15 Days of VOMAD

Neil here! Recently I tried out a somewhat restrictive diet coined as VOMAD or Vegetarian One Meal A Day. It wasn’t exactly one meal a day, more like a restricted time window to drink water (5am - 2.5L) and then (8-9:30pm) to eat and drink with nothing else during the rest of the day. I wanted to determine if this was a sustainable diet that could be maintained over the long run. Buddhist monks following Theravadin practices (believed to be practices that were written by the Buddha) follow a similar approach however they only eat between dawn and noon. The reason for my late evening meal is due to me wanting to eat with the family, otherwise I would probably have had my meal much earlier in the day.

Length: 20 days

Liquids: Water only - 3L

Meal Times: 5-6am for water, 8-9:30pm for food

Daily Exercise: 6am HIRT - High Intensity Resistance Training - 2 rounds x 8 exercises x 40 seconds each exercise

Conditioning: 6:30am Wim Hof breathing, +2 minute cold shower

Diet:

1. Large bowl of fruits (Apples, Strawberry, Blueberries, Bananas, Dates, Prunes)

2. Mixed

   1. Carbs - Rice, Bread, Flatbread, Noodles

   2. Various Indian, Thai, Malaysian dishes

3. Non-vegetarian ingredients: Milk, Cheese

Supplements: Vitamin D (D2), Probiotics, Garden Of Life Meal Supplement

Initial weight: 150 lbs

20 day weight: 147 lbs

Overall, l loved the experience and felt spiritually cleansed as a result. I got sick for 1 week in the middle but believe it wasn’t associated with the diet as I generally experience illness when others in the house are sick. I didn’t feel weaker but of course there was slight loss in muscle and overall weight. Given the life that a typical person lives in North America, fast paced urban living, I personally don’t think this is a sustainable way to live a holistic and healthy lifestyle. However, if living a less busy life is a high priority and you have the ability to make lifestyle changes, then it might be possible to sustain the VOMAD diet for the long term. Of course being in alignment with your doctor and getting regular check ups is strongly advised. Hope this was helpful and please reach out anytime with questions!