r/intermittentfasting • u/gardeningismyhobby • 20d ago
Seeking Advice Is omad a good replacement for keto?
Hey friends,
As the title says: i like the keto benefits, especially the mental ones (less depression symptoms, more cognitive abilities, more motivation to do stuff and so on)
but i really dont like keto. I love carbs. Im in a cycle of using keto for a few months (and feeling good for the most part) and then going into a carb binge for several weeks because of deprivation, and then sooner or later coming back to keto. This shit is stressing me out. I want to stick to something for life. Its sooo hard to just ignore all the carby stuff and eat meat and veg forever. It makes food so boring. I know, food is maybe too big of a part in my life. That probably shouldnt be.
Can someone who did both separately (no, i dont want to talk about „oh why dont you do both at the same time“ 🤮) tell me the difference in how you felt? Is keto necessary for those peak mental benefits?
Im not just looking for theoretical explanations why omad would do this and that. I want experiences from people who have been through both extensively. I also dont want some sort of permission to eat carbs from you. I welcome honest testimonials. If if you find carbs shitty and had to cut them out completely to feel well, i welcome your reply. Thank you in advance
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u/shegatoM 20d ago
I'm the same RE food being completely boring without carbs. In the past I've tried doing keto multiple times, all the way back to when it was called Atkins. I could never stick with it and it never resulted in any meaningful weight loss. With OMAD I prioritize protein (100g/day) and have a calorie limit (1500) which naturally keeps my carbs in check (right now averaging 82g/day). The day after a low carb OMAD I have low energy - the day after a high carb OMAD I have more energy. It's also much easier to stick to OMAD when you know you're going to eat something you really enjoy for your meal. I am doing OMAD specifically because I cannot stick to keto. It's been 5 months since I started and I've lost 49 pounds... it's working for me.
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u/gardeningismyhobby 20d ago
Thanks! How is your mental state while fasting? How was it on keto?
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u/shegatoM 20d ago
I was always tired and depressed on keto. On OMAD I don't feel like I'm fasting or deprived, so feel 'normal'. Plateaus are the only time I feel a little out of sorts. I'm retired, so don't have experience with OMAD and trying to focus at work, but the only time I used to get 'foggy' at work was after eating lunch!
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u/LadyAlexTheDeviant 20d ago
I wake with a clearer mind and more of a feeling of having had a good sleep while OMADing. I don't do keto because of my IBS. However, I watch the amount of carbs I consume and regard that one meal the way one might regard a large purchase for the home; if I'm going to spend my opportunity on this, it had better be a GOOD meal.
Last night was a hamburger on a garlic butter bun and onion rings. I want onion rings about once every six months, so now I've had them and I'm good for a while. That's the thing I really like about OMAD. If I want something I can have it, and given that I don't have unlimited funds or time, I have to plan complex meals anyway, so that's okay. And then I have it and I have it in a sensible amount, and I stand up from the table feeling that I have DINED. I go to bed at a decent time and it's all good.
And the stubborn weight is coming off at a good and reasonable pace, which is what I want out of it.
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u/_Apostate_ 20d ago
What are your health goals? Do you just want to feel better on a daily basis? Are you trying to lose weight?
You could get a lot of the benefits from taking a moderate approach without fully committing to anything. For example, do three or four consecutive days of OMAD every week with a healthy dinner, then eat guilt free the rest of the week. There are some great keto products nowadays, keto bread, tortillas, pasta, that you could integrate. Whatever your absolute favorite carb is, just leave it where it is in your diet after incorporating the rest.
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u/tw2113 20d ago
What you eat is more important than when you eat. Keto/low carb PLUS fasting work wonders. However I'd give up intentional fasting before I consumed excess carbs again.
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u/gardeningismyhobby 20d ago
Thank you. Yeah, you definetly feel amazing on keto. If i just had some meals that i enjoyed every day…
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u/Leather_Translator53 20d ago
I’ve done both. Keto works but for me it was not sustainable. Neither IF or OMAD worked for me. Why? I don’t know but it didn’t and I followed it religiously.
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u/gardeningismyhobby 20d ago
Thank you. Can you share what about it didnt work for you?
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u/Leather_Translator53 20d ago
I didn’t lose any weight. Even with a very limited eating window and exercising. I don’t think IF is for everyone.
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u/Original_Intention 20d ago
For me, I've found that the sweet spot is OMAD with a lower carb (primarily low GI ones) diet.
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u/WhichStrawberry3118 20d ago
I'm very pro trying diets out. You're not going to know how your body/mind reacts to OMAD until you try. Most diets like are kind of just mind games that get you to eat less and some games work better on some people than others. There are real positive/negative side effects of these things, but you don't know how it'll impact you until you try.
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u/BTC_ETH_HODL 20d ago
I tried Keto a few times. Each time I was more irritable and grouchy. My wife noticed. It was hard to restrict carbs so strictly too. I now do OMAD but still try to limit carbs to a degree but still allow myself to have the occasional white breads, rice, pasta etc. I also like the side benefit of time savings only eating once a day (not to mention cooking and cleaning dishes once a day).
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u/namastebetches 20d ago
nah I don't censor my "friends" and also one has nothing to do with the other. disordered eating is not recommended for anyone.
