There are plenty of diet plans that boast of eating one meal a day. The idea is that intermittent fasting can help you lose weight. But, it can also be more detrimental to you in the long run. These are the risks of eating one meal a day to lose weight.
Irregular Glucose Levels
Diabetics need to eat regular meals or snacks throughout the day to successfully manage their blood sugar levels. If you skip meals for intermittent fasting, you can put yourself at risk for hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar.
Consuming only one meal a day can also overtax your body’s metabolic system. When this happens, it can lead to higher insulin resistance. This also puts you at risk for type 2 diabetes.
Raised Cholesterol
Another risk when you fast intermittently is the raising your LDL cholesterol levels. A study found that participants who fasted showed higher “bad” cholesterol levels than those that merely restricted their daily calorie intake.
Additionally, in the same study researchers found that there was no significant difference in weight loss between those that fasted intermittently and those who restricted their caloric intake.
Binge Eating
Finally, if you only eat one meal a day, you may become hyper-fixated on food. This puts you at risk of binge eating. You can even develop a binge eating disorder from following one meal a day diet plan.
Other Risk Factors
Other daily risk factors you will have to contend with if you only eat once a day are irritability, weakness, shakiness, fatigue, becoming extremely hungry, and unable to concentrate.
These other risk factors are not ones you will simply “get used to,” as they are your body’s way of telling you it needs fuel.
Final Thoughts
The many risks of eating one meal a day to lose weight outweigh the benefits. Of which there are few. As a matter of fact, it may not really help you lose weight at all. If you want to lose weight, try healthier calorie restrictive diets that incorporate eating more meals a day.
