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Does Fasting During Ramadan Help You Lose Weight

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Limit Salt And Sugar Intake

Fasting Ramadan Ep1! How much losing weight during 1 week??

Studies show restricting dietary salt leads to rapid weight loss. Avoid salty foods such as canned items, salted snacks and spicy foods as this will increase your thirst during the day.

Ramadan offers many sweet delights and dishes, which can be challenging to resist.

Instead of losing weight, you can quickly gain weight from the processed sugars inside these sweet treats and beverages.

When you eat sugary foods, the body breaks them down and metabolizes them quicker, making you feel hungry sooner. Try only eating foods containing naturally occurring sugars such as fruits, dried fruits, and honey.

Plan Your Meals During Ramadan

Whats the key to any successful weight loss or body transformation diet? Planning and organisation.

Ensuring that you have all your meals planned and prepared in advance means youre far more likely to stick to your diet plan, which ultimately improves long-term weight loss and fat loss success.

If you leave your meals to chance and just grab something when youre hungry, youre more likely to make bad food choices when Iftar comes around.

After a full day of fasting, its easier to just gorge on the kinds of foods that taste great but are terrible for your body composition goals.

So having healthy meals ready and waiting for when you break your fast that meets your calorie needs and macronutrients goals is key. Become a master of Meal prep, and you will breeze through Ramadan.

Not Giving Yourself Any Flexibility

Intermittent fasting needs to work with your life, and if you strive for absolute compliance, you’ll likely crash and burn, according to the Mayo Clinic.

âThe fix:â Change comes with consistency, not perfection. If you really want to give IF a go, give yourself some flexibility.

If you have a celebration or a social outing with friends, don’t skip out on enjoying the cake or dinner on account of it being outside of your eating window. Give yourself some wiggle room to enjoy these important moments.

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Plan For Eating Out During Ramadan

During Ramadan, there will be times when you will be enjoying social occasions and eating out with family and friends.

It can be challenging to stay on track with your diet when youre out for a meal unless you plan.

Its always advisable to check the menu before you arrive to see which meal best fits your meal plan or dietary needs. You can also order your food ahead of time so you avoid making any impulsive food choices on the spot when you are hungry or faced with temptation.

Keep it simple and go for something like steak and vegetables youll be able to track the number of calories on your food tracker app. Say no to extras when you order. Things like coleslaw, onion rings, fries, sauces and added cheese are added extras that will seriously bump up the calorie count of the meals.

Restaurants are always amenable to making food substitutes, so dont be afraid to ask.

Good swaps are fries for green vegetables and salads without dressings and always base your meal around a good source of protein.

Treating Your Eating Period As A Free

Fasting In Islam And Associated Health Benefits

Not losing weight while intermittent fasting with the 16:8 or other plan? It may be because you’re eating high-calorie, low-nutrition foods like baked goods or fried food when you’re not fasting, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Even though you’re fasting, it’s still important to prioritize nutritious, balanced meals â without them, you’re setting the stage for digestive trouble.

“, people are usually prone to eat very large meals during eating times, which can cause gastrointestinal stress leading to indigestion and bloating,” says dietitian Patricia Bannan, RDN. “This is particularly concerning for people with irritable bowel syndrome, who already have a more sensitive gut.”

âThe fix:â The best meals for intermittent fasting include vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean proteins and beneficial fats. You can also plan your meals ahead of time so they’re ready to eat once your fasting window ends.

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How Can I Suppress Hunger During Intermittent Fasting

  • Eat high-fiber foods, such as nuts, beans, fruits and vegetables and high-protein foods, including meat, fish, tofu or nuts, during your eating window, Varady advised. Chewing high-fiber gummies can also help.
  • Drink lots of water. People tend to think theyre hungry, when they are really just thirsty, she said.
  • Go for black coffee or tea, or cinnamon or licorice herbal teas. These beverages may have appetite-suppressing effects, Varady noted.
  • Watch less TV. I know this sounds strange, but while you are watching TV, you are bombarded with dozens of ads for food. This can make you feel hungry, when in actuality, you are not hungry at all, she said.

Remember, being a little hungry is the best thing that can happen to you, wrote Madelyn Fernstrom, health and nutrition editor at NBC News, calling it a true mind-body connection that helps you recognize fullness.

Intermittent Fasting And Breastfeeding

Intermittent fasting is a dietary eating period restriction for a healthier and more energetic body.

Intermittent fasting is generally applied to restrict the extra calorie intake of people who have night-eating attacks or tend to eat more sugar and fatty foods in the evening. It is usually performed by limiting eating in the evening and starting to eat in the morning of the next day.

Many studies have noted significant weight loss results due to the restriction of extra calorie intake therefore, intermittent fasting is considered an effective method. However, significant changes to the micronutrient contents of breastmilk were discovered during fasting during Ramadan.

