Trying to squeeze an entire day of eating into a single sitting sounds simple on paper, but it can feel very different in real life. YouTuber Will Tennyson put that idea to the test by following OMAD, short for one meal a day, for seven days and sharing what changed in his body and routine. OMAD is a form of intermittent fasting where you eat all your daily calories in about an hour, then fast until the next day. During the fasting window, only water and zero calorie drinks like black coffee or tea are typically part of the plan.
Tennyson said he was not chasing a specific fitness goal, he was mostly curious about what would happen to his weight and how much food he could realistically pack into one meal. He kicked things off with a large Chipotle style bowl and then headed to the gym. Because he often trains fasted anyway, the workout itself was not the hardest part. The real challenge came later, when the long stretch between training and dinner started to drain him. You can watch video here.
After exercising around late morning, he described feeling completely wiped out by the afternoon and even canceled plans because his energy fell off so sharply. Most days, he waited until early evening to eat, and when the meal finally arrived he often felt uncomfortably full. He also admitted that food was constantly on his mind, which made the hours drag. By day four, he said it still was not getting easier, and he found himself leaning on more caffeine to push through.
The diet also started to affect his social life, simply because eating with friends became awkward when he was saving everything for one sitting. Then on day five, he noticed a shift. He said he began to separate genuine hunger from the urge to eat out of habit, and he realized some of what he labeled as hunger was actually thirst. Reaching for water or black coffee helped him ride out those moments without feeling as frantic.
By the end of the week, Tennyson was down about 1.7 kilograms, but he called the experience extremely difficult and too extreme to keep up long term. Beyond personal anecdotes, explanations of OMAD often focus on insulin, the hormone that helps the body store energy after meals. When you go longer without eating, insulin levels tend to drop, which can make it easier for the body to tap into stored energy. Still, research on OMAD is mixed, with some studies suggesting weight loss benefits while others raise concerns about hunger, sustainability, and possible health risks, especially for certain people.
If you have ever tried OMAD or any style of intermittent fasting, share what felt manageable and what did not in the comments.
