Avoiding Weight Gain Whilst Fasting

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theboomness
theboomness Posts: 8 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi Everyone!!

So Ramadan is fast approaching with only 8 weeks to go. What we tend to do is fast (food + water) from sun rise till sun set for 30 days, as it is in the Summer the fasting days are going to be painfully long.

Generally every year I tend to gain weight despite fasting :( once you can eat all you want to do is just stuff your face...and as it is so late in the night as well it just sits around thanks to a slower metabolism and adds to the chub around my stomach.

Would anyone be able to give some tips on what to do during this period to carry on weight loss/or at least maintain the weight?

Thanks!
Warda
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Replies

  • lulabellewoowoo
    lulabellewoowoo Posts: 3,125 Member
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    I have found with any kind of fasting, part of it is a mental thing. Maybe reminding yourself that you are NOT going to starve the next day by not eating and keeping that thought going throughout your meal, eating each bite slowly, putting your fork down with each bite? Just tricks I have used whenever I have fasted.
  • huntingforhipbones
    huntingforhipbones Posts: 67
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    Oh, I sympathise, I'm Iranian and my religious family all appear to balloon around Ramadan!

    My advice is to be really careful what and how you eat at Iftar in particular, since you sleep on it. Don't eat too many dates or other goodies as the high sugar will spike your blood sugar after a day of fasting, often being stored as fat around the middle. If I were you, I would eat your two meals like an Intermittent Fasting approach. Eat lots of lean protein, good fat, and complex carbs. (eg. lamb and a small bowl of rice, a crunchy salad, and a small piece of fruit as a treat). What's your calorie goal? If it's, say, 1500, eat two 750-kcal meals. :)

    Good luck! :)

    Edit: and yeah, it would probably be better to eat more carbs during Suhoor to fuel you for the day, and to cut them at Iftar. Nuts would also be good to eat! Noooooo dates or sugary tea or honey sweets! :P
  • Umeboshi
    Umeboshi Posts: 1,637 Member
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    Honestly, I'd recommend NOT fasting. If you're not getting any benefit out of it, why do it?
  • _hi_hat3r_
    _hi_hat3r_ Posts: 423 Member
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    I do Intermittent Fasting so I know that fasting will not make you gain weight but its what you do after that fast is over that is key. What I do is I have a huge meal before my fast. The hardest past is coming off the fast IMO. So use portion control.
  • huntingforhipbones
    huntingforhipbones Posts: 67
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    Honestly, I'd recommend NOT fasting. If you're not getting any benefit out of it, why do it?

    Ramadan is a religious fast observed by Muslims. It's a Very Big Deal.
  • Umeboshi
    Umeboshi Posts: 1,637 Member
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    Honestly, I'd recommend NOT fasting. If you're not getting any benefit out of it, why do it?

    Ramadan is a religious fast observed by Muslims. It's a Very Big Deal.

    I get that.
    I simply don't recommend doing harm to your body, whether it be in the name of a deity or a custom or otherwise. Ultimately it's personal choice, but that's my recommendation.
  • dontwantausername1
    dontwantausername1 Posts: 120 Member
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    Honestly, I'd recommend NOT fasting. If you're not getting any benefit out of it, why do it?

    Ramadan is a religious fast observed by Muslims. It's a Very Big Deal.

    If you are Muslim you can't just decide to not fast because of "diet". It's religion, and a big deal. I'm not Muslim but even I know that you can't do that.
  • kennie2
    kennie2 Posts: 1,171 Member
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    try and stick within your calorie limit, i lot of my muslim friends just eat so much in the evening! so that could be a problem?
    intermediate fasting wont slow down your metabolism and make you gain weight dont worry :)
    just be smart about what you eat in the morning/evening
    pick fibre rich foods too so they keep you fuller for much longer
  • roachhaley
    roachhaley Posts: 978 Member
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    Honestly, I'd recommend NOT fasting. If you're not getting any benefit out of it, why do it?

    Uh... it's Ramadan...
  • Umeboshi
    Umeboshi Posts: 1,637 Member
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    Honestly, I'd recommend NOT fasting. If you're not getting any benefit out of it, why do it?

    Uh... it's Ramadan...

    Uh..it's a recommendation.
  • slay0r
    slay0r Posts: 669 Member
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    Honestly, I'd recommend NOT fasting. If you're not getting any benefit out of it, why do it?

    Uh... it's Ramadan...

    Uh..it's a recommendation.

    They don't really get a choice though. Don't say they all have a choice because they don't feel that way.

    On topic, I'd say you need to get a lot of carbs in before sunrise if you can? I'm not 100% clued up on this but the guy I used to work with got up really early and have 2 lots of porridge before he went to work so he was full of slow burning carb energy for most of the day, he'd throw blueberries and things in to give himself the sugars and nutrients he needed for the day and some fruit to go on the side. For sunset my friend chose things like oil free dishes, still amazingly tasty but less calorie, he'd basically protein up, have a small amount of rice, a lot of veggies and a lot of water to make sure he was fully hydrated.
  • dontwantausername1
    dontwantausername1 Posts: 120 Member
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    Honestly, I'd recommend NOT fasting. If you're not getting any benefit out of it, why do it?

