OMAD Intermittent Fasting - Doctor discusses One Meal A Day - Effective? Safe? Sustainable? Healthy?

Summary

Dr. Chan explores the OMAD (One Meal a Day) intermittent fasting approach, addressing its effectiveness for short-term weight loss, safety concerns, and sustainability as a lifestyle choice. He emphasizes the importance of consulting a doctor before starting OMAD, especially for those with medical conditions or on medication. Dr. Chan raises concerns about the long-term health implications of OMAD, particularly regarding the adequacy and quality of a single daily meal to meet nutritional needs.

Takeaways

• 🍽️ Intermittent fasting, including OMAD (One Meal a Day), has gained popularity, especially for weight loss purposes.
• 🕒 The 16:8, 18:6, 20:4, OMAD, alternate day fasting, and 5:2 are different forms of intermittent fasting that people practice.
• 🏥 Dr. Chan, a medical doctor from Singapore, advises consulting a doctor before starting OMAD, especially for those with pre-existing conditions or on medication.
• 🤔 The effectiveness of OMAD for weight loss is suggested to be significant for most people, but the degree of weight loss varies individually.
• ⚠️ Safety concerns are raised about OMAD, emphasizing that what works for others may not be safe for everyone, hence the need for medical advice.
• 🔄 The sustainability of OMAD is subjective; some find it liberating and convenient, while others may find it challenging.
• 🌟 Dr. Chan's experience indicates that for some busy and driven individuals, OMAD can be a sustainable lifestyle choice.
• 🍲 Long-term OMAD practice may not be healthy for most due to difficulties in ensuring nutritional adequacy and variety in a single daily meal.
• 🛑 There is a risk of resorting to poor-quality meals when life gets busy, which could affect long-term health on an OMAD diet.
• 🧘‍♂️ The video emphasizes the importance of considering the practicality and health implications of OMAD before committing to it long-term.
• 📚 The script is part of a series on intermittent fasting, aiming to provide useful perspectives for those interested in OMAD.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video by Dr. Chan?

The main topic of the video is to discuss the effectiveness, safety, sustainability, and health aspects of OMAD (One Meal a Day) Intermittent Fasting.

Why does Dr. Chan often hear questions about intermittent fasting from his patients?

Dr. Chan often hears these questions because many of his patients are interested in or have started practicing intermittent fasting, particularly for weight loss, and they seek his professional opinion on its safety and long-term effects.

What are the different versions of intermittent fasting mentioned in the video?

The different versions of intermittent fasting mentioned include 16:8, 18:6, 20:4, OMAD, alternate day fasting, and 5:2.

What is Dr. Chan's professional background related to intermittent fasting?

Dr. Chan is a medical doctor from Singapore with an interest in lifestyle medicine. He conducts lifestyle and diet modification training and coaching programs and helps patients improve their eating habits to manage chronic conditions like diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Why does Dr. Chan believe OMAD might be effective for short-term weight loss?

Dr. Chan believes OMAD might be effective for short-term weight loss because it represents a significant change from usual eating patterns, which often results in a reduction of overall daily caloric intake.

What does Dr. Chan recommend before starting OMAD, especially for those with existing medical conditions?

Dr. Chan strongly recommends consulting a doctor before starting OMAD, particularly for individuals with existing medical conditions or those taking long-term daily medications, to ensure it is safe for them.

What is Dr. Chan's view on the sustainability of OMAD as a lifestyle choice?

Dr. Chan suggests that while many people may find OMAD challenging, there are those who find it liberating and convenient, making it potentially sustainable for some individuals from a practical lifestyle perspective.

What is Dr. Chan's primary concern regarding the long-term health effects of practicing OMAD?

Dr. Chan's primary concern is the adequacy and quality of the diet for those practicing OMAD long-term. He worries that most people may struggle to ensure their single daily meal is nutritionally balanced and varied enough to support long-term health.

Why does Dr. Chan emphasize the importance of meal planning for those considering long-term OMAD?

Dr. Chan emphasizes meal planning because it is crucial to ensure that the single daily meal contains all the necessary macronutrients and micronutrients for maintaining long-term good health, which can be challenging to achieve consistently.

What advice does Dr. Chan give to people who are considering trying OMAD or other forms of extended fasting?

Dr. Chan advises people to consult their doctor before starting OMAD or any other forms of extended fasting, especially if they have existing medical conditions or are on long-term daily medications, to understand the potential risks and impacts on their health.

What is the purpose of the video series on 'intermittent fasting' by Dr. Chan?

The purpose of the video series is to provide useful perspectives and insights on intermittent fasting, particularly OMAD, to help people interested in this dietary practice make informed decisions about whether it is suitable for them.

