for members fasting ramadan -start august 1 st

bosanka

naku- i know what you mean .. but trust me .. we all kind of feel excited and scared " oh.. how will we do this.. it's harder this year. hotter/longer days etc " but believe me . as soon as it starts we just feel the difference in us spiritualy. We do it with the intention to please God , and we believe He is merciful to us and makes it easier than we think. And than knowing you are a part of a multi-million group challange where millions of people are fasting the same fast all over the world..without exception , no matter if you are in usa, africa, new zeland or alaska.. or china.. etc .. we all fast the same . So you feel as a part of a huge family. That makes it easier. Don't feel bad for your boyfriend .. be happy for him .

AakifahSiebert:
first- welcome to the website and the group
now to your questions .. 30ds - is " 30 day shred " it's a dvd from Jillian Michaels.. it's basically a workout that lasts 20 minutes - the dvd has 3 levels.. you should be doing each level for 10 days.. it's very tough , it's " only " 20 minutes but those minutes are very hard.

Now to the cooking p art .. I don't think many of as a very excited to be cooking anything at that time in the morning . What you can do is have some leftovers from the night before. You can cook " ahead " - during the day for the morning.
You can make some oatmeal in the night for the morning. You can .. make protein shake a little bit richer than usual

add milk
protein powder
1/2 banana
1/2 tbsp peanut butter
1/3 cup of oatmeal ( that you have allready prep. last night )

blend all in a blender- drink
you can add ice cubes ..
you can make it with chocolate powder.. or if you make with vanilla - you also can add frozen berries etc.
instead of oatmeal you can add a little bit of cereals in it / whole grain cereals

nght before you can boil eggs - load up on the eggwhites.. less on the yolk
have some dates/ olives.. greek yogurt .. have a fruit - there you done.

make cereals with a handfull of walnuts, some raisins, flax seed, maybe chop up a few dates. - done.

if you sick of boiled eggs. - scrammble them on some days- that's a 2 minute job it's not really " cooking "

as you can see all this are " quick " things you can make- they are all rich in carbs and protein - good for you
i don't recommend white bread / sugary cereals etc- all that stuff is empty kcls .. that are loaded on bad carbs, ton of sugar, not enough protein / or fiber to hold you for the day or give you any good energy at all.

You don't have to eat a lot - but you need to eat qualiy kcls..

in the night you are craving sugary stuff because most probably your sugar is low from the fasting. This can be a little bit fixed if you increase your protein intake in the morning.

When you break the fast do it with dates .. they are sweet - and goodfor you but that sugar will help you bring back up your sugarlevel.
if you still are craving sweets.. drink water.. most probably you are dehydrated and our brains often confuse thirst for hunger.
if you are still craving it even after eating a good meal and drinking water.. than go ahead have something - but again make it something " good " not plain chocolate etc.

there are good and qulity bars you can get that can help you overcome that " chocolate " craving - you stil get the chocolate but at least with benefits .
i recommend

for carbs and fiber - fiber one bars
for protein ; pure protein bars , think thin, luna bars

Larabars- are the most natural and best tasting ones ! I really recomend you to find them and stock up on them .. get the ones with dates, or " ap ple pie " etc.. they really taste to me like the real cake etc.. but they are sooo healthy -this you can maybe take when your cravings hit you ..
i like also pure protein bars- when i crave chocolate ' the caramel deluxe " or .. chocolate fudge - those two help me out big time - they are about 180-210 kcls each but they are only 2-3 gm of sugar and 18-20 gm of protein.. so that is something good for you .

I hope i have helped a little .. go stock up on the " good stuff "

1234lbsgone

I am so glad to see this thread! I am not Muslim, but for several years I have chosen to participate in fasting after I took a class on Islam. The Imam who taught the class invited us all to learn more. I enjoyed the teachings and the stories and asked if it was OK for a non-Mulsim to fast. They gave me their Blessings and I have tried it every year since

I like this thread because I do not have anyone around me that is fasting. Just a few friends online from overseas. I live in the Detroit area, near Dearborn, so finding delicious Middle Eastern foods is easy. I would love to learn to cook some of these foods myself. I would also love to have friends to share this time with who truly understand what is going on, both inside and out.

