one version of intermittent fasting.
And there are dozens of other fasting/feasting protocols out there that play with different fasting and eating windows.
But after looking at all of them, you’ll notice that the majority of them have the same underlying concept – fast for an extended period of time and get the majority of your calories in a small eating window.
Let’s look at some of the other intermittent fasting systems and how they compare to eating once per day.
One meal per day vs. 16/8 Leangains
If you follow Leangains, this means you’ll be fasting for 16 hours per day and eating for the other 8 hours.
During the 8-hour eating window, you’ll typically be eating 2-3 main meals.
There really isn’t a big difference between a Leangains style fast and eating once per day. The main difference is in the eating window and that all boils down to personal preference.
One meal per day vs. Eat Stop Eat
Eating once per day and Eat Stop Eat are not the same thing.
Many people confuse the two since they both involve 24-hour fasts.
Here’s the difference:
Eating once per day – Fast for 24 hours, under eat during the day, and get your entire daily calorie intake in one meal, every day.
Eat Stop Eat – Completely fast for 24 hours 1-2 times per week (no calories at all), eat a “normal sized” meal at the end of the 24 hour fast.
The problem some people might face is defining what “normal sized” means. It’s basically telling you to not eat until you’re stuffed and make sensible food choices.
But if you want to get more technical, your meal after an ESE style fast should be no more than 40% of your daily calorie intake.
Read my Eat Stop Eat review here.
ESE forces you to create a massive calorie deficit on your fasting days while the one meal per day approach simply changes up your meal frequency but you still get the same amount of calories every day.
One meal per day vs. 2 meals per day
Nothing different here besides meal frequency. If you want to eat 2 meals per day, that’s fine, just make sure your overall calories are the same by the end of the day.
Can you mix and match different diet & fasting approaches
Absolutely!
I am all about diet flexibility.
If you want to follow the one meal per day approach one day and do 2-3 meals per day the next, that’s totally fine.
For example, you can structure your diet to look something like this:
- Monday: 1 meal
- Tuesday: 2 meals
- Wednesday: Eat Stop Eat
- Thursday: 1 meal
- Friday: 1 meal
- Saturday: 4 meals
- Sunday: 1 meal
Remember, a calorie deficit is the most important thing to create when dieting.
So just because you’re following a one meal per day diet doesn’t mean you literally have to eat one meal per day, EVERY SINGLE DAY.
If you want to go out and have brunch on Sunday, then screw it, have 2 meals that day. Don’t be obsessive about this stuff.
Recommended Reading: The 1000 calorie diet
The one meal per day FAQ
I’ve compiled a list of commonly asked questions from readers about eating one meal per day.
Hopefully, this answers all your questions and gets you on the right path.
What kind of foods should you eat?
There isn’t any single food that you should or shouldn’t eat.
If you have specific macro/calorie goals, you still need to hit them. The only difference is you have the luxury of hitting them in a single meal so for those that like to eat a ton of food in one sitting, you’re going to love this way of eating.
But obviously, you need to get a hefty amount of protein, a good amount of carbs, and some fat.
So something like a massive steak, some roasted potatoes, a big ass salad, plus some cookies and ice cream would make for a pretty epic feast.
Recommended reading: “What Are The Best Foods To Eat?” Here’s Your Answer, Now Stop Asking Me
How many calories per day should you eat in my one meal?
I recommend multiplying your bodyweight in pounds by 10-12 to get your daily calorie intake.
Use 10 if you have 50+ pounds to lose or if you’re a woman. Everyone else can start with 12.
This is just an estimate. It’s impossible for any formula to accurately tell you your daily calorie needs.
How many hours should you wait before going to sleep after you have your big meal?
Doesn’t matter. Sleep whenever you want.
What does this do to the metabolism?
Nothing bad. Read this article on metabolism myths for more info.
How long can you eat one meal per day for?
As long as you want. This isn’t a quick fix diet.
Eating once per day is a real, long-term approach to dieting that can work for as long as you want.
Does it matter whether you eat your one meal in the morning or at night?
Nope doesn’t matter at all.
It’s a matter of personal preference. Most people do it at night.
If you eat your one meal for breakfast or lunch, you might feel sluggish and tired the rest of the day since you have so much food in your system.