    Uh... it's Ramadan...

    Uh..it's a recommendation.
    Uh...it's not an appropriate one
  • Umeboshi
    Umeboshi Posts: 1,637 Member
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    Honestly, I'd recommend NOT fasting. If you're not getting any benefit out of it, why do it?

    Uh... it's Ramadan...

    Uh..it's a recommendation.

    They don't really get a choice though. Don't say they all have a choice because they don't feel that way.

    Religion is a choice, unless you're in a community where you'll be killed for expressing different beliefs.
    Their choice to fast is perfectly valid, just not one I'd recommend from a health standpoint.
  • kennie2
    kennie2 Posts: 1,171 Member
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    Honestly, I'd recommend NOT fasting. If you're not getting any benefit out of it, why do it?

    Uh... it's Ramadan...

    Uh..it's a recommendation.

    They don't really get a choice though. Don't say they all have a choice because they don't feel that way.

    Religion is a choice, unless you're in a community where you'll be killed for expressing different beliefs.
    Their choice to fast is perfectly valid, just not one I'd recommend from a health standpoint.

    you clearly have no respect for other peoples religions
    thats just rude
  • Umeboshi
    Umeboshi Posts: 1,637 Member
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    you clearly have no respect for other peoples religions
    thats just rude
    you sicken me

    You're right. Calling a person's choice perfectly valid is so rude.
  • dontwantausername1
    dontwantausername1 Posts: 120 Member
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    you clearly have no respect for other peoples religions
    thats just rude
    you sicken me

    This
  • huntingforhipbones
    huntingforhipbones Posts: 67
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    Honestly, I'd recommend NOT fasting. If you're not getting any benefit out of it, why do it?

    Uh... it's Ramadan...

    Uh..it's a recommendation.

    They don't really get a choice though. Don't say they all have a choice because they don't feel that way.

    Religion is a choice, unless you're in a community where you'll be killed for expressing different beliefs.
    Their choice to fast is perfectly valid, just not one I'd recommend from a health standpoint.

    And you couldn't, I don't know, consider that maybe this post wasn't the place to proselytise about your own views? I mean, I'm not in any way religious, but the point of this post was that the OP was asking for help in combining her health and her faith, not asking for whether you do or do not approve of that faith. Get off your high horse and stop being so tactless.

    Also, FYI, there *are* health exceptions to fasting during Ramadan, such as age, pregnancy, diabetes, and suchlike.
  • theboomness
    theboomness Posts: 8 Member
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    Oh, I sympathise, I'm Iranian and my religious family all appear to balloon around Ramadan!

    My advice is to be really careful what and how you eat at Iftar in particular, since you sleep on it. Don't eat too many dates or other goodies as the high sugar will spike your blood sugar after a day of fasting, often being stored as fat around the middle. If I were you, I would eat your two meals like an Intermittent Fasting approach. Eat lots of lean protein, good fat, and complex carbs. (eg. lamb and a small bowl of rice, a crunchy salad, and a small piece of fruit as a treat). What's your calorie goal? If it's, say, 1500, eat two 750-kcal meals. :)

    Good luck! :)

    Edit: and yeah, it would probably be better to eat more carbs during Suhoor to fuel you for the day, and to cut them at Iftar. Nuts would also be good to eat! Noooooo dates or sugary tea or honey sweets! :P

    A lot of useful information there :) thanks! I think where I went wrong was just having water for Suhoor and during Iftari going crazy on the samosas, bhajis etc etc

    My calorie goal is 1200kcal, so it should be easy :)

    x
  • EngineerPrincess
    EngineerPrincess Posts: 306 Member
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    There are so many reasons for fasting, one of which is learning *self control*. And *respect* for things that you don't see the reason for now but might later, respect which should extend to traditions unless you see an obvious reason that the custom is degrading or destructive, which this one really isn't. There's been tons of research on the health effects of Ramadan and it's perfectly sound. I love some of the respect I see going on for other's cultures and religions here and I'm gonna ignore the people who aren't. ;)
    I've fasted for several Ramadans now and I've lost a small bit of weight each time and DID NOT gain it back, it's not a diet it's a ritual which is different.

    EDIT:
    I've never met anyone that felt like they didn't have a choice, because forcing someone or pushing them into fasting is actually against the religion, you have to do it because you *want* to or it doesn't count. So forcing someone to fast would be quite counter-productive to the point, never heard of anyone doing that. I know tons of Muslims that choose not to fast due to everything from health reasons to personal reasons.
  • theboomness
    theboomness Posts: 8 Member
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    There are so many reasons for fasting, one of which is learning *self control*. And *respect* for things that you don't see the reason for now but might later, respect which should extend to traditions unless you see an obvious reason that the custom is degrading or destructive, which this one really isn't. There's been tons of research on the health effects of Ramadan and it's perfectly sound. I love some of the respect I see going on for other's cultures and religions here and I'm gonna ignore the people who aren't. ;)
    I've fasted for several Ramadans now and I've lost a small bit of weight each time and DID NOT gain it back, it's not a diet it's a ritual which is different.

    THIS :)

    The feeling of fasting during Ramadan is amazing <3

    My only concern was my fatty instinct to indulge after breaking the fast

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