I hope you will accept me in your thread and help me learn more:flowerforyou:

Thanks,
Holly

bosanka

Holly - wow i'm impressed .. a non muslim who is doing this fast .. not only once but few times now ? That's impressive, i have never met anyone like you . I have met muslims that have never done the fast .. but not a non-muslim that has done it

Of course you are welcome in the group , if you have any questions - you are welcome to ask- if they are not diet/fitness related but more " religious " please do so on private since we don't want to violate the policy of this website. I'm open to any and all qustions you might have about the fast . And i'm sure all other members of this group will welcome your messages and questions as well.

Feel free to add me to your friends list if you like

AakifahSiebert

Hi Holly...wow, I too am impressed! I have had a few non-Muslim friends make the intention to fast but never follow through with it, which is okay...I know it's not easy if you're not accustomed to it. Heck, this is only my third Ramadan, so I know how difficult it is the first time around. lol

Glad to have you here in the thread.

concealedpearl

WELCOME EVERYONE!!!

Yaay I'm soo excited for Ramadan this year. If it falls on August 1st then I'm lucky since that day is a holiday here in Canada so at least I can take a nap in the afternoon.


I'm also excited about doing the 30DS...My goal is to do all 30days and I pray that Allah makes it easy for me and for you all.
If I complete it then I am going to reward myself !!! So let us all think of our rewards for completing our goals for this month.

I wish I had known about the walking before I decided to do the 30DS, it would have been awesome to do 114miles...that is a great GOAL!

SAY NO TO THE SAMOSAS THIS RAMADAN

chrisc31

I have a binder of recipes that I've come across that sound good. I've tried most of them I have in there but I haven't tried this one yet. It sounds like it would be part of a great suhoor meal....made ahead of course!

Do-Ahead Egg Bake

Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 13 hour 10 min
Makes: 12 servings

What You Need:
8 eggs
3 cups milk
8 cups French bread cubes (3/4 inch)
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry
12 slices Turkey Bacon, cooked, crumbled
1 pkg. (8 oz.) 2% milk Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese, divided

Make It:
Whisk eggs and milk in large bowl until well blended. Stir in bread. Add spinach, bacon and 1-1/2 cups cheese; mix lightly.
Pour into 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray; top with remaining cheese. Cover; refrigerate overnight.
Heat oven to 350ºF. Bake, uncovered, 48 to 50 min. or until top is puffed and golden brown.

Nutritional information per serving
Calories 250 , Total fat 14g , Saturated fat 7g , Cholesterol 170mg , Sodium 470mg , Carbohydrate 15g , Dietary fiber 1g , Sugars 4g , Protein 15g , Vitamin A 70%DV , Vitamin C 10%DV , Calcium 30%DV , Iron 10%DV .

The nutrition facts would be less than stated above because I changed the ingredients to say turkey bacon and 2% sharp cheddar. I bet it would be fine with turkey sausage crumbles too. I would have plugged the recipe into MFP's recipe calculator but I'm on my phone at the moment!

bosanka

gym owner has weight me last week - she got sick and tired of my whining and how'm i never losing any weight. So she put her fist down. You tell me you are logging your food every day - each bite, you stick to a 1400 kcls a day and you work out 4-5 x a week and you never lose weight ?
Well- if you are telling the truth.. bring me your food log - wanna see it !

Ups.. than i started with.. well - i dooo.. log .. but.. uhm.. well, you know some days i'm about 1800 kcls, others 1900, ..

how much cardio do you do ?

about 4-5 x a week..

let me see it ! bring me your log..
uhm..

so she made me realized i wasn't as honest and strict as i thought i was . So she said.. ok- starting today ( a week ago ) she put me on the scale .. was at 255.6 lbs she told me - stick to the 1400 kcls. log everything even a gum you take ! bring me your journal in a week and we'll go from there .
I was so intimidated to show her my diary i really tried everything and i had some falls.. i had candy, i had muffin today ! .. so i messed up many times in one week but i stuck to the rules- drink water, eat veggies, log your food. Work out.