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What Happens In A Fast

When you fast, the human body goes into conservation mode, burning calories more slowly. It switches from utilising carbohydrates to fats as its primary fuel and ensures a constant source of energy to the body.Fasting causes a biochemical trigger of the hormones glucagon and cortisol, which stimulates the release of fatty acids from fat tissue into the bloodstream. The fatty acids are taken up by the muscles and other tissues and broken down to produce energy in the cells.

Benefits Of Intermittent Fasting

How To Lose Weight During Ramadan

There are many benefits of intermittent fasting. Studies show that it can reduce weight, lower the prevalence of coronary artery disease and diabetes and perhaps even increase longevity.

Other studies reveal that intermittent fasting may reduce inflammation, which drives many chronic diseases. Although more research is still needed, initial studies on animals suggest this fasting form may even help prevent cancer.

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How Does Intermittent Fasting Work

The idea behind intermittent fasting is that by restricting food, our bodies will more quickly and efficiently tap our fat stores for energy. While glucose from carbohydrates is our most direct fuel source, we burn fat for energy when glucose isnt available. This happens even more during times of food deprivation. Our ability to store fat is unlimited.

Intermittent fasting can be done in a variety of ways. Theres no perfect fasting plan, and it really should be based on what works best in your life.

One method is fasting daily for a set amount of time, usually 12 hours or more. The average person sleeps about 7 hours a night, which counts towards that fasting time. If you don’t eat after dinner, then you could easily achieve a daily fast to help your body burn fat more efficiently. This type of fasting could work well for someone who tends to be a nighttime snacker.

Another form of intermittent fasting is alternate day fasting. This is where you eat whatever you want 5 to 6 days of the week and choose 1 or 2 days a week to fast. During those fasting days, water and broth is encouraged so you dont become dehydrated. This type of fasting could be beneficial for someone with a work schedule that may be really busy some days and cannot eat on a regular basis.

Remember: When you’re eating, choose healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, plant proteins, and non- or low-fat dairy products.

Avoid Eating Between Iftaar And Suhoor

One of the best things to know about how to lose weight during Ramadan is to keep a check on your eating habits between iftar and suhoor. Your body gains weight when you eat continuously between Iftaar and Suhoor timings. Eating this much will also make you feel tired and lethargic besides weight gain. Try to avoid the in-between snacks. Instead, fix a single time and eat healthy to consume the minimum possible calories.

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Just The Right Amount Of Sleep

It is very important to understand that the right amount of sleep is necessary for maintaining optimum metabolism. Too less or too much can disrupt the complex cycle of reactions in your body and push it into a state of chronic weight gain. Staying active means you are always burning some calories, which help prevent those extra calories from sticking to your body.

To be sure about how to lose weight during Ramadan, following the above guide will help you work wonders. Fasting during Ramadan aids you jump-start a weight loss process which you can pursue for the rest of the year. These Ramadan diet tips will surely help you lose weight instead of gaining it, something that we all dread!

References:

Kris Gunnars, B. . How Intermittent Fasting Can Help You Lose Weight. . Retrieved 27 April 2017, from https://authoritynutrition.com/intermittent-fasting-and-weight-loss/

Chai, C. . Fasting for weight loss? Heres why scientists say it works long-term. Global News. Retrieved 27 April 2017, from http://globalnews.ca/news/2572885/fasting-for-weight-loss-heres-why-scientists-says-it-works-long-term/

How Alternate-Day Fasting Helps Manage Your Weight. . Mercola.com. Retrieved 27 April 2017, from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/06/08/alternate-day-fasting.aspx

You Arent Moving Enough

Health Digezt

While body composition is 80% what you eat. It is also 20% how you move. The body gets weak if the body doesnt move. During Ramadan we have less energy during the day and consequently going to the gym or keeping up with workouts can be difficult. However, simply adding in some walks throughout the day and some bodyweight exercises can go a long way. Instead of being sedentary for 23 hours and then running for an hour on a treadmill, try incorporating movement into your daily schedule. Walk to work, or take the train/bus and walk to and from that. Do you talk on the phone for work? Go on a walk while you talk. Cycle to the grocery store or to your friends house for iftar. Take an invigorating walk around your neighborhood after Asr as the sun is going down and you are getting ready to break fast. It is not true that you need to workout really intensely to burn calories. Engaging in low level aerobic activity throughout the day does wonders.

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You Arent Eating Enough Probiotic/prebiotic Foods

Modern science has confirmed what Hippocrates said 2,000 years ago, all disease begins in the gut. We now know that there is more bacteria in us and on us than there are human cells in our entire body! Walt Whitman was right, contain multitudes. There are trillions of microbes in your stomach that help you digest food and protect you from harmful bacteria, fungi, and viruses. These microbes also deeply influence ones propensity to gain weight. Studies have shown that mice with imbalanced gut microbes become obese even when they are fed the same diets as mice with healthy gut bacteria. Furthermore, when bacteria from the healthy mice is put in the stomach of the obese mice, the obese mice loses weight even when their diet is not changed at all. The field of study on the human microbiome is a hot topic in scientific and medical circles and is expanding rapidly. A lot of this science is still less than a decade old and has not yet filtered down to common popular knowledge outside of health conscious circles. But it is important to understand that we are in the middle of a revolution in the fields of medicine and nutrition due to recent findings about the human microbiome. So how does one attain a healthy gut? For starters, the worst thing you can do for your gut is to eat a high sugar, high carbohydrate diet .

