Is eating once a day sustainable on LCHF?

[bellabella]

Type 1 diabetic on lchf
Lately I've been skipping breakfast as I don't have much time in the morning and don't feel my energy levels are too badly affected without it.
The last while at work I've often skipped lunch too as I'm quite busy and prefer to just grab a coffee and look forward to preparing my own food at home in the evening.
Is there anyone else who has experience of just eating once a day on this diet? Do you think it's sustainable?
I think less meals for me, means less times of the day to worry about blousing, and lazy as that sounds if it worked I'd happily keep it up

 

[kateincornwall]

I`m sorry, but I don't know enough about the effects of eating once a day on T1 , but I do think that on the whole , just eating an evening meal every days isn't a great thing to do . If you really cant face breakfast , at least try and eat lunch , even a home prepared cold meat salad in a box , you do need it . I never used to eat breakfast and still don't crave food in the morning but do make myself have something, even if its just a ryvita or some greek yoghurt .

 

[mrspuddleduck]

Dont know the answer, I suppose it would depend on what you are eating in that one meal? Im not sure Id be able to balance one meal to include all the essential vitamins etc to maintain health. Working that all out actually sounds a **** sight harder work than making the other meals!!
What does it do to your blood sugar readings across 24 hours? (Im very curious!) Sue xx

 

[bellabella]

Dont know the answer, I suppose it would depend on what you are eating in that one meal? Im not sure Id be able to balance one meal to include all the essential vitamins etc to maintain health. Working that all out actually sounds a **** sight harder work than making the other meals!!
What does it do to your blood sugar readings across 24 hours? (Im very curious!) Sue xx

My morning readings are always fine, 5-6
But due to presumed insulin resistance during the morning my levels can creep up a bit during the morning so lunch time levels can be 10-12- to prevent this I often take 3units in the morning even without food and it helps bring them to 7/8 at lunchtime which is a bit more respectable.
By the time I get home in the evening I am usually within range unless I've been particularly stressed in which case they can be higher than normal

 

[AndBreathe]

@Spiker , @Heathenlass , @robert72 - would any of you guys, experienced in LCHF have any input here?

Sorry bellabella, nothing I can add, but the guys I have tagged may have some wisdom to offer.

 

[Picci]

I often have a few weeks doing the 5:2 diet and on my fasting days of 500 calories I have my usual breakfast of unsweetened soya milk and strong italian coffee which is around 1 carbohydrate. I skip my lunch and save the rest of my calories for my dinner in the evening, grilled chicken and a huge mixed salad for example. What I do notice is that I tend to need a bit more novo rapid with my evening meal if I have skipped and lunch and insulin obviously, but otherwise I stay in good control.

 

[robert72]

My morning readings are always fine, 5-6
But due to presumed insulin resistance during the morning my levels can creep up a bit during the morning so lunch time levels can be 10-12- to prevent this I often take 3units in the morning even without food and it helps bring them to 7/8 at lunchtime which is a bit more respectable.
By the time I get home in the evening I am usually within range unless I've been particularly stressed in which case they can be higher than normal

I need to take 3 units when I wake up (without food) or my levels will creep up to double figures. It's more of a liver dump in my case.

 

[diamondnostril]

Type 1 diabetic on lchf
Lately I've been skipping breakfast as I don't have much time in the morning and don't feel my energy levels are too badly affected without it.
The last while at work I've often skipped lunch too as I'm quite busy and prefer to just grab a coffee and look forward to preparing my own food at home in the evening.
Is there anyone else who has experience of just eating once a day on this diet? Do you think it's sustainable?
I think less meals for me, means less times of the day to worry about blousing, and lazy as that sounds if it worked I'd happily keep it up

Hi bellabella,

I'm T1 and I use a Ketogenic (LCHF) diet, and only eat once per day (evening meal). I find it to be very convenient, as I usually spend around 45 minutes each day in my kitchen. I don't need to spend any time on breakfast in the morning, and I don't need to take any break at work (so I get to come home earlier). On LCHF I never feel hungry, so that isn't an issue. In one of my standard Keto evening meals I get something like 1200 - 1400 kCal, and I drink 2 or 3 coffees each day, which are Bulletproof or with double cream, so this adds several hundred kCal to my intake.

All in all, I find eating once per day very satisfying, convenient and sustainable. (For full disclosure: Once a fortnight, I have a free day where I eat what I want). Been eating this way for around two and a half years now, very happily. Weight is maintained; energy levels are excellent; blood-sugar levels are well-behaved.

The 3 meals per day structure seems to make sense if you're consuming Carbs, because a Carb-loaded meal will make you feel hungry again in a few hours anyway. But if your body is not sending any hunger signals to encourage eating, then obviously it is satisfied - why force-feed it?

Regards
Antony

 

[robert72]

Actually I have only had an evening meal today.
I had one coffee and cream and one bulletproof this morning and they kept me going until 8pm.
It certainly kept my levels flat (apart from a bit of DP this morning from 5am).

 

[bellabella]

Hi bellabella,

I'm T1 and I use a Ketogenic (LCHF) diet, and only eat once per day (evening meal). I find it to be very convenient, as I usually spend around 45 minutes each day in my kitchen. I don't need to spend any time on breakfast in the morning, and I don't need to take any break at work (so I get to come home earlier). On LCHF I never feel hungry, so that isn't an issue. In one of my standard Keto evening meals I get something like 1200 - 1400 kCal, and I drink 2 or 3 coffees each day, which are Bulletproof or with double cream, so this adds several hundred kCal to my intake.