Outlines

00:00

🍽️ OMAD: Effectiveness and Safety Considerations

In this segment, Dr. Chan introduces the topic of One Meal a Day (OMAD) as a form of intermittent fasting and discusses its popularity, particularly for weight loss. He highlights the common questions he receives from patients about the safety and long-term sustainability of this dietary practice. Dr. Chan emphasizes the importance of understanding the goals of OMAD and whether it is effective for short-term weight loss. He also stresses the need for medical consultation before starting OMAD, especially for those with pre-existing conditions or on long-term medication, to ensure it is safe for them. The summary underscores the potential effectiveness of OMAD for weight loss and the necessity of personalized medical advice.

05:04

🌱 Sustainability and Health Implications of OMAD

Dr. Chan delves into the sustainability of OMAD, challenging the common belief that it is impractical for long-term adherence. He shares his observations that some individuals find OMAD liberating and convenient, contrary to the general assumption that it requires excessive discipline. However, he raises concerns about the health implications of long-term OMAD practice, particularly regarding the adequacy and quality of a single daily meal. Dr. Chan points out that maintaining a balanced diet with sufficient macronutrients and micronutrients is crucial for long-term health and that many people may struggle to achieve this with OMAD. He concludes by reiterating the importance of consulting a doctor before adopting OMAD or any form of extended fasting, especially for those with medical conditions or on daily medications.

Keywords

💡Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting is an eating pattern that alternates between periods of eating and fasting. It has gained popularity as a method for weight loss and potential health benefits. In the video, Dr. Chan discusses the various forms of intermittent fasting, including OMAD, and addresses questions of its effectiveness, safety, and sustainability.

💡OMAD (One Meal a Day)

OMAD stands for 'One Meal a Day,' a form of intermittent fasting where individuals consume all their daily calories within a single meal, typically skipping breakfast and lunch. Dr. Chan focuses on this method in the video, discussing its potential effectiveness for short-term weight loss and the considerations one should make before adopting it.

💡Weight Loss

Weight loss is the reduction of body mass, often achieved through a combination of diet and exercise. In the context of the video, Dr. Chan suggests that OMAD might be effective for short-term weight loss due to the significant reduction in daily caloric intake, which is a common goal for those practicing intermittent fasting.

💡Safety

Safety in the video refers to the health risks or concerns associated with adopting OMAD. Dr. Chan emphasizes the importance of consulting a doctor before starting OMAD, especially for individuals with pre-existing medical conditions or those on long-term medications, to ensure it is a safe choice for them.

💡Sustainability

Sustainability in this context refers to the long-term feasibility of maintaining the OMAD diet. Dr. Chan mentions that while many might find it challenging, some people find OMAD sustainable and liberating due to the reduced frequency of meals, which can be more convenient and enjoyable for their lifestyle.

💡Health

Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being. Dr. Chan raises concerns about the long-term health implications of OMAD, particularly regarding the adequacy and quality of the single daily meal to meet nutritional needs for sustained good health.

💡Nutritional Adequacy

Nutritional adequacy refers to the balance of nutrients required for maintaining health. Dr. Chan expresses concern that most people practicing OMAD might struggle to ensure their single meal provides all the necessary macronutrients and micronutrients for long-term health, which is crucial for a sustainable and healthy diet.

💡Lifestyle Medicine

Lifestyle medicine is an emerging medical specialty that focuses on the use of lifestyle modifications as therapeutic interventions. Dr. Chan, being familiar with this field, discusses OMAD within the broader context of lifestyle changes that can impact health, such as diet and exercise.

💡Macronutrients

Macronutrients are nutrients that the body needs in relatively large amounts, including carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. In the video, Dr. Chan implies that ensuring a balanced intake of macronutrients in the single daily meal of OMAD could be challenging, which is essential for maintaining health.

💡Micronutrients

Micronutrients are nutrients needed by the body in smaller quantities, such as vitamins and minerals. Dr. Chan points out the importance of including a variety of micronutrients in the OMAD meal to support overall health, which can be difficult to achieve consistently.

💡Diabetes

Diabetes is a chronic condition characterized by high blood sugar levels due to insufficient insulin production or insulin resistance. Dr. Chan mentions his experience in helping patients with diabetes, indicating that dietary changes, such as those involved in OMAD, can have implications for managing this condition.

Highlights

Dr. Chan discusses the effectiveness, safety, sustainability, and health aspects of One Meal a Day (OMAD) intermittent fasting.

Intermittent fasting is popular for weight loss, but Dr. Chan emphasizes the importance of understanding its impact on metabolism and health.