Could eating one meal per day be bad for you? I keep reading other articles online that say it’s bad for you.
No it’s not.
Most people criticizing eating once per day are just woefully ignorant. Read those articles, and you’ll find it’s just people making assumptions without any real-world data.
Can I eat McDonalds for my one meal?
Sure, but I wouldn’t eat fries and Big Macs every night.
Use some common sense here.
You can still eat the foods you love, but you should still be eating mostly whole, nutritious foods for maximize your health and performance.
I love to drink coffee. Can I drink coffee during the fast?
Yup, coffee is a great appetite suppressant to use while fasting.
Can I add milk and sugar to the coffee?
I would stick with zero calorie sweeteners if possible. A splash of milk is fine, but don’t go overboard.
Is eating one meal per day guaranteed to help you lose weight?
Of course not.
It will only work if you put in the work.
I know the majority of you reading this are looking for some magic fat loss hack but eating one meal per day is not that.
You still need to make sensible food choices and you still need to be consistent like any other diet.
Nothing is guaranteed in life.
I tried this diet and it doesn’t work for me? What do I do?
Impossible to say. Maybe you’re eating too many calories. Maybe you’re not tracking your calories correctly.
It’s usually one of those two problems.
Why do you recommend the main meal to be eaten at night?
Whatever you want but try to make it sensibly healthy.
That means something like grilled meat, a carb source like rice/pasta, some veggies, and maybe some ice cream at the end is great.
Obviously food choices vary from person and culture, but use some common sense.
Can you drink alcohol while doing this?
Having one drink per night is fine.
Everything in moderation.
Should you exercise before or after your meal?
Again, it doesn’t matter.
It’s all up to you. Find what works best with your schedule and lifestyle.
Do you need to count calories while eating one meal per day?
I personally recommend tracking calories when starting out, only because it gives you an unprecedented level of tracking.
If you’re not losing weight, then you know exactly why and you can adjust calories accordingly.
I never want people to become obsessed with tracking calories, but it does give you a level of precision that you can’t get anywhere else.
But as you become more advanced and can recognize/estimate portion sizes more accurately, then you can back off from the calorie counting.
What if you get hungry when fasting?
Here are some tips:
- Drink plenty of water, black coffee, and tea.
- Chew sugarless gum.
- Stay busy and productive. People eat more out of boredom than anything else.
How much water should you drink?
At a minimum, enough to stay hydrated.
Also, if you’re pissing green, then you probably need to drink more water (and see a doctor).
The “8 glasses per day” recommendation is pretty solid.
I will say that drinking more water can help ward off hunger pangs.
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Have you tried the one meal per day diet? Let me know what you’re experience was in the comments.
I have found that diet has had little to no impact on me, and most others to be honest. You can lose a little weight here and there or even ‘feel’ healthier but experiments have shown that weight is mostly determined by genetics (feel free to google it, its true). Most have the illusion that once they are normal sized like those around them; that they can eat like them and be lazy like them. Hate to break it you but if you are fat chances are you will have to put in the effort to fight your genetic code for the rest of your life. I think that’s why most fail; they just give up because having to do exercise everyday indefinitely (especially when you don’t enjoy it) and controlling everything you eat forever is daunting.
What I did was hammer the cardio a few hours everyday; I started at 20st so it was hell at first, hated every second of it. But after a few weeks I started to get what they call a runners high; it’s like a euphoric sensation from exercise and it made me want to exercise more and push harder. I burnt about 6st in a year! Not even kidding… The fatter you are the more hours of cardio you should be doing if you want to go there fast.
In summary; if you want to lose weight fast, buy an exercise bike or a rowing machine, hell; even a stepper. Then once a day, every day (with one rest day per week) absolutely smash it as hard as you can for at least an hour… If you are finding any of it too easy, you are not pushing hard enough.
It’s not a coincidence the dieting industry if worth billions, trust me guys as it stands with current technology; there is no easy or simple solution, just hard work.
“experiments have shown that weight is mostly determined by genetics (feel free to google it, its true). ”
Not sure how to even respond to that.
