Im confused about HOW to eat during Ramadan?

Hi, Ramadan starts tonight. Its 9:40 p.m. right now and I stop eating at 3:00 a.m all until 9:04 p.m of the 29th.

Im confused on how to fit all my calories in because I KNOW eating 1000 calories is not healthy. I have a couple questions.

1. How do I break my fast? With water first then wait 20 minutes? With carbs? protein? My calorie goal is 1350. Im a girl by the way if it helps.

Thanks. I hope people reply before it starts.

Replies

  • Meerataila
    Meerataila Posts: 1,885 Member
    Everyone is different, but I've done fasts much longer than that and had no issues with eating whatever I wanted whenever and however much I wanted when I decided to break my fast. Assuming of course there is no particular recommendation of your religion for how to break your fast.

    Edit: However, I never did a fast that excluded drinking water as well, I bet you'll be thirsty enough to start with that. Surely there are some sites online that will have recommendations specific to Ramadan.
  • LessHeavyVeggie
    LessHeavyVeggie Posts: 208 Member
    You might find this thread, and/or some of the posters on it, useful:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1038039-ramadan-fasting-mfp-and-you-a-guide
  • eggcluck
    eggcluck Posts: 36 Member
    There is no difference between Ramadan and intermittent fasting for the most part so go look that up.

    Ramadan style fasting is nothing special and many people do this type of fast all day long all year long , year after year.. Myself included when I was staying in Buddhist temples I had to live like the monks and they only eat one meal a day and are not allowed to eat past a certain time. Many monks did actually miss this one meal due to deep meditations. We maintained our calorie intake just by eating larger sized meals, and of course its not these monks broke a sweat either. Ramadan will be no different, eat the calories you need at the time you can and lower you activity level.
  • Susieq_1994
    Susieq_1994 Posts: 5,361 Member
    As it is Sunnah to break your fast with a date or water, and also to eat suhoor, I tend to focus first on these and then work around them. :flowerforyou:

    My recommendation is to have a suhoor that contains plenty of fiber, fat, and protein (hommos, peanut butter on whole-wheat, tuna salad with olive oil.. Plenty of options!). I usually try to get about 1/3 of my calories in at suhoor time.

    At iftar time, I may eat a smallish iftar and eat another meal later, or make a calorie-dense meal for iftar. Tonight, for example, I will be having spaghetti bolognaise with ground beef (mmm.. yummy)

    Best of luck with your choices, and remember, Ramadan is more about the fasting than the food! Be blessed :flowerforyou:
  • SeekeroftheDawn
    SeekeroftheDawn Posts: 1 Member
    Salams! I'm in the very same boat myself with weight loss and fasting. I've been struggling with my weight for years; I've was *very* overweight (by 50 lbs!) then made it to my goal weight, and then gained twenty of it back in about a year. Now I'm working to fight off those last fifteen pounds, though I have been very uncertain how I will keep losing weight during Ramadan. Here's my strategy and, while I'm still struggling a *lot* to eat few enough calories, I don't think I have gained and have managed to maintain muscle mass.

    Breakfast/Suhoor: 500-600 calories. 500 would be best, but I keep pushing it to 600. It's important to have a LOT of protein, as protein is digested slower than anything else you can consume. I also try to get a decent amount of healthy fats, namely coconut oil or almond butter. My meals consist of things like chicken sandwiches with protein shakes, or scrambled eggs with cheese and plain yogurt w/ berries. I've also had leftovers from suhoor, but this isn't preferable because I tend to go over my calorie limit. Try to limit your carbs at this time, but it's important to get some. I tend to eat at least one piece of whole wheat sprouted bread (60 or 100 calories), because when I cut carbs entirely I'm weak throughout the day.

    Dinner/iftar: this is the meal where you want to be VERY careful. You're starving, everything looks good, you're craving everything, but your body doesn't need as much nutrition now as it did at suhoor. This is where I keep messing up, because I eat close to 1000 calories, if not more, on a good number of days. What I'm trying to aim for, however, is roughly 600 calories. Try to sit down to eat like you're not starving, but rather that you're just hungry from a long day. Homecooked meals are best, again emphasizing on protein, healthy fats, and a minimal amount of carbs. Don't deprive yourself. Eat things that you enjoy in moderation, because otherwise it's so easy to go crazy and binge. I try to make meals that will last me for several days, such as taco salads, zucchini lasagna, eggplant parmesan, chicken stir frys, and cauliflower rice. But that's because it's what I like. Eat lots of veggies.

    I also strongly suggest fitting in workouts between maghrib and isha. Right now my workout routine consists of 2x weight training, 1 cardio, 2 weight training, another cardio, and one day of rest. Also, and I cannot emphasize this enough, drink plenty of water. It's SO crucial. I've been so surprised how much it's helped me this year.

    I wish you the best of luck, and know that you're not alone! Please, if you find any strategies that work for you do message me! I'm always researching and trying to find new good weight loss strategies. I have always been so concerned about my weight, and it's kind of something I obsess over. *sheepish grin*
  • I break my fast with water, dates and a thin soup, go pray, and come back for a 300-500 cal dinner. Then for suhoor I load up so to speak with grain & protein dense food like oatmeal, avocado, eggs, cheese, nuts & some fruit- probably between 500-900 calories. After Isha I workout for 30 min to an hour ~6 days a week and on those days I usually have a protein shake and protein bar. My TDEE is just over 2000 so I aim for between 1500-1700 food intake and usually come within a couple hundred calories of that goal.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    There is no difference between Ramadan and intermittent fasting for the most part so go look that up.

    Except of course the religious aspect and the rules.