I will be fasting for religious reasons in a few weeks

Kelkein
Kelkein Posts: 19 Member
edited December 1 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi! Some of you must've guessed from the title; this year, I will be doing ramadan, a religious holiday.

Now I've always been that person who goes a little overboard in the family when we break the fast at night.

I have no idea if I can actually eat 1,600 calories all at once as I've only started weighing my food and counting the calories this year. I also know that it can be a little annoying to weigh my food around my family, especially on these special occasions.

Do you think I should do it anyway and stick with the food scale and the calorie counting even though I won't be eating anything for most of the day? Is it possible to eat my daily calories during one big meal?

Thanks for reading and please tell me what you think!
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Replies

  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    edited May 2016
    Yes, you count calories and eat one meal a day.
    Here is a group (OneMealaDay):
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/20634-omad-revolution

    I thought some folks eat in the morning before dawn.:grey_question::grey_question::grey_question:
    If that is the case, eat some calories in the morning.

    --
    Google "My Fitness Pal Ramadan" to find threads from last year like this one:
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10173541/tips-for-losing-weight-during-ramadan
  • JaydedMiss
    JaydedMiss Posts: 4,286 Member
    Research intermittent fasting
  • Kelkein
    Kelkein Posts: 19 Member
    Alright, thank you two for the advice!
  • ummizu
    ummizu Posts: 1 Member
    Yes eat protein in the morning. It's so hard to want to eat then but try. You might find spacing out iftar much easier. If I eat most of my calories at once, I get very tired. Breaking it into smaller meals with a little time in between helps a lot.
  • Kelkein
    Kelkein Posts: 19 Member
    ummizu wrote: »
    Yes eat protein in the morning. It's so hard to want to eat then but try. You might find spacing out iftar much easier. If I eat most of my calories at once, I get very tired. Breaking it into smaller meals with a little time in between helps a lot.

    Yeah, I'll try that. Thank you!
  • tinywonder25
    tinywonder25 Posts: 148 Member
    I fasted for Good Friday this year...It was HARD! AND I was HANGRY! It's good that you are going in with a plan because I did not. My plan was drink water and coffee. Bad. Plan. If you are allowed in your tradition to eat small things I'd suggest it. Protein as someone suggested is a great one and maybe start pushing your first meal back a bit everyday (intermittent fasting). Log what you can and try to just enjoy your family meal ;)
  • Kelkein
    Kelkein Posts: 19 Member
    tinywonder25 wrote: »
    I fasted for Good Friday this year...It was HARD! AND I was HANGRY! It's good that you are going in with a plan because I did not. My plan was drink water and coffee. Bad. Plan. If you are allowed in your tradition to eat small things I'd suggest it. Protein as someone suggested is a great one and maybe start pushing your first meal back a bit everyday (intermittent fasting). Log what you can and try to just enjoy your family meal ;)

    Thank you, I'll try to do so! This is the first time I do Ramadan while losing weight so I'm pretty lost. Thanks for the advice!
  • paulgads82
    paulgads82 Posts: 256 Member
    I had a friend who fasted for Ramadan and lost weight at the same time. She split her meal into two but I'd just try a few things and see how you get on. 1600 calories a meal doesn't sound that much to me but I'm pretty big.
  • janjunie
    janjunie Posts: 1,200 Member
    RodaRose wrote: »
    Yes, you count calories and eat one meal a day.
    Here is a group (OneMealaDay):
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/20634-omad-revolution

    I thought some folks eat in the morning before dawn.:grey_question::grey_question::grey_question:
    If that is the case, eat some calories in the morning.

    --
    Google "My Fitness Pal Ramadan" to find threads from last year like this one:
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10173541/tips-for-losing-weight-during-ramadan

    Yes, in fact Muslims who observe Ramadan are supposed to eat just before dawn (suhoor), as well as when the sun sets (iftarr).
  • ogtmama
    ogtmama Posts: 1,403 Member
    I would measure out typical Ramadan meals in a dance so you know what a portion looks like, that way you don't have to weigh out your food in front of your family every day. Have a blessed Ramadan!
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    edited May 2016
    Kelkein wrote: »
    Hi! Some of you must've guessed from the title; this year, I will be doing ramadan, a religious holiday.

    Now I've always been that person who goes a little overboard in the family when we break the fast at night.

    I have no idea if I can actually eat 1,600 calories all at once as I've only started weighing my food and counting the calories this year. I also know that it can be a little annoying to weigh my food around my family, especially on these special occasions.

    Do you think I should do it anyway and stick with the food scale and the calorie counting even though I won't be eating anything for most of the day? Is it possible to eat my daily calories during one big meal ?

    Thanks for reading and please tell me what you think!