Well I’m going to assume you didn’t Google anything, no surprise there. Well, just off the top of my head; look up the Vermont prison overfeeding experiment.They basically found naturally skinny people, overfed them and deprived them of exercise for weeks… They found that at a certain point, they just couldn’t gain more weight. While the naturally bigger patients just continued to gain weight. There are more studies that have proven that weight is mostly genetic, but I’m sure you won’t even bother looking as from your previous comments; you seem to have some false sense of underserved arrogance. Anyway, another example would be the gene that tells people to stop eating when they are full, it discovery is confirmed and as you might of guessed, it’s not present in all people. If you can imagine how mixed the human gene pool is; it’s not really that hard to grasp the fact that most problems we have with our body stem from genetics.
Genetics are only a factor. Some people have very high metabolisms, which could totally be genetic. But weight loss is mostly a seperate issue. It’s about calories and the energy, that your body burns and uses.
I just started this diet this week I go to the gym I walk 3 miles on a tread mill everyday do you this this will help me lose weight I have a goal of losing 100 puonds
I know it works, but some days I’m just hungry around the middle of the day! Anyone have any success with varying the fasting time? Ie..2 meals one day (16 hour fast), 1 meal the next (20 hour fast)? I have been doing IF 16/8 for a couple of years now and it worked for a while. Now I’m menopausal 54 yrs old and struggling with the weight again. I believe my changing hormones may have an affect on the fasting period. Also, what about using 1 teaspoon coconut oil in the coffee? I have not been able to find a definitive answer on this. Thanks! Love this post.
I have been doing this for about 2 weeks and I am having great success. During the day if I get those hunger pains, its usually because I am idle. I have found that from noon on, I try to stay as busy as I can, both mentally and physically. Then I don’t even think about being hungry, and before you know it, its time to eat. This has helped me big time. I hope this can be helpful to you.
This is stupid
If you’re gonna do this
At least do it for breakfast
That way you’ll have actual energy to get you through the day
Why stoopid?
Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. I have more energy when I skip breakfast. When I eat, even protein, I feel full and more sluggish.
I am a type 1 diabetic (insulin-dependent diabetic with an insulin pump) and I started eating one meal per day about a year ago. I originally started doing this because I was lethargic during the day, probably because I would eat a huge breakfast and lunch (I was also 215 lb at 5’5″, but this was NOT the reason I started eating this way). The first two weeks took some adjustment for me because my daily insulin levels decreased by half and I was craving sweets during the day. Also, that first month I dropped 25 lb, which further decreased my insulin levels. After a few weeks, I was not as tired during the day, in fact, I had a some adrenaline from being a little hungry, which pushed me through my workday without lethargy. I would plan a great dinner and eat as much as I could eat during my meal; sometimes this meal is healthier (without dessert), sometimes, my one meal is all dessert. I found, over the course of months, my one meal decreased in size because my stomach was not as stretched during the day from constant eating. Also, as you move past craving sweets, you find that your meal become more well-rounded because you crave some veggies with your meat, bread and dessert. You learn to try to eat a little from each food group. You also do not feel like you are missing the “good stuff”, because if you want Bavarian-creme donut, you will get it in a few hours…NOT WHEN YOU DECIDE TO FAIL A “DIET”. As time goes on, your find that you are not thinking about your one meal nearly as much, and when the time comes to eat, you enjoy every bite that you can possibly fit into your tummy.
Points to remember:
First 2 weeks suck, majorly.
After 2 weeks:
-Your stomach shrinks
-You have more energy throughout the day
-You lose interest in food during the day and then really look forward to you meal at night
-At first, your meal become REALLY social. You are so excited about eating that you invite others over to celebrate with you or invite others to accompany you to the restaurant of your choice.
-You will lose weight without trying
-Your insulin levels will decrease, whether you are diabetic or not. Insulin controls serum glucose, but also is a fat storage hormone that helps you pack on the pounds when you secrete too much of it.
-After a few months, you will naturally gravitate to having a variety of foods in your one meal.