Different versions of intermittent fasting are mentioned, including 16:8, 18:6, 20:4, OMAD, alternate day fasting, and 5:2.

Dr. Chan's experience with lifestyle medicine and diet modification training informs his perspective on OMAD.

Effectiveness of OMAD for short-term weight loss is acknowledged, but individual results may vary.

Safety concerns are raised, with a recommendation to consult a doctor before starting OMAD, especially for those with medical conditions or on medication.

Sustainability of OMAD is debated, with some finding it liberating and convenient, while others may find it challenging.

The importance of meal planning for ensuring nutritional adequacy in OMAD is highlighted.

Dr. Chan expresses concern over the long-term health implications of OMAD due to potential nutritional deficiencies.

The necessity of a balanced diet with sufficient macronutrients and micronutrients for long-term health is emphasized.

Practical challenges of maintaining a healthy diet with only one meal a day are discussed.

Dr. Chan advises against assuming OMAD's safety based on others' experiences, stressing individual differences.

The video aims to provide food for thought for those interested in OMAD, without delving into the detailed science behind intermittent fasting.

A strong recommendation is made for individuals with existing medical conditions or on medication to consult their doctor before starting OMAD.

The complexity and nuances of intermittent fasting and OMAD are acknowledged, with a call for further understanding before practice.

Dr. Chan concludes by reiterating the importance of medical consultation and providing a balanced view on OMAD's potential benefits and risks.

Transcripts

OMAD, One Meal a Day Intermittent Fasting –  Is it Effective, Safe, Sustainable or Healthy?  

is the topic of this video. Hi I am Dr Chan,  and questions such as “Doctor, I have been just  

started practising intermittent fasting, is  it safe or healthy for me to continue doing  

so for months or years?”, is something I hear  often from my patients. Intermittent fasting, a  

dietary practice or lifestyle has been the rage in  recent years, especially amongst people trying to  

lose weight. Do you practise intermittent fasting  too? Why do you practise intermittent fasting,  

is it also for weight loss like most people? What  version of intermittent fasting do you practise?  

16:8, 18:6, 20:4, OMAD, alternate day fasting, 5:2 or other forms of extended fasting. But in this  

video, part of a series of videos that I am doing  on various topics related to intermittent fasting,  

I want to focus on sharing my observations on  OMAD, the one meal a day version of intermittent  

fasting, and the general advice and words of  caution that I would usually give to people,  

including my patients who tell me that they  are practising Intermittent Fasting, especially OMAD,

If you are interested, watch on.

Hi guys, welcome back to my channel If you are new here, I am Dr Chan, I am a medical doctor from Singapore.

I am quite familiar with the topic of intermittent fasting because  of my interest in lifestyle medicine

and also because of my work conducting lifestyle and diet modification training and coaching programmes

as well as my experience in helping my patients 

to modify and improve their eating habits to better  

control and combat their diabetes, weight issues,  cardiovascular disease or other lifestyle-related  

chronic conditions. So, in the course of my work,  I frequently encounter and have to give advice to  

many people, who on their own accord, chose  to practise some form of intermittent fasting,  

regardless of whether I recommended it or not. So,  let’s jump into the topic of today’s video – OMAD,  

One Meal a Day Intermittent Fasting  – Is it Effective, Safe, Sustainable  

and most importantly Healthy? For this video,  I do not want geek out on you on the details  

of the science on intermittent fasting, I just  want to focus on simple, practical but important  

questions that you should ask before embarking  on OMAD, or decide to continue practising OMAD,  

having only one meal for a long time. Number 1. – Is it Effective?  

The question should actually be, what  is it effective for? What is your goal?  

If it is for short term weight loss, it probably  would be effective to some degree for most people,  

because OMAD, one meal a day eating pattern  would probably be a very drastic departure  

from the usual eating patterns for most  people. As I said earlier, I do not intend to go int to the

detailed science behind intermittent fasting and join  

the debate on the impact of intermittent fasting  and OMAD, whether good or bad, on metabolism,  

carbohydrate tolerance, insulin resistance etc.  I just want to put it to you, simply, that - any  

dietary practice change that is drastically  different from what you normally practise  

would very likely result in a significant change  in your body. So OMAD, eating only one meal a day,  

which usually translate to a significant or at  least some degree of reduction of overall daily  

caloric intake for most people, would also usually  translate to some degree of short term weight  

loss. And that degree of weight loss varies from  person to person, depending on what that person’s  

eating pattern was before OMAD and how much and  what that person eats during OMAD. So, I would say  

OMAD is probably effective for short term weight  loss, at least to some degree, for most people.  

