So you’re asking, “How much weight will I lose eating one meal daily?”

You won’t like the answer if you are thinking you can easily lose weight that way.


The truth is, you may end up losing no weight and you might even find yourself gaining a little weight. If your intake of calories isn’t enough for your body weight.

“But don’t I have to eat less if I want to lose weight?”

The answer is yes…and no.

Eating one meal a day can end up slowing down your metabolism, if done incorrectly. 

Your body feels like it needs to store food because it feels that you are going to starve it. It decides that it needs to save some food a.k.a. energy, for you to use it later just in case you need it.

The more often you eat, the less food it feels it needs to save for itself. 

You end up tricking your body into thinking that it is going to have plenty of food when it needs it and there is no reason to store any. Thus, avoiding starvation mode.

When your body is fearing that it may go into starvation mode, it will want to use the muscle first for food. 

When you end your weight loss efforts, you very well could find yourself with less weight, only it will be due to you losing more muscle mass than fat.

Check out my post on intermittent fasting and see the ways to eat during a smaller period and see the weight loss and health benefits available.

If you want to increase your metabolism and burn more fat, then you need to be eating more often than usual. 

The idea of only eating three times per day isn’t going to cut it. Try to eat at least five or six meals per day. Try to also break your fast after midday and see the changes that will occur.

Then space those meals out, eating every two and a half to three hours. It doesn’t have to be a big meal. It just has to be enough to let your body know that you aren’t going to be starving it.

Plan on having 2-3 big meals and then another two or three small meals in between. 

These small meals can be a health shake, a cup of yogurt, or some other small and healthy snack. It isn’t that you are going to be eating more food than usual, it is that you are going to be spreading it out through the day.

If you are going to be demanding and stressing your body through exercise, then you need to be giving it the constant fuel it needs. The trick is to find the right balance.

The answer to the question, “How much weight will I lose eating one meal a day?” is none, if your calories are insufficient. 

Your body needs to be assured that it is going to have the food it needs to get through the normal every day activities that you put it through.

Insufficient caloric intake is the true problem with one meal a day. Be sure to read my post on the benefits of Intermittent Fasting..

Intermittent fasting is a good way to provide your body with necessary internal healing time while also providing your body a chance to get needed calories for optimal fat burning and Metabolism rates.

So by consuming one meal a day, if it’s a meal that contains all of your required calories based on your body weight then weight loss is still achievable. But it must be a meal that contains all of the major food groups including protein, vegetables and healthy carbs.

When intermittent fasting staying hydrated is also very important. Starting your day off with 24  oz (0.91 kg) of room temperature water and drinking water throughout your day until and after breaking your fast, is very important.

I personally eat one sometimes two meals a day. Two meals end up happening when I feel a second urge of hunger. And this in fact is telling me that my body is trying to let me know that I did not eat sufficient calories during my one meal. Which can occur with very healthy meals that give you the food volume, but not the caloric volume. 

Eating one meal a day is very attainable. It’s just about changing your mindset and your habits and then your psychological cues for Hunger will also adjust.

Most times we are engaging in bored eating or are mistaking our bodies cues of thirst as hunger.

So by increasing fluid intake consisting of water, herbal teas and even black coffee, successfully consuming one meal a day is very attainable.

For myself personally, even if I’m up very late past my eating window and feel slight feelings of the munchies. I grab a glass of water and that gives me the satisfaction I need to curb any sensations for snacking. And this could all be because what I was feeling was truly thirst. 

Decreasing the frequency of eating is very doable. 

But with all weight loss and all  eating habits it all comes down to mindset and psychological adjustments. 

Due to crooked ways of eating and viewpoints of food. 

It really comes down to the psychological aspect. Being determined enough to have the willpower to avoid snacking or even buying unhealthy foods to snack on. 

Because I’m a firm believer in keeping unhealthy foods out of your home all together. 

Because you cannot eat foods or get fixated on foods that are not present. 

We all have our moments and cravings for certain things, but buying a smaller portion or a portion that is only enough for one meal or one day is the way to address any occurring cravings. 

Self deprivation is not the answer, but again unhealthy foods should be the exception and not the rule. So they should not be stored in excess in your home, a serving size for one should be purchased.

 Because if it is present… If it’s staring at you… You will eat it.

Bottom line.

Yes, weight loss is possible by eating one meal a day. But ensuring that it is a well-balanced meal including protein, vegetables and healthy carbs, while meeting the recommended caloric intake for your current body weight is necessary.