I've been eating one meal a day for 7 months — and I've seen 5 life-changing results

• Eating one meal a day (OMAD) is an effective form of dieting that's not as radical as it sounds, according to author Jennifer Still.
• Here, Still details how a consistent routine of OMAD has helped her lose more than 120 pounds. 

I've followed a ketogenic diet on and off for the past four years or so, but I decided to rededicate myself in early 2018, and the results have been great.

However, starting in June, I added another element to my approach to eating that has been a total game-changer when it comes to weight loss: I only eat one meal a day (OMAD).

While many would find the idea of eating one big meal a day to be daunting or even impossible, it was a natural extension of my previous experience with intermittent fasting, and I actually grew to love it pretty quickly.

Here's how OMAD helped me on my journey to losing 120 pounds and counting.

SEE ALSO: I tried intermittent fasting for a month — and I saw 7 life-changing results

1. I do fasted cardio, which burns more calories

A study published in the British Journal of Nutrition revealed that performing cardio on an empty stomach burned 20% more body fat on average than it did for those who worked out after eating.

While that study wasn't behind my decision to eat one meal a day, fasted cardio became a natural consequence of my dietary approach and has helped me see the numbers on the scale going down more quickly as well as showing more visible results in my body.

2. I've stopped snacking

This is rather obvious but it's one that's made a huge difference. Cutting out snacking altogether has meant that I'm drastically reducing my calories based on that change alone.

Following the OMAD plan means you literally eat one meal, albeit a large one, and snacks aren't part of that. Thankfully, in combination with the keto diet, I'm eating foods designed to keep me fuller for longer, and I don't miss the snacks at all.

3. I consume fewer calories

I mentioned this above, but my change in overall calorie count deserves its own point as it's not just the lack of snacking that makes this so. While I try to ensure I get my daily caloric need in the one meal I eat, there's no denying that it totals much less than I was consuming when I was eating three meals and snacks.

The weight loss formula of expending more calories than you take in holds true, and eating at a bigger caloric deficit has totally boosted my progress.