    Sure, many Americans regularly eat a day's worth of calories at Thanksgiving dinner. Or a buffet, or many US restaurant entrees...

    My vote is to continue to weigh and log.

    I didn't weigh last Thanskgiving cuz I cooked and was too exhausted to think about it, but many are able to do both.
  • markswife1992
    markswife1992 Posts: 262 Member
    if i were you, i would take the first couple of days and eat "normally" at night, whatever you need/want but log it all. then after those few days, you can see if you are going over cal. i would imagine that it would be near impossible to eat a whole day's worth of cals in one or two meals at night. esp if you go to bed at a decent hour.
  • yazpistachio
    yazpistachio Posts: 2 Member
    I usually lose weight in Ramadan without trying but my family isn't big on having tons of fried savouries etc for iftaar.

    Eat soups, salads, fresh fruit, lean meat, and other healthy stuff. Have a (singular) samosa.

    And definitely don't skip sehri/suhoor! At least have a couple of glasses of water and some almonds. You can always keep that by your bed, wake up, eat and drink quickly and go back to sleep inshaa Allah.
  • akf2000
    akf2000 Posts: 278 Member
    Yes, Ramadan is basically an IF, especially in the summer with the crazy long hours. Most people observing Ramadan I know lose weight without trying or perhaps even wanting to. They also put it straight back afterwards, without fail.
  • sobiakhatoon
    sobiakhatoon Posts: 128 Member
    Hello! Thanks for bringing this up. I'm worried now as ramzan is coming. I'm in the 1200 calories per day window. Really confused on what to do! Should I just eat 600 calories for suhoor n then 600 for iftar and workout or skip the workout.....? My worout consists of walking 4-5 miles a day and a few zumba classes per week.
    Thanks
  • moe0303
    moe0303 Posts: 934 Member
    eveandqsmom wrote: »
    I would measure out typical Ramadan meals in a dance so you know what a portion looks like, that way you don't have to weigh out your food in front of your family every day. Have a blessed Ramadan!

    Picturing someone twirling around in the kitchen with a scale and a measuring cup. Lol.

    I was gonna say the same thing.
  • Vegplotter
    Vegplotter Posts: 265 Member
    I'm not sure how old/overweight you are or how busy your schedule, but I'm pretty sure that modern Muslim advice on Ramadan fasting has been modified to take account of the fact that our lives are very different these days.
    Also if you live closer to the poles than Mecca, your fast will be longer than the original intention.
    Modified fasts, where you only eat light food at lunch time, may be quite acceptable.
    If you do decide to eat one meal at night I wouldn't attempt to stuff in 1200 calories at a go. Rather eat you normal supper.
    I suggest you consult a few enlightened Muslim friends and a dietician. Perhaps you need to treat your overweight issues as an illness? The sick and pregnant are excused from fasting I think.
    Good luck.
  • srecupid
    srecupid Posts: 660 Member
    So you have like 12 hours to eat like 1600 calories? And you'll probably be sleeping a good portion? Seems like you could stick to that pretty easily without logging. 2 bigger meals loaded with protein and fiber should do it
  • dhimaan
    dhimaan Posts: 774 Member
    Kelkein wrote: »
    Hi! Some of you must've guessed from the title; this year, I will be doing ramadan, a religious holiday.

    Now I've always been that person who goes a little overboard in the family when we break the fast at night.

    I have no idea if I can actually eat 1,600 calories all at once as I've only started weighing my food and counting the calories this year. I also know that it can be a little annoying to weigh my food around my family, especially on these special occasions.

    Do you think I should do it anyway and stick with the food scale and the calorie counting even though I won't be eating anything for most of the day? Is it possible to eat my daily calories during one big meal?

    Thanks for reading and please tell me what you think!

    From around Maghrib to before Fajr I would split my food into two 800 calorie meals and count that as a days worth of food. You don't need to eat 1600 calories all at once. Your sehri should count as your second meal. Good luck.
  • incisron
    incisron Posts: 550 Member
    I'll be fasting, too :) I'll be bumping up to 1500 and splitting the calories between dawn and evening.
  • ogtmama
    ogtmama Posts: 1,403 Member
    edited May 2016
    moe0303 wrote: »
    eveandqsmom wrote: »
    I would measure out typical Ramadan meals in a dance so you know what a portion looks like, that way you don't have to weigh out your food in front of your family every day. Have a blessed Ramadan!

    Picturing someone twirling around in the kitchen with a scale and a measuring cup. Lol.

    I was gonna say the same thing.

    Dang autocorrect! Though that would be something to see ;) (i meant in advance)
  • Kelkein
    Kelkein Posts: 19 Member
    edited May 2016
    @yazpistachio I definitely won't be skipping it! Suhoor is usually the time where me and my family eat like goddamn monsters, so I wouldn't worry about it haha. Thank you and ramadan kareem!