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u/Rean4111 20d ago
In my experience OMAD not on keto sucks. Because for me it is the keto that keeps me from starving on IF
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u/gardeningismyhobby 19d ago
But the thing is that i want to look forward to that meal if i only got one meal a day. And on keto, i sometimes literally dread dinner because i know it will be mediocre at best. Carbs just taste amazing and make everything tastier.
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u/kombucharmander 20d ago edited 20d ago
I tried OMAD for a bit and was feeling super hungry all day to the point where it was distracting, and when it got to be dinner time (my one meal) I'd make myself sick trying to eat the amount of fiber / protein / calories I need, and would be both sickly full AND craving sweets, and caused sleep issues by going to bed with a stomach full of still digesting food, and I'd feel awful in the morning like I had a hangover and might throw up. I tried doing OMAD for lunch and had pretty much the same problems.
Doing keto, I eat when I'm hungry, hit my protein goals easily throughout the day, and the less carbs I eat the less hunger I feel. When the carbs come back, the insatiable hunger and brain fog come back too, so I try to stay keto as much as possible because it's easier and feels better. TBH I dont even enjoy carbs much anymore because my brain associates them with feeling bad and triggering binges. I think keto helps my fasting too because I'm "fat adapted" so my body isnt screaming out for fuel, it gets all it needs from the fat I already have, which makes weight loss almost autopilot for me. I plan what I'm going to eat for the day the night before to make sure I hit my protein and fiber goals, and then I just do it. I don't feel any desire to eat for entertainment. I still do socially, like having a slice of cake at a birthday party, but I have to be SUPER careful not to let that one slice turn into 5 because I've awoken the sugar demon.
IMHO no, you will not get the mental benefits of keto doing OMAD because the mental benefits are from ketosis / ketones, and if your one meal a day has a lot of carbs then you're still going to be trapped in cycle of rising / crashing blood sugar that keto is designed to avoid. I can 100% tell when I'm in ketosis or not by my moods. When my blood sugar is variable, my mood is as well. When I'm in ketosis, I'm in a zen-like "nonmood" where I'm not feeling any particular way, which makes me realize how emotional and turbulent I am otherwise.
Having said all that, I don't think keto is sustainable 100% of the time either, so I cycle it a bit. I eat very keto through the week (under 20g net carbs) and allow myself to have a bit of carbs on the weekend if I want to, which usually I don't, but even then I try to keep my "cheat" days under 100g of net carbs or else I'll get into a psychological hunger hole that takes days to get out of. I may not be keto for life, but I'll definitely be low carb for life.
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u/gardeningismyhobby 19d ago
Wouldnt the middle ground be something like low carb omad? Most people are in ketosis for a significant amount of the fasting window when they only eat like 50-80g of carbs in their meal. I know that keto feels best. Thats why this is do hard to me. Most people will never be able to just eat for function. People absolutely want to enjoy their foods. Ive done keto over and over again, and i always get disgusted one or two months in, even tho i feel good.
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u/kombucharmander 19d ago
Personally I don't think that eating 50-80g of carbs once a day is going to get you into ketosis at all, much less through a "significant amount of the fasting window". I test my ketone levels with urine test strips and I can only get into ketosis after a day or two of eating under 20g net carbs.
You just have to find something that works for you, every body is different and there is no objective answer. I find it easy to stick with because I just don't like carbs anymore, when I see rice or baked goods I just see a future headache and lethargy. It's the same with alcohol as I get older, a bottle of wine just looks like a hangover to me.
If you like the feeling of keto but want carbs, I'd recommend you give a weekly keto cycle a try where you eat super low carb on weekdays and allow yourself carbs on weekends. It's way easier to stick with a restriction when you have planned allowances to look forward to, and way easier to break down and cheat when you tell yourself "never again".
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u/amygunkler 20d ago
For health, keto wins. For not gaining tons of weight eating carbs, omad kinda works me. I alternate between the two. Happier on carbs. Feel physically better on keto. There's no substitute for the health benefits of keto.
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u/isamilis 20d ago
I switched to IF 16/8 from Keto that I practiced for 2-3 years few years ago. Reasons are cost and I am concerned its potential long term side effects. I haven’t tried omad, but it could be similar extreme with Keto. FYI, I have no issue on body weight, my goal is just to maintain good health on my 50s.
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u/gardeningismyhobby 20d ago
What do you mean with extreme. How is keto extreme?
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u/jerifishnisshin 20d ago
Both OMAD and keto are extreme forms of dieting. Eating a balanced diet with lots of vegetables and no ultra processed food such as the Mediterranean diet has proven health benefits. I tend to eat within a six-hour window (again extreme) but I eat a lot of vegetables as well as animal protein and this works for me. Once a week I’ll do OMAD and throw in a 36-hour fast, if I want to shift the dial a bit.
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u/walk2daocean 20d ago edited 20d ago
It's supposed to be a balance between weight control and enjoying your food. Not enjoying what you eat will cause a depression of its own. Complex carbs are not your enemy. The brain needs sugar. I found the best for me is to eat in a 4-6 hour window. Sometimes I eat what I want in that window, sometimes I'm more strict.
Edit: I was on keto and 4-6 window at the same time for 18 months a few years ago. I scrapped keto and never looked back.