So .. today she walks up to me and says- step on the scale let me see it. I was nervous.. had breakfast ( and a big muffing ) a gallon of water .. i should have come in the morning to weigh in !! .. To late now i'm thinking no way out of here

Well.. i step on that scale and i can't believe it ! .. last week 255.6 - this week 247.4 ! i had lost 8 lbs !!!!!
( scale at gym usually shows about 4-5 diff. than the one at home .. so i'm about 251.6 from last week and tomorrow am i'm weighin in to update my status here .. so excited to weigh in tomorrow )

Ok that was a long story .. now to the end result..
she really surprised me big time.. she came up to me and said.. Maida.. if you keep losing 5 lbs for the next 3 weeks.. i will give you a 75 $ gift ( body wrap ) at the gym .
I was like.. but that's during this month of fasting !?!
Oh.. really.. , good .. than i did my job to keep you focused

so - there.. i have my reward - if i achieve the goal

phewww.. sorrry for the long story i just had to share it with you all

concealedpearl

bosanka....WOW THAT IS AMAZING...you should be proud of yourself...and now you have a major reward waiting for you in three weeks. I have no doubt that you will do it in this month since your meal in take will be half of what you normally eat.

I'm planning to lose 12lbs by the end of Ramadan, I'm not sure if it is achievable considering I have been up and down with the same 5lbs the past couple of months. I really hope this month will create a change and thus have me drop weight.

Quick question, when you were eating 1400cals did she have you eat back your exercise cals or no?

bosanka

This past week i was trying stricktly to stick to 1400 kcls no matter how much i've burned. And i weighed myself this am- officialy at my home scale and i have lost 5.5 lbs this week. So i guess for now- not eating any of my burned kcls seams to be working for me. While i had been eating them back- i didn't lose anything.

AakifahSiebert

That's wonderful sis!!! Excellent job on the weight loss. And thank you for the suggestions...esp the protein shake, insh'Allah I will try that.

chrisc31

That is excellent Bosanka! Were you using the calorie burned estimates that MFP gives you when you were eating them back? I've found that they are usually double what my heart rate monitor says I've burned. But if not eating them back at all gives you these great results than so be it!

bosanka

No i don't use MFP as a guide .. i use my Heart rate monitor it's personal and i trust it more than a " generic " form which usually gives way to much kcls .. i think if you are serious about it - you should reward yourself with a heart.r. monitor it's not that expensive and it's an additional motivation and also a guide. Sometimes i think i'm working hard but the HRM shows that my heart rate is only about 145-150 which is not really high .. and than i speed it up.. other days i think i'm not doing much but the HRM tells me i'm right at target 170+ that's what i want to see all the time .. also it shows me which activity usually makes me burnt the most kcls in the shortest time. I have realized that boxing/ punching the bag brings my heart rate over 182-185 .. i can't reach that even when i'm running on about 5 mph on the treadmill.. while punching the bag does it in a minute just like that.. so if i want to burn more kcls and don't have a lot of time- i know i can kick some punching bag in the gym

My advice- reward yourself with a heart rate monitor- and don't get the " cheap" stuff.. it's not worth it.. it's more fuss and mess than good- invest in a " polar " and you know you will have a good piece of equip. I have a polar ft 7 and i'm super happy with it.

monkeysmum

salam im in i need alot of motivation in ramadan

last year i made myself very ill with fasting my blood pressure and iron levels dropped excessivly low but In sha allah i want to try keep at least some this year but i need some healthy vegetarian meals for iftar the timetable i have has sehri at 2am and iftar at 9pm which is a very long time for me i need meals that will be high iron and vitamins if anyone has any ideas

i like the idea of walking it will only be in my home as i have 5 kids and hubby works but im sure i can manage to walk around my house for an hr a day in between reading qu`ran etc 5minutes her and there soon add up no excuses

dexters_dexterity

Im in. i started my own thread but no one answered. its alive but blank

1234lbsgone

bosanka that is a great loss! Congratulations to you!!!

I am not really trying to lose weight right now, but I won't be upset if I do!

I'm so excited to have fasting buddies this year. It will make this time so much richer by making new friends:flowerforyou:

Thank you all for your kind words. I hope everybody reaches their goals and has a great time getting there.

