To my fellow muslims or even non-muslims....ramadan

moonlightturk
moonlightturk Posts: 398
edited December 25 in Health and Weight Loss
With the start of Ramadan, I will be fasting for approximately 12 hours a day. Fast from dawn till dusk. This is a complete fast: you eat nothing, but also don't drink. Not even water. inshA I will do it this year again!

What will you be doing exercise and nutrition wise? Can we still maintain clean eating when there is bread and dates being served right to left? Should I still be doing my daily jogging?

Replies

  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    I can't answer personally but I know from another topic there is a group you can join where you may find a lot more answers.
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/6555-fasting-ramadan-eating-right

    HTH
  • stargazer008
    stargazer008 Posts: 531
    Where do you live! Where I am, we have to fast for 17 hours!
  • half_moon
    half_moon Posts: 807 Member
    Inshallah you will be successful!! Happy fasting!! <3
  • omid990
    omid990 Posts: 785 Member
    On days that i'm exercising, i allow myself to have water. it can become a health risk otherwise!

    and it's about 15 hours here too. Next year is going to be even harder!
  • caraiselite
    caraiselite Posts: 2,631 Member
    good luck!
  • Bobby_Clerici
    Bobby_Clerici Posts: 1,828 Member
    I am non-Muslim but respect people's religious views.
    Have a great holiday folks :drinker:
  • Feathil
    Feathil Posts: 162 Member
    No water sounds a bit dangerous! Considering most people on MFP are in America, where it's wayy hotter than where I am!
    Just curious, what if someone passes out? You give them water then?
    Not trying to be insulting, just genuinely trying to learn! It's pretty interesting :)
  • EngineerPrincess
    EngineerPrincess Posts: 306 Member
    Yay Ramadan! I plan to fast as much as possible this year but I'm anxious as I don't want to do poorly at my job (I work at a research lab) and get fired, or worse, have people think I'm an idiot and not recommend me for masters programs. :S I haven never taken well to fasting and I get dizzy spells. I can't keep down what I eat for suhoor, I can't keep down foods before 7am. x_x Any advice?
    Also Bobby_Clerici you are a cool person.
    We have to go about 14 hours here I think?
  • EngineerPrincess
    EngineerPrincess Posts: 306 Member
    No water sounds a bit dangerous! Considering most people on MFP are in America, where it's wayy hotter than where I am!
    Just curious, what if someone passes out? You give them water then?
    Not trying to be insulting, just genuinely trying to learn! It's pretty interesting :)

    If you're young or ill you're not supposed to fast at all, says it right in the book. And you drink a lot of water in the morning, my dizzy spells are never from lack of water, I get plenty of that. Most healthy people feel perfectly fine, you don't eat or drink at night for nearly 12 hours, it's something most people do every day only at night instead of daytime. Ramadan just reverses it :D
  • moonlightturk
    moonlightturk Posts: 398
    Woops sorry wrong on the hours I need to fast ;/
  • Jeliwood
    Jeliwood Posts: 61
    Well, I'm not personally muslim (or any sort of religion either for that matter.) but my cousins are muslims. I would say that you should perhaps reduce your exercising if you're doing a lot of hardcore stuff but don't cut it out completely because exercise can reduce your hunger levels. Perhaps you should focus more so towards low intensity workouts during this time because the need to replenish is less 'right away', if that makes sense. I know when I do a strength training/cardio workout like I did this morning with 50 minutes of cardio and 25 minutes of lifting weights I felt like I had to eat right away but I know if I walk that same amount of time it's not the same feeling at all. Perhaps a good compromise would be to wake up very early, before sunrise, get a heavy workout in some days, and eat before the sunrise. Or do the same at night, whichever works best for you.

    Though, I'd say be very careful about no water no matter what you decide to do. It's so hot this time of year, depending where you live and what you do, and it can make you very ill. You couldn't do it where I live, Louisiana, without possibly killing yourself- in a very literal sense.

    And there is nothing wrong with a couple dates and a bite of bread, as long as you don't go overboard, I imagine.

    Good luck! :)
  • LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo
    LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo Posts: 3,634 Member
    If you're young or ill you're not supposed to fast at all, says it right in the book. And you drink a lot of water in the morning, my dizzy spells are never from lack of water, I get plenty of that. Most healthy people feel perfectly fine, you don't eat or drink at night for nearly 12 hours, it's something most people do every day only at night instead of daytime. Ramadan just reverses it :D
    That applies to us Christians as well during the Lenten season where we have to fast also & I'm one of them since I'm diabetic & I have to eat every 2 hours otherwise my blood sugar would crash that will make me collapse.

    I'm not a Muslim but I have some Muslim friends & they told me that their usual problem during Ramadan is that they stuff themselves with calorie dense foods at dusk. Here where I live there is a Muslim minority as well but I have no idea about their nutritional guidelines during Ramadan.

    I have to agree with reducing your working out especially cardio since it can trigger appetite when you overdo it. Don't swim too much because that can trigger your appetite as well. But if you really want to get a good workout, it would be better to do it before sunrise sets in. Wake up 2-3 hours earlier to workout & eat your last meal before the sunrise. Also eat foods rich in protein & healthy fats before & after the fasting to keep you satiated for long. Don't overstuff with fried or any other high fat foods.

    If you live in hot climate, avoid staying out in the sun as much as possible.
  • tenunderfour
    tenunderfour Posts: 429 Member
    Look at some of the intermittent fasting literature.... Eat Stop Eat by Brad Pilon or Leangains by Martin Berkhan.
  • taunto
    taunto Posts: 6,420 Member
    copy/pasting earlier post

    Its not really terribly different. For sehri make sure you eat a healthy amount of calories (a wee bit less than half your daily if you don't want to go back to bed after fajr). But if you do go back to sleep, I would go with only 1/3rd since this means that you'll be awake longer after maghrb so you probably want to eat that 2/3rd after aftar

    The main problem with Ramadan is that for Aftar we eat alot of oil heavy meals and forget about eating properly. Imagine in your mind peasant food rather than lush deep fried samosas and pakoras. I personally just eat what I would typically eat throughout the rest of the year and the only difference is my timing and addition of dates (mmmm, yummy yummy dates with almonds in them!!)

    The biggest issue for me has always been water (and used to be nicotine but thank god I've quit smoking). Water will be a challenge, specially drinking adequate amount. For me the challenge is that when I drink large amount, my throat feels more thirsty so I will be dropping my consumption of water during Ramadan.

    As for workout, I will probably be rocking it after maghrib or maybe after taraweeh.

    best of luck and pat yourself for planning ahead :)
  • MNchick
    MNchick Posts: 371 Member
    While this isn't part of my religion, it is for some of my friends. They definitely cut back on working out, or work out later at night, after they've been able to have some food.

    Good luck!

    كل شي سيكون على مايرام يا سديقتي
  • FR89
    FR89 Posts: 186 Member
    I will make sure i get enough protein in the morning to full me up for longer.. Also have healthier food options and not any fried stuff.. Grilled kebabs.. fish etc Fruit salad afterwards

    No major exercise while i am fasting, but maybe a nap and walk after work?? 1st one opens at 9 15 i think.. so will have time to have a nap and a walk.. Not too much cardio and work more on arms and abs etc with weights at night..

    Good luck! x
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