Number 2. – Is it Safe? For this, I would strongly recommend  

that you speak to and consult your doctor, before  you embark on OMAD, eating only one meal a day,  

especially if you have some kind of existing  medical conditions, and even more so if you are  

taking long term daily medications. At this point,  I can already imagine many of you pushing back  

saying to me, “Doctor, I know of many friends  who practise OMAD and also saw many videos on  

Youtube of people trying OMAD and it was safe  for them, so it should also be safe for me,  

why are you recommending that I speak to my doctor  before starting on OMAD? Isn’t that an overkill,  

is that really necessary?”; My reply to you  would be, this is not how science works, just  

because it was safe, nothing untoward happened  to your friends or the people you saw on Youtube  

videos practising OMAD, does not necessarily mean  that OMAD is also going to be 100% safe for you,  

just because OMAD was safe for most people, does  not mean that OMAD is also 100% safe for everyone.  

So I am still going to stick to my recommendation,  however ludicrous that may sound to you,  

that if you have access to a doctor, it would  be best that you consult your doctor before  

starting on OMAD. Number 3. – Is it sustainable? Meaning is it possible, in a practical sense,  

to practise OMAD for a long time, or even  choosing to practise just having one meal a day  

permanently as a lifestyle choice. Most people,  especially those who have not tried OMAD before  

would probably think that it is not sustainable.  Most people cannot imagine going on just one meal  

a day for too long, they think that it would be  too difficult to do so and would require a lot  

of discipline. Here’s my answer, and my answer  might be surprising to most, OMAD, taking just  

one meal a day, not that I am recommending it,  I am just sharing from my experience in coaching  

and advising the many people, who on their own,  chose to practise OMAD, might actually be quite  

sustainable for some people, and I am not  referring to sustainability in a medical or  

health sense, but sustainability  from a day to day practical lifestyle perspective.  

Quite a number of people I know, especially  people who are generally very driven and busy,  

actually find OMAD very liberating, they find  that taking only one meal a day free them from  

the stress of having to find food three four or  even five times a day. So whilst many people might  

find OMAD challenging and not sustainable, there  are also many people who think that practising OMAD,  

eating only one meal a day, not only  sustainable, but actually very convenient,  

enjoyable and desirable as a lifestyle. But to  these people who are planning to practise OMAD  

for a long time, or even as a permanent lifestyle  choice for the foreseeable future, I would like to  

highlight to them and bring them to question no.  4 for this video. Is Practising OMAD Healthy?  

For this question of whether OMAD, eating only  one meal a day, whether it is healthy or not,  

I would like to focus the discussion only on the  long term practice of OMAD, in terms of months  

and especially if it is practised as a baseline  lifestyle choice for a long time. My answer would  

be, it might not be healthy to do so, for most  people. My concern is that, bar the minority of  

people who are very disciplined, who have the  knowledge of and the time to do detailed meal  

planning, most people would find it very difficult to ensure that the quality and variety of the foods  

that they have in their meals that they eat only  once a day would have all the essentials for long  

term good health. My experience and observation  are that most people would already find eating  

healthily, even just occasionally, difficult  enough, eating healthily at every single meal,  

which would be what is required for people who  intend to practise OMAD long term, is going to  

be even more difficult for most people. For an  eating habit, eating pattern to be healthy, health  

promoting in the long run, it must be adequate,  have enougj quality, balance and variety in terms of all  

the different macronutrients and micronutrients  that are essential for long term good health.  

From my observation of people who practise OMAD  long term, this is where most of them would fall  

short and I am concerned. Because it is so easy  to frequently resort to having or settle for  

an obviously inadequate, poor quality convenient  meal especially when one gets caught up with the  

busyness of life, the stresses of life. So  on this question of whether OMAD is healthy,  

I am concerned. I am conncerned about the adequacy and quality of the diets of people who practice OMAD long term,  

even if it is just from the purely practical  perspective of having to ensure that one’s single,  

only meal every day has enough  quality and variety to meet the  

essentials for long term good health.  

This topic of intermittent fasting, OMAD, and its  impact on health, is a very big and complex topic,  

with many nuances and caveats that people  who intend to try intermittent fasting,  

and especially OMAD, need to know before doing  so. So for this video, I had intentionally kept  

it simple because all I wanted to achieve  for this video was to share perspectives  

that I hope would be useful food for thought  for people who are interested in OMAD. I am  

still strongly recommending that people should  consult their doctor before starting OMAD or  

any other forms of extended fasting especially  for people who have existing medical conditions  

or are on long term daily medications.  I hope you have found this video,  

part of my ‘intermittent fasting’ series of videos  useful. I am doctor chan. Thank you for watching.