I would agree with the author that if you are an athlete, pregnant or a child / teenager, you should not adopt this type of eating habit, or you need to heavily modify it. But if you are reading this, you are probably not a child. If you are pregnant, you should be seeking your doctor’s recommendation about any changes in your life (not just food). If you are an athlete, you probably have your diet down to a science. The rest of us overweight-Americans, I think this will help get our weight under control, help rid our dependence on constant snacking and sweet foods, give us the energy to not be so lazy (from being lethargic) and also give us our daily satisfaction that Americans are accustomed.
I do not agree with the author in that you should snack on fruit outside of your meal time. At least with me, give me an inch and I will take a mile. Having bites of food during the day is like opening Pandora’s Box. Push through it and carry on. If you are hungry, just know that in about 4-5 hours, you can have an entire pecan pie if you can fit it into your tummy in one sitting. You will survive, I promise. (Side note, diabetics / hypoglycemics, if you go low, drink some juice and stop your insulin [if you have an insulin pump] until you are back at a normal glucose.) If you are a diabetic that is NOT on an insulin pump, consult your physician.
Currently I am around 160-ish lb (I only get on the scale at the doctor’s office). Food is not a battle anymore, but rather, an event that I look forward to at the end of my day. I hope this helps.
Hey! I’m a week in. I work out after my main meal in the night, is this okay? Also how much water would you recommend for this? I struggle with fluid intake (not a fan. I live on 500ml a day minus 1cup of Cocoa).
If you feel fine after the meal, it’s fine. Drink enough water to keep yourself hydrated.
I love fasting during the day and having one evening meal. I run half marathons quite often and if I’m planning on going for a long run, I love to carb load the night before (i.e. eat all my calories for that day the night before). For my level of training (female 5’7″), that usually adds up to around 2500-2800 calories.
I sleep wonderfully and always wake up refreshed and filled with energy for the run. Make sure you drink tons of water during the day to curb appetite and cleanse the body until the evening. Also don’t wait too late to eat. I need a solid three hours to finish everything sometimes – but I’m vegan/gluten free so my food is less calorically dense.
If you are prone to binge eating tendencies or restricting at all, don’t try this. But as long as you get in enough calories each evening, there is no problem at all. I highly recommend it for athletes.
I follow a ketosis diet and realized even with this diet fasting is super important! You cant eat all day and be successful, I don’t care which one you follow Im now 115 pounds 5’1″ and I was 177! People always ask what I eat who knew me as heavy. I said its more about what you don’t eat than what you do eat! Thank you for sharing.
How long did it take you to loose from 177 to 115??
Does this guarantee weight loss??
only if you do the work. nothing is guaranteed.
I’m on day 5 of eating one meal a day and fasting the rest. I absolutely love it. It makes perfect sense to my lifestyle and it’s so good being able to just smash it all in one meal.
I’m starting today. I do plan on making a protein shake after early morning workouts (115 cals or less@4:30-6a.m.) and an under 200 homemade snack/meal (between 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.). Otherwise, I’ll eat dinner by 7 p.m. On weekends I’ll skip the 11-1 snack/meal. 1200 cal max/40 net carb max daily goals or less
I can attest to this diet, however my routine was different. I waited until about 3pm to eat, and I would either walk or run on alternating days about 2hrs prior to eating. This was fine because I was out of work at the time (I shed 25lbs over approx. 30day period). I’m going to attempt to do this again, but will have to fit my eating and exercising in later in the day after work. My thinking is to still exercise before eating, because I don’t like the idea of exercising after eating, but I’m concerned about not having enough energy to have a good workout. I can also attest to the initial hunger pains going away after a week or so, and that exercising in a fasting state really does force your body to burn fat more efficiently. Wish me luck!
Is it possible to lose a 100 pounds on this diet? How long will it take?
I weigh 245 pounds and i’m 5-4, female, 37.
Has anyone lost that much weight following this diet?
Absolutely, but you have to remember that this way of eating is just another way of creating a calorie deficit. If you need to eat 2000 cals pper day to lose weight, there would be no noticeable difference if you split that up into 2 meals or just ate one big meal per day.
Gonna try it starting today! 🙂
One big meal a day sounds more…yum than two small ones lol
What is this diet called? It cant be the warrior diet as you still eat small amounts a day. Need more research.
you can call it whatever you want. I just call it eating once per day.
Can u chew gum when ur on the diet during fasting periods
yup totally fine.