    @akf2000 I remember that I tried doing IF for a while, but I failed. I believe ramadan will be rather different though, because my family and friends will be doing it with me too. I'm kind of thinking about trying IF again after the holiday, maybe I'll be a little used to it by then. Thanks!

    @sobiakhatoon Personally, I'm thinking about skipping the gym for a while, but I'll definitely keep doing my daily walk. I think you should keep exercising during ramadan, but maybe with a different activity if you find those ones too tiring. Ramadan Kareem to you!

    @moe0303 I'll be doing some sick moves while weighing my food, don't you worry about a thing.

    @Vegplotter I don't think it can be considered an illness in this situation and, even then, I'm not that overweight. I actually never thought about what "modern ramadan" could be like, but it's definitely and interesting subject. I'll take a look, thanks!

    @srecupid What I'm mostly worried about is overeating. You know how delicious traditional meals are haha. Thanks for the advice, I'll take that into account. Thank you!

    @dhimaan Thank you! I'll will try to do so

    @incisron I'll try to do the same then! Ramadan kareem!

    @Vingogly Thank you! Your fast seems way harder though, I wish you luck!

  • Kelkein
    Kelkein Posts: 19 Member
    edited May 2016
    Mavrick_RN wrote: »
    Like all things religious I don't get it. If the point of the fast is to be more reflective of your faith, then focusing on the ability to "eat like goddamn monsters" makes the whole thing seem ridiculous. As a previous poster suggested, trying to make up for few hours of fasting with a glutinous overindulgence is a sickness.

    I totally agree with you, but being religious doesn't mean we don't have other things coming in my life. Yeah, it's great and all to be reflective of our faith but that's not what's going to get me through the exams, the important events, the workouts. I still want to do what I believe in without it being a burden on the other things in my life.

    Besides, I was kidding. Of course I won't eat and drink like a monster. Juste enough to get me through the day haha.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    Kelkein wrote: »
    Hi! Some of you must've guessed from the title; this year, I will be doing ramadan, a religious holiday.

    Now I've always been that person who goes a little overboard in the family when we break the fast at night.

    I have no idea if I can actually eat 1,600 calories all at once as I've only started weighing my food and counting the calories this year. I also know that it can be a little annoying to weigh my food around my family, especially on these special occasions.

    Do you think I should do it anyway and stick with the food scale and the calorie counting even though I won't be eating anything for most of the day? Is it possible to eat my daily calories during one big meal?

    Thanks for reading and please tell me what you think!

    It is possible to eat 1600 calories in a meal. If you don't want to weigh food around family, I would just take very small portions of what you want to eat, eat slowly, and enjoy the conversation and fun after the fast.

    Good luck on your fast, as well as your community meal afterward! :)
  • Kelkein
    Kelkein Posts: 19 Member
    SLLRunner wrote: »
    Kelkein wrote: »
    Hi! Some of you must've guessed from the title; this year, I will be doing ramadan, a religious holiday.

    Now I've always been that person who goes a little overboard in the family when we break the fast at night.

    I have no idea if I can actually eat 1,600 calories all at once as I've only started weighing my food and counting the calories this year. I also know that it can be a little annoying to weigh my food around my family, especially on these special occasions.

    Do you think I should do it anyway and stick with the food scale and the calorie counting even though I won't be eating anything for most of the day? Is it possible to eat my daily calories during one big meal?

    Thanks for reading and please tell me what you think!

    It is possible to eat 1600 calories in a meal. If you don't want to weigh food around family, I would just take very small portions of what you want to eat, eat slowly, and enjoy the conversation and fun after the fast.

    Good luck on your fast, as well as your community meal afterward! :)

    Thank you! I'll do :blush:
  • incisron
    incisron Posts: 550 Member
    Ramadan Kareem to you, 2.
    It will involve plenty of fruit, veggies, chicken and enchiladas.
  • aureum79
    aureum79 Posts: 30 Member
    I am fasting too actually did 1 fast during shaban and what I did was I split my calories into 2 as I started intermetted fasting last month 2nd April it was easy apart from getting thirsty as I now drink a lot and I mean a lot of water and green tea as well what I found during the fast was it was better to have a heavy meal at suhoor and light meal after magrib eg lots of vegetables and fruit salad with not added sugar keep it plain and simple.Also plan ahead what you are going to eat it really helps and don't be afraid to tweek it I keep on adding or change what ever I want to it.That way I can have lots of variety.I know it's going to be hard for us as we have longer fast and as it will be during summer time but I am pretty sure we can go this properly.And Ramadan kareem to all who are fasting this year.
  • Kelkein
    Kelkein Posts: 19 Member
    Hey, thanks for the advice, I'll make sure to use it well. Ramadan kareem!
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