Ramadan Tips

Setting the Scene

Eating during the month of Ramadan should be no different to any other month. The only difference is the window of time to eat. We only have a few hours to hydrate and get in the calories and nutrients to support our body. The problem lies therein – due to having no food for a long period of time, our hunger hormones are raging, and we really can’t control ourselves when it comes to breaking the fast. I know the feeling, I used to be like that.

But can you gain or lose weight during Ramadan?

The answer is yes. You can do either or and it is no different to any other month. The only difference here is that you have a small window of opportunity to eat, drink and get a workout in – if you wish to train. It is no different to any other month. If you can understand this and not panic, you are 90% of the way there!

First & Foremost – Calories

The most important thing and an area that throw a lot of people off.

Your results, whether it is weight gain, muscle maintenance or weight loss, will all come down to the number of calories you consume. During Ramadan, if you eat very little and don’t eat properly, you will risk losing lean body mass and a little bit of overall weight. However, this will be the classic scenario of you putting the weight back on after Ramadan, a lot of water initially and some body fat if you aren’t careful.

So, there is a danger to eating very little, even though it may sound appealing. Starve, eat little and lose weight, sounds like the perfect recipe for weight-loss doesn’t it?

It will happen, but it will happen slowly and then you’ll gain it back after Ramadan. In fact, most of the weight you lose during the first week of Ramadan will predominately be water. So, avoid under-eating and thinking it will help – it won’t.

If you consume a moderate number of calories during the month, maybe stick with what you eat currently, your weight will remain the same. This is the ideal scenario we want to be in because it sets us up beautifully when Ramadan is over. It can be as easy as 600-700 calories 3 times during the eating window. It can be 600 calories when breaking fast, 600 around Isha/Tarawih time and 600 before bed. Or if you don’t require that many calories, lower it to around 500.

On the flipside, if you eat a lot during this month and don’t control yourself, you may end up gaining body fat. Problem is, it is very easy to gain weight and I will cover that question below. If you overconsume calories in a regular 24-hour day or in Ramadan in 5-6 hours, it still ends up the same – fat gain/fat loss. You must not think Ramadan is a special month for weight-loss, it is just like any other day only this time you have a short space of time to eat. See this image below?  This is as simple as It gets.

Is it possible to gain weight during Ramadan?

Yes of course it is. If you break your fast every day with high-calorie meals, fried foods, sweets and sugary goods, this will put you in a calorie surplus. A calorie surplus is where you eat well above your daily bodily requirements. What happens when you are in a calorie surplus? You gain weight. It’s very easy to do this during Ramadan because lets face it, we haven’t had food for a long time, we just want to stuff our faces don’t we?

However, one thing you will notice is that your weight on the scale will fluctuate like mad. On day 2 of Ramadan, you might notice your weight has decreased quite a bit. This will be due to the lack of water and carbohydrates (carbs) in your system. You’ve been fasting, your body is getting rid of fluids and waste – but it isn’t getting any fluids back in for some time. Even when you do hydrate during Iftaar, it will take a few hours for your cells to hydrate and pull/retain water again. It doesn’thappen instantly. A lot of people don’t know this.

On the flipside, let’s say we get to day 8. We’ve gotten used to the fasting a little and we are hydrating well. But your In-Laws have invited you up one day or your Gran has prepared a samosa- themed Iftaar. You then attend and you just can’t help it. You consume hundreds upon hundreds of calories, and you get bloated and sick and you know yourself – you went too far! You just can’t move or pray afterwards. We’ve all been there!

The next day you get curious and you step on the scale and notice you are a lot heavier. You panic, blame your relatives and begin eating less for the remainder of the month for fear of gaining weight. But let me tell you, you won’t have gained fat. You will have gained weight in the form of water and carbs, but not fat. So, don’t panic. If you ate like this consistently for a few days, then you may well easily end up gaining fat. But one or two days of overeating won’t kill you. It’s the consistent over- feeding day in day out that will cause weight to pile on.

Is it possible to lose weight during Ramadan?

Yes. Like with the above. However, we need to make sure we don’t go overboard. If we drop calories too much, it could result in quite a big drop in weight and such an approach could backfire. Rapid weight-loss approaches do not work. Rather than focusing on dropping calories in Ramadan, focus instead on maintaining calories and eating well. There is NO reason for you to use Ramadan as an excuse to eat junk all the time.

Absolutely, go ahead and have a few spring rolls here and there and enjoy some desserts. But don’t do this every day as this will result in fat gain, and we do not want that during this month. Continue eating your lean meats, some fruit, good carbs and healthy fats. Ramadan isn’t a switch we operate that gives us the freedom to eat junk because we have fasted. For those observing it with an Islamic perspective, breaking our fast isn’t a reward where we indulge. We must still be modest in oureating and remember what this month is all about. It isn’t just about weight loss and fancy foods.

But let’s say we go into this month already part of a weight-loss plan, and we want to continue this. What is the best thing to do?

Well, nothing. You just carry on as you have been, except scale back the workouts a little. You won’t be able to do supersets and train like a machine. But with the food, you carry on as you are and as I explained above, you just have to make do with the time you have available.

What about the Workouts – How & when should I train?

These should be kept to a minimum. Sorry that’s probably not what you want to hear, but you really must be smart about this if you want to maintain your progress. I will make one promise to you just now though. You will NOT lose all your progress and results in one month. It isn’t possible, unless you are not eating enough during Ramadan and you are eating rubbish all the time. The mistake people make is stuffing themselves when it’s time to break the fast, then they have very little before bed because they’ve had so much food. Rather, it should be spaced out over 2 meals and a snack in between.  Training fasted isn’t easy and certainly not for everyone – so if you are currently doing this because you think it might speed up weight loss then please stop.  Training fasted isn’t magic.  It’s not what you think.