One Meal a Day (OMAD) sounds extreme, right? Honestly, it is. Yet, for most of 2024, that’s exactly how I lived—surviving on just one meal a day. Looking back, I know it sounds unconventional (borderline mad, even), and I wouldn’t recommend it to everyone. For a long time, I kept this experiment to myself—only close friends knew. Not even my family! My mum, in particular, would’ve had a lot to say about it.
Now, I’m finally ready to share why I made the decision to eat just one meal a day for an entire year and, just as importantly, why I eventually stopped.
The Brain on Survival Mode
Let’s start with the brain—my favorite topic. Your brain’s number one job is survival. Reproduction comes next, but survival is always the top priority. You might think happiness ranks high on the list, but nope—that’s on us to figure out. Happiness isn’t the brain’s job.
When I deprived my body of nutrients, my brain went into overdrive. I could almost feel it buzzing with activity, working overtime to find energy: Where’s the fat? Where are the carbs?
Thankfully, I’d been following a keto diet for five years, so my body was already efficient at using fat for fuel. But here’s the bigger question: Why would I willingly subject myself to this?
The Emotional Reset
In early 2024, I was recovering from a difficult relationship. That emotional toll had already affected my appetite, and before I knew it, I had naturally fallen into the rhythm of eating just one meal a day.
To my surprise, I felt better—emotionally stable, even. On those long fasting days, the emotional turbulence that usually consumed me seemed to fade into the background.
At first, I thought this newfound clarity might be tied to hormonal changes during my menstrual cycle. But after paying closer attention, I realized there was more at play. My brain, laser-focused on keeping me alive during fasting, had less energy to dwell on heartache or overanalyze past events.
Fasting shifted my brain’s priorities. When you’re hungry, your brain doesn’t know there’s a fully stocked fridge nearby. It only reacts to the lack of incoming nutrients. It assumes famine has struck and activates survival mode.
The Science Behind Fasting
What’s fascinating is how your brain adapts during fasting. Studies suggest that fasting triggers the release of chemicals like brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Think of it as fertiliser for your brain—it boosts your mood, sharpens your focus, and increases emotional resilience.
Fasting can also lower cortisol levels, the stress hormone, over time. As a result, you feel calmer. Meanwhile, your nervous system shifts into a recalibration mode. Without the constant task of digesting food, your body takes the opportunity to repair itself.
For me, fasting became more than just a way of eating. It was an emotional reset.
What OMAD Taught Me
I’m not here to say that fasting is a magical cure for emotional pain—it’s not. But in my case, it offered clarity and emotional stability that I hadn’t felt in a long time.
OMAD taught me the power of simplifying my routine and how focusing on the basics—like eating and nourishing my body—can shift mental and emotional patterns.
Eventually, though, I decided to transition to two meals a day (what many call intermittent fasting). It felt like the right balance for me—a way to maintain the benefits of fasting while supporting my body and lifestyle.
-- Written by Hala, founder of Dietapplements
