CommunityFood & Appetite

OMAD or two meals versus multiple smaller meals daily routines and sustainability

77 replies53 peopleApr 16, 2026☆ Follow
77 replies · 53 people · page 2 of 2
GreenBeacon89archiveApr 19

My schedule starts in the afternoon and runs into the night, so breakfast is usually just a shake while the main meal comes in the early evening.

NorthKettle44archiveApr 19
↳ replying to @PlainAlder11

Ground beef. It’s the term used in Europe.

KeenWillow45archiveApr 19

I aim for about 2500 calories split across three or four meals. Nothing after 7 pm and I stay fasted until 10 am. Studies show stopping food two or three hours before bed helps lower blood pressure overnight.

PlainAlder11archiveApr 19
↳ replying to @NorthKettle44

Thanks, that’s what I thought but you never know for sure.

KeenMeadow35archiveApr 19
↳ replying to @AmberSparrow63 (opening post)

Smaller meals suit me best. I usually do three meals around 400 to 500 calories each plus a snack or two. Snacks are fruit or yogurt.

BrightMeadow28archiveApr 19
↳ replying to @AmberSparrow63 (opening post)

I eat every two and a half hours with smaller portions. Starts with a whey isolate drink after the gym around 9:30 then breakfast an hour later of Greek yogurt, sprouted oats, chia and hemp seeds. Everything stays clean with no sauces or junk. Totals come to 1900 calories, 140 grams protein and 25 grams fibre.

RustThistle31archiveApr 19

Both tirz and reta have me on OMAD and it works fine. I focus on enough protein and vegetables, usually with rice and sometimes potatoes or couscous. No hunger during the day yet I can still finish the meal. I add a big shaker of electrolytes, collagen, creatine and beta alanine with it. The pattern stays the same on early, late or night shifts and on training or rest days.

WarmAnchor49archiveApr 19

I try to eat every two hours from 5 am to 5 pm, mostly protein like chicken, shrimp or beef. Low carb for three years now. Spicy olives daily plus fermented items like sauerkraut or kimchi. Food interests me less so I often repeat the same thing for several days.

AmberSparrow63archiveApr 23
↳ replying to @WarmAnchor49

Solid approach. High protein, steady timing and low carbs clearly suit you. The fermented foods help with digestion too. Once eating becomes more about fuel than enjoyment it gets easier to keep going. I can eat the same meal every day and my wife can’t stand it.

WarmCinder52archiveApr 23

Second shift means my schedule doesn’t line up with most people. Labor job so eating before work never worked for fifteen years. Up at 9 or 10, maybe black coffee. First meal at 7 or 8 pm on break. Off at 11, maybe eat again around midnight if hungry. Bed at 3 am. On days off I still usually eat once unless plans change the timing. Basically OMAD or 16:8 just shifted later. I make sure lunch covers what I need since appetite drops once I’m home.

PatientFenwick91archiveApr 23

Usually two real meals and two snacks, often a banana plus a protein shake. Meals stay simple: rice, veg and protein, then repeat.

CopperBeacon14archiveApr 23

OMAD works for me with a healthy meal. Sometimes an apple at lunch if I feel like it. Easier to skip eating altogether than risk triggering a binge.

NorthKettle44archiveApr 23
↳ replying to @AmberSparrow63

I prep meals for both of us. Even making three different batches still leaves too much repetition for her. I could eat the same simple meal every day forever but she hates that too.

NorthMarble42archiveApr 24

Breakfast, a midday snack and dinner. Fits how busy I get with errands and tasks. Sometimes breakfast turns into lunch if the morning runs long, but I always get two proper meals.

AmberCompass54archiveApr 24

Dinner, a protein shake and some chicken at work, plus prunes before bed. Appetite is basically gone on tirz.

KeenKettle50archiveApr 24

Whenever hunger hits, so about three or four times. These days a lot of the intake gets swapped for high protein milk like fairlife.

QuietSignal61archiveApr 24

Team protein shake won’t hurt you. Two meals plus shakes won’t cause vitamin problems. Focus on fiber, vitamins and occasional chicken or beef, but the main goal right now is dropping weight. Details can be sorted later.

AmberSparrow63archiveApr 24
↳ replying to @NorthMarble42

That fits well with a packed schedule. Two solid meals beat trying to rush food on a busy day. You’ve built something that matches your life and that’s what lasts. I can eat the same thing daily and be fine with it.

CopperMarble29archiveApr 24
↳ replying to @AmberSparrow63 (opening post)

About six times. On a 3000 calorie plan I need lots of small meals to get everything in. Could share the full breakdown from my tracking app if you want.

AmberSparrow63archiveApr 24
↳ replying to @CopperMarble29

Makes sense. At that calorie level smaller meals become necessary to avoid feeling stuffed. Back when I was bodybuilding I split intake the same way for protein. Was it similar for you? I’d like to see the screenshot anyway. Always interesting to compare real 3000 plus calorie days with what looks ideal on paper.

CopperMarble29archiveApr 25
↳ replying to @AmberSparrow63

Pretty much. Big meals make it easy to go over calories. Just finished a 300 calorie deficit recomp down to 11 percent and now moving into clean bulk at plus 300 daily. Smaller portions throughout the day help me stay on track. Here’s literally everything I ate yesterday.

SlowThistle36archiveApr 25

Two meals lately. OMAD was enjoyable before but GLP-1 makes it feel like too much now. Biggest meal at lunch, smaller early dinner so the stomach stays empty for sleep.

AmberSparrow63archiveApr 26
↳ replying to @SlowThistle36

Smart change. Some people find GLP-1s make OMAD too heavy so they switch to two meals. Larger lunch and lighter early dinner helps with digestion and sleep and feels more sustainable.

SharpKettle12archiveApr 26

Once a day, either chicken or fish or both. Only water or black coffee. Collagen peptides go in the coffee.

AmberCinder18archiveApr 26

Twice for me. Very early riser so early breakfast and late lunch then done.

BlueKettle13archiveApr 26

Usually once a day around dinner. Skip breakfast. Hard work days sometimes need lunch for calories. Dinner around 7 then a 90 minute workout around 10 pm.

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