Eat only once a day, is it healthy and effective for a diet?

Are you trying to lose weight? You may have thought about a diet by eating once a day. Yes, this diet method is well known. However, health experts and nutritionists are still debating whether eating just one meal a day is effective and healthy for weight loss.

Can you lose weight with one meal a day?

Until now, there is no guarantee that eating only once a day is effective for a diet. Everyone who tries this diet method reports different results. Some people claim to be able to lose weight by eating only once a day. However, there are also those who actually gain weight.

This means the results depend on other factors. For example, do you prop up your stomach in a day with snacks that are high in fat and high in calories or are you physically active enough to burn calories.

A nutritionist from the United States, Serena Marie, RD also explains that eating just once a day can trick your mind. When it comes to eating, you become craving foods that are high in carbohydrates, fat and calories. This is because not eating for hours actually triggers the production of the hormone ghrelin, whose job is to arouse appetite.

You may also be mistaken in thinking that it is okay to eat foods that are high in carbohydrates, fats and calories. You haven't had a heavy meal all day. These mistakes usually thwart your diet program.

What happens if we eat only once a day?

Not everyone can use this diet method effectively. So, nutrition and health experts basically do not recommend this way for healthy and safe weight loss. Besides being less effective, eating one meal a day can lead to the following things.

1. Blood pressure and blood sugar jump

Research published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows that if an empty stomach all day is suddenly filled with food with calorie levels according to daily needs, your blood pressure and blood sugar can spike suddenly. The human body is designed to receive calorie intake in "installments" a day, not all at once.

This is because the processing and burning of calories into energy takes time. Meanwhile, if you consume a lot of calories at once, the body is overwhelmed to process them. As a result, large amounts of calories and sugar directly enter the blood at once. This causes a sudden spike in blood pressure and blood sugar.

2. Indigestion

"Installing" heavy meals up to three or four times a day eases your digestion work. So, if you only eat one meal a day, your intestines and stomach have to work harder to process the food. Those of you who have stomach ulcers or acid reflux may experience complaints such as nausea or chest pain when eating.

3. Decreased brain power

You need glucose from food to carry out the cognitive functions of the brain, namely thinking, concentrating, and remembering. Meanwhile, the body can only store glucose for four to six hours after you eat. Afterward, the brain also lacks energy sources to carry out its duties of thinking, concentrating, and remembering. Thus, you may find it more difficult to concentrate, make decisions, or easily forget that you only eat one meal a day.

4. Lack of essential nutrients

Eating once a day can deprive you of essential nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, protein and fiber. When it comes to eating, you tend to choose foods with high calorie content such as rice and meat to ward off hunger. You actually end up eating less vegetables or fruit that are rich in essential nutrients.

In fact, a correct and healthy diet actually emphasizes the importance of eating with a balanced and complete nutrition. It's not just a matter of not eating or reducing portions.