All in all, I find eating once per day very satisfying, convenient and sustainable. (For full disclosure: Once a fortnight, I have a free day where I eat what I want). Been eating this way for around two and a half years now, very happily. Weight is maintained; energy levels are excellent; blood-sugar levels are well-behaved.

The 3 meals per day structure seems to make sense if you're consuming Carbs, because a Carb-loaded meal will make you feel hungry again in a few hours anyway. But if your body is not sending any hunger signals to encourage eating, then obviously it is satisfied - why force-feed it?

Regards
Antony

Super, I agree about the reduced hunger on ketogenic diets, which makes it easier to go for longer periods without food.
What would you tend to eat in your evening meal?
Mine is usually an omelette with copious amounts of cheese followed by dark chocolate and cream cheese

 

[bellabella]

Actually I have only had an evening meal today.
I had one coffee and cream and one bulletproof this morning and they kept me going until 8pm.
It certainly kept my levels flat (apart from a bit of DP this morning from 5am).

View attachment 13119

Great readings in general there, I'm still not at that stage unfortunately, trying to tend to the double figures by lunch time is the current challenge!
Are you a lchf follower too?

 

[robert72]

Great readings in general there, I'm still not at that stage unfortunately, trying to tend to the double figures by lunch time is the current challenge!
Are you a lchf follower too?

Yes, I've been LCHF for about 18 months <30g/day

 

[Sid Bonkers]

IMHO its highly unlikely that eating one meal a day that you will be able to eat enough variety of food to get your daily nutritional needs.

Plus as a T1 it is important that you eat regular meals in order to keep your bg levels stable, missing meals can lead to hypos especially if you do any sort of exercise. But the most important thing to bear in mind is your nutritional needs as if they are not met you will simply be building up future problems for yourself.

 

[tim2000s]

I'm pinging @donnellysdogs because I believe that this is how she eats generally.

 

[diamondnostril]

Super, I agree about the reduced hunger on ketogenic diets, which makes it easier to go for longer periods without food.
What would you tend to eat in your evening meal?
Mine is usually an omelette with copious amounts of cheese followed by dark chocolate and cream cheese

I have a rota of few different meals . . .

• Omelette with bacon & cheese, with vegetables
• Slow-cooked Duck with vegetables, cooked in broth made with [vegetable stock, leek, carrot, celery]
• Chili made with Lamb mince, with Courgette spaghetti
• Wok meal with [cubed Duck pieces, or Pork-Belly pieces], with vegetables
• Crustless Quiche with Broccoli
• Salmon Fillets fried with Ajvar Sauce, with vegetables
• Duck pieces, fried in Green Pesto sauce, with vegetables
• Thai Soup (tinned) with added Duck pieces
• Cajun Omelette (with Nuernberger Sausages, Bell Pepper and Tomatoes)
• Pork Shoulder with crackilng, with vegetables
• [Pork or Duck] Vindaloo Curry, with vegetables
• Duck-Burgers wrapped in Chinese Cabbage (burgers made with duck-meat in grinder, and a Hamburger-press)

I'm sure there's a world of other Ketogenic/LCHF meals out there, but I'm not a real 'foodie' and so I'm happy with my 10 or so staples.

Ketogenic Yorkshire Puddings are often added to the meals with sauces/broth.

I tend to use Cream (in coffee) and Cheese as desserts, and/or to bump up my blood-sugar/kCal by small amounts as required.

For me 'vegetables' is always some combination of [Broccoli, Courgette, Cauliflower, Bell Pepper, Sweetcorn, Turnip, Leek, Celery, Chili Pepper, Mushrooms] . . . also happy to include [Onion, Spring Onion, Carrot, String Beans, Tomatoes] but very small quantities of these, otherwise they spike my blood-sugar.

Regards
Antony

 

[tony48738]

I've been eating just an evening meal for about 5 years, glucose control is excellent 99% of the time . I have found my optimum insulin levels, which work for me.

Every time I see my diabetic nurse , she preaches diabetics have to eat 3 meals a day. My argument with her is I have a hb1c of 6.2 to 6.4 and my daily levels are between 4 and 7. If I eat 3 meals a day my levels are all the place, and I also go low quite often.

Find what works for you, and go with it..

 

[claudetteholmes]

Actually I have only had an evening meal today.
I had one coffee and cream and one bulletproof this morning and they kept me going until 8pm.
It certainly kept my levels flat (apart from a bit of DP this morning from 5am).

View attachment 13119

wow love the graph ...must get me one of those

 

[Tweetypie]

There is a very interesting book which talks about a similar concept to this called the Warrior Diet. It's based on an undereating phase in the day and an overeating phase later in the day (It's not strictly low carb though)

 

[neilalastair]

I'm insulin dependant and sometimes I have only 1 evening meal. I wake up with a 5-6 mmol and take 4-5 units to combat DP. Then aside form tea and coffee through the day I take only my back ground insulin at lunchtime and by 6pm I am still 5-6. If I go to the gym in the morning I will have a low carb protein drink and take 6units for DP and the exercise . (Heavy lifting. About 40 mins worth plus a little cardio) I never have hypos in the day time. Sometime on a night if I have a bigger meal and take too much insulin . But this doesn't happen often . Hope this helps. I don't do this every day but a couple of times a week , otherwise I am still fairly low carb

 

[JTL]

Not sure if it's good for a diabetic or not.
I had one meal a day for years and was as fit as a butchers dog.
Couldn't do it now.
But three meals a day .... where did that come from?
It isn't written in stone or stamped as recommended by God that we must have three meals a day.
The other night I had fish and peas from the chippy.
I can't eat the chips so don't and don't feel the urge to replace them with something else.
I often have a curry and leave out the rice.
There are no rues really.