AakifahSiebert

YEAH! More people!! Glad to have you hear Monkeys and Dexters.

TKN...yep, I'm excited about having fasting buddies too.

bosanka

monkeysmom.. welcome to the group..

five kids chasing all day ( if none of them are in school?! ) .. it's a long workout on its own .. i had only " three " of them heeh and i know how it was for me.. i shoul have lost weight chasing three hyper active kids.. but my problem was i kind of did it with a bag of chocolate in my hands to " calm my nerves " .. so that was my problem dear.. not the lack of movement but the self medication with food. Anyways.. i'm not saying that you are doing anything like that-i'm just remembering my own past .. telling you i kind of know how you feel

Only thing that come to mind for vegetarien is all kind of beans.. they are the best source of protein, carbs, iron , fiber.. and you can do so much with them . My favorite are garbanzo because they go with anything.. salads, pasta, you can blend them into creamy soups/sauces.. , hummus..
in your case peas and potatoes might be a good option too.
are you eating fish ? eggs? if you are these are great sources of protein and they would keep your sugar stabelized for longer time.

do you eat tofu ? nuts ? protein shakes and bars ( i keep recommending these all the time )

let me know what you are doing on a regular basis maybe we can work something out and see where you can maybe switch it up a little bit- keep in touch through out the month and let us know how you doing and log your food so you can keep a track of what you ate and how it made you feel that day .. if it was good- you can repeat it .. if not .. than you can make something different next day. We are here to support eachother.. and yes i think you have a veeeery long day of fasting ! May God make it easy on you .

monkeysmum

thanks bosanka
i eat eggs and dairy but no fish i havent for 16 years and it doesnt really cause me a problem except the long fasts then my iron levels and blood pressure drop drastically and t what my doctor classes a dangerous level last time my blood pressure was 58 over 67 so very low i love nuts but mostly dry roasted peanuts and i go very overboard with them protein shakes i dont like i dislike the textures of shakes and smoothies
i love beans and lentils and jacket potatos or potato curries i have made quorn samosas and other dishes like pasta and rice i just need high iron foods so i dont get anemic im prone to not holding the iron i eat so i eat excesses on most occaisions normally with spinach
my 5 kids are very active bless them aged 12, 11, 8, 4 and 2 the youngest is toilet training so im running around constantly checking if she needs bathroom and cleaning after my cat who is malting cat fur all over but she deserves spoiling as she had a bad start to life i cant complain over a little hair its keeping me moving if only to sweep and mop and im avoiding chocolates and junk type foods hard going as its TOM time but i have made myself a promise even if i cant keep all the fast i will keep some in shaa allah and iwill definately eat no choclate or crisp for all of ramadan

dexters_dexterity

thanks bosanka
i eat eggs and dairy but no fish i havent for 16 years and it doesnt really cause me a problem except the long fasts then my iron levels and blood pressure drop drastically and t what my doctor classes a dangerous level last time my blood pressure was 58 over 67 so very low i love nuts but mostly dry roasted peanuts and i go very overboard with them protein shakes i dont like i dislike the textures of shakes and smoothies
i love beans and lentils and jacket potatos or potato curries i have made quorn samosas and other dishes like pasta and rice i just need high iron foods so i dont get anemic im prone to not holding the iron i eat so i eat excesses on most occaisions normally with spinach
my 5 kids are very active bless them aged 12, 11, 8, 4 and 2 the youngest is toilet training so im running around constantly checking if she needs bathroom and cleaning after my cat who is malting cat fur all over but she deserves spoiling as she had a bad start to life i cant complain over a little hair its keeping me moving if only to sweep and mop and im avoiding chocolates and junk type foods hard going as its TOM time but i have made myself a promise even if i cant keep all the fast i will keep some in shaa allah and iwill definately eat no choclate or crisp for all of ramadan

incorporate beetroot in ur diet to help ur iron levels

shoshi68

Bump! and Ramadan Mubarak! I am not Muslim, and do not fast, but love the recipes! I hope you do not mind if I follow along!