Some of the best foods for a healthy gut are as follows:

  • Fresh Vegetables
  • Herbs, Spices, Teas
  • Probiotic foods

Is Ramadan Fasting Healthy

According to the British Nutrition Foundation, results from studies on the health effects of Ramadan fasting are mixed.The site explains: “This is probably because the length of the fast and the weather conditions experienced vary depending on the time of year and the country where the fast is being observed.”Some small studies have looked at the effect of Ramadan fasting on factors like blood cholesterol and triglycerides and found a short term improvement in some cases although some studies found no effect.”There have also been some small studies that suggest that Ramadan fasting may have a short term beneficial effect on the immune system.”In both cases, the results of studies have been mixed and so more research is needed to confirm these results.”

Also Check: How Much Weight Can You Lose From Intermittent Fasting

Should I Eat Dessert After Iftar

Ramadan doesn’t mean you have to shun all treats.You can absolutely have dessert after iftar, if you fancy it.Hannah said: “Stick to fruits and dark chocolate because cakes, biscuits and other desserts will cause you to become more thirsty.”After iftar, go for a walk to help you digest the food and relax before prayers.Make a pot of tea of your choice, and sit and relax before you go to bed.Hannah suggested ginger, lemon, or honey tea to aid digestion.If you are craving sugar, why not try cinnamon bark or honey tea?Mint tea is also great for fleshing and clears the airways.Ultimately, you can have whatever tea you like.

Avoid Fried And Processed Foods

8 Fasting Variations for Weight Loss | Jason Fung

Gaining weight instead of losing during Ramadan?

Well, fasting can help to reduce weight but eating processed or fried foods at iftar can make it impossible.

Aging slows down your metabolism that leads to weight gain. You should avoid fried foods that can result in weight gain. When you eat a healthy diet at Iftar while fasting in the whole month, it will help you lose weight during Ramadan.

Read Also: Free Keto Intermittent Fasting Meal Plan

Screening And Data Extraction

All titles and abstracts identified from the literature searches were screened for potential inclusion eligibility by three authors , based on the eligibility criteria mentioned above. Duplicate entries were removed. Relevant studies were fully screened by the same authors. A data extraction form was developed to compile information about the article , participants , study design, intervention characteristics , and outcomes of interest. Endnote® X7 for Windows 10 was used to manage the references. The first author extracted the data and uncertainties were resolved by consensus.

What Should People Eat If They Want To Incorporate Exercise Into Their Daily Routine During Ramadan

We often think that due to our fast we should not exercise. However, it is important we keep our bodies moving every day in some way.

A simple solution is to exercise after iftar. Wait about two hours or so for your body to digest, then conduct a light exercise routine.

Considering of course the current worldwide restrictions, your gym is likely closed and so you may be lacking motivation. However, there is a lot you can do at home.

Have a look on the internet for an exercise video you can follow. There are fun, simple routines such as song challenges where you squat along to the beat.

Of course, please do consult a doctor or trainer before undertaking any exercise especially if you have not done it before. Even 10-15 minutes can help keep your body healthy. Anything is better than nothing at all.

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Fasting Affects Cells And Hormones

Intermittent fasting helps your body cells to self-repair by digesting and removing old proteins no longer needed inside cells. Studies show that fasting alters gene function, which may protect against diseases such as Alzheimers and may also help you live longer.

When you fast, insulin levels reduce, making it easier to access stored body fat for weight loss. However, fasting increases your bodys human growth hormone, reducing fat and promoting muscle gain. Fasting also increases the release of norepinephrine which is a fat-burning hormone helping you reduce weight.

According to a 2000 study, these hormonal changes may increase your metabolic rate by up to 14%, which aids weight loss.

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Youre Eating Too Many Things That Turn To Sugar

Health benefits of fasting in Ramadan

A lot of people cut out sugar and then are surprised that it doesnt give them the desired results, or they lose a bit of weight but then they reach a weight loss plateau. Even with all my interest in health and nutrition, it took me until my early 30s to fully understand the way that grains also turn to sugar in the body. Bread, rice, and other carbohydrates are converted to glucose in the body. The liver secretes insulin when you eat them. For some people this is no problem. For people who are insulin resistant it wreaks havoc on the body. As David Ludwig, MD, PhD, director of the New Balance Foundation Obesity Prevention Center at Childrens Hospital Boston states clearly, refined carbohydrates, including refined grain products, are the single most harmful influence in the American diet today. If you are eating bread, rice, cereal, etc, you are spiking insulin and thus storing fat instead of burning it. If your goal is weight loss, you have to cut down on carbs.

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