AlMusallam_47

im very proud of the girl that started this challenge
i am a muslim and i would like to join but i really hate walking , i feel really bored doing it and so i quit
and ramadan mubarak klkm
and salam alekm

chrisc31

So nice to see all the new "faces"! Assalaamu alaikum and welcome...Muslims and non-Muslims!

I went shopping today at the halal market to get our meats! It was a different market than we usually go to, but it was so much nicer. I was really expecting it to be crowded (you know.....2 days before Ramadan!) but it really wasn't. I'm hoping it is just because I went early and everyone else was still sleeping in!

I also stopped by Whole Foods because I read that they are the first national retailer doing a Ramadan promotion in the US (it's online promotions only and promoted through http://www.myhalalkitchen.com/ but still...I think that's exciting!). They are carrying a line of halal frozen products/entrees by Saffron Road. Of course fresh is always better, but I'm not kidding myself....I love convenience!

I still haven't come up with any kind of plan of what I'm cooking when. But I do know I'm taking advantage of my crockpot!

blueberrypancakes

Deffo looking forward to this month!

Walking sounds great but Im planning to do it after I break my fast every evening with 30 mins of walking + strength training or pilates.

And with the food - I am going to have a smoothie, lots of water, fibre, protein and moderate carbs at sehri.
For iftaar Im going to have protein and salads and
after my workout out lots of fibre like a bowl of fruit salad.

also try to drink as much water as you can ..atleast 2 litres when you are not fasting.

~*Ramadan Mubarak*~

P.S- I joined the august walking challenge (ticker in my siggy)

bosanka

Everyone is welcome this is not a " closed group " and it's not for a specific group of members- it's for everyone .. so don 't hesitate to join, comment, ask add any ideas or input you think could benefit us

I went to " restoran depot " yesterday - since they carry halal meat of all kind in bulk - and we are a fam. of five - i have 2 fridges and one deep freezer - so i do buy everything in bulk.. but they were out of everything- everything that is halal. man was i unhappy- .. so i have to go again to get my chicken and fish.. and turkey breast .. i don't have " halal turkey !' .. my husband is not happy that i eat the regular turkey breast from the stores.. but i get tired of chicken, not a big fan of beef .. and fish you can only eat that much -and it's not really cheap.. unless you want to eat tilapia all the time .. i like salmon- but who can afford that on a regular basis ?
Lamb is crazy expensive ! I thought i'll get some . pheeew.. no way am i spending that much money on it. We called some stores " halal stores " - they are selling arround $ 5.50 for a pound of lamb- and that's when you buy the whole . This store was selling it for 3.80 .but still it comes to about 150 $ for a lamb.. i remember not long ago we paid arround 90 $ for it .

So the " meat " choices are pretty much limited this year.

---

back to the walking topic.

I'm not a big fan of walking- it's boring. I know. I rather kick some punching bags arround or spinn, or do some hard core step.. i like jillians dvds and billy blanks.. so - walking has never been on my " to do list " .. but like i said.. this is something i think i can do during the time i'm fasting just to maintain the habit of going to the gym.. to have a focus.. to do " something " anything .

I never said that this is the only thing that should be done during ramadan.
If you guys can fit workingout before the breakfast, or after dinner- that's great.. if you want to do diff. type of workout- by all means, go for it.
I might go on the bike.. to switch it up a little bit. I will be doing pilates and maybe yoga.. stretch classes, walking, bike.. anything that i can fit into the day without over-focusing on exercise while fasting- i still want to focus on the " benefits of the fast " and the exercise is not the main focus during this month. at least it shouldn't be.

Whatever we can fit in- is better than nothing.

What we need to focus on more -is the food. bc. the food is 80% of the program /weightloss program- the other 20 % is the exercise and sleep. so let's worry m ore about how to make our " meal " plans more efficient.

Share recipes. Don't forget to log regularly- please - let's stay consistant.. if you notice any members missing- give them a shout out.. message him/her check if everything is ok. .. Don't forget it's " only " 30 days.. so it's not forever.. we can do this. Stay focused. stay goal oriented. We can do the best of both worlds ? Keep our body healthy and cleanse our souls from the " extra baggage " we have.. ask God for forgivness during this month, for His help and assistance, for His mercy, .. this is the month where we need to focus on other type of " loss " - sin -loss.. and " reward -gain " ..

I think if we really focus on the month of ramadan the way it should be- meaning- less sleep, less food, more reading, praying, more nightly prayers, more good deeds, volunteering etc.. than we shouldn't be gaining weight.

So if we do gain weight than we- eat to much.. or sleep too much .. or both ?

One more thing- i think it's more accurate for us to weigh in " before iftar ' during this month.. bc. i don't think we will remember to step on the scale before the suhur/ breakfast.. and if we weigh in after it than.. .. well you know .. all the water etc..
so i usually weigh during ramadan- before iftar time.

i hope i don't bother you all with all my writing i just want us to stay active- together..

Please - all that are planning to participate:

log your food- daily
if you are walking- start your ticker and start logging that as well

if you do anyother type of exercise.. be it " 30 day shred " you can log that here too, or start a ticker just for that..
be creative.. just to keep yourself focused -

remember : when you are motivated - the group needs you, when you are not- you need the group.

So don't isolate yourself, don't avoid logging no matter how much you mess up .. i don't think any of us will be " perfect " the whole month, all uf us will mess up sooner or later- but the point is to be aware of it- and to log it.. .

bosanka

here are some links / recipes ..


http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/food/holidays/ramandan-recipes

http://www.food.com/recipes/ramadan

http://allrecipes.com/Recipes/holidays-and-events/ramadan/main.aspx

http://yasmeen-healthnut.blogspot.com/2009/08/ramadan-special-suhoor-and-iftar-meal.html
( on a quick look this one seams to be best organized and explained )

http://cookingrecipes.pk/new/ramazan-recipes

please share your favorite recipes- and idealy if you have kcls info for it

if you try anything from above links /recipes- and figure the kcls out - let us know

AakifahSiebert

Haha...can taraweeh prayer be considered exercise (all the up and down and prostrating)? Just kidding... haha.

monkeysmum

asalamalaikum good morning all well it is here in uk already warming up

i dont mind walking but i wont be walking outside in summer i wear burka and niqaab way too hot for walking up and down the steep hill that leads to my home but i will aim to walk in my home front to back for 30mins-1hr a day i might even try some wii fit free step nearer to iftaar so if i get thirsty i dont have as long to wait.
i also have plans to read qu`ran i have it on my kindle in english and a proper book my plan is to complete both by the end of ramadan in shaa allah

bosanka i like beetroot so i may make some beetroot salads and possibly lentil, green bean and baby corn soup that kids like im hoping to make a fair amount so they can eat leftovers for lunch following day maybe some quorn chicken curry and if i can convince hubby to make the chappattis i cant for life of me get them right unless they are hand sized then we all need to eat around 10 they so small

Hayaa79

I am IN I am IN - Let me read the whole Thread And will get back to U

In the MEANWHILE RAMADHAAN KAREEM (A NEW CHALLENGE Ahead - LETS DO IT!!!)

dexters_dexterity

I am IN I am IN - Let me read the whole Thread And will get back to U

In the MEANWHILE RAMADHAAN KAREEM (A NEW CHALLENGE Ahead - LETS DO IT!!!)

Welcome

chrisc31

Bosanka I am thankful for your writings! You are a wealth of info and I appreciate you for starting this thread and for keeping it going. Look...we are already on page 3 with posts and Ramadan hasn't even begun yet!

I'm glad you cleared up that walking isn't the only thing to do this month. I know I mentioned earlier but I'm sticking with my bike. My husband isn't big on me walking in our neighborhood and unless he wants to do a family trip to the park where there's a walking path, I'd be stuck in the house...which is why I bought my bike in the first place! Usually if I ride for 30 mins it comes up to around 5.25 miles. Yesterday I rode for 45 minutes and was at 8+ miles (I had to burn off the three baklava fingers I devoured before reading that each one was 170 cals/13g fat....whoops!). But I logged them and always do....no matter how bad things might have been I'm always honest with my logging and keep my diary open to friends so there is nothing to hide.

I'll be checking those links out later today! And I'm thinking I might set up a ticker for minutes that I ride the bike instead of miles. I'll play around with it!