Ramadan is the holy month of fasting for Muslims around the world. Ramadan fasting abstains people from food and drink between the hours of sunrise and sunset. Ramadan fasting is also a form of intermittent fasting, which is popular to lose weight. Fasting of Ramadan allows followers of the Islam faith to focus on prayer and gratitude. Besides the religious significance, Ramadan fasting offers a bunch of health benefits. For instance, it is an excellent opportunity to shed extra weight as well. Continue reading to explore how to shed weight in Ramadan. 

Foods to Help Weight Loss through Ramadan Fasting

Ramadan happens once a year and lasts for one lunar month. During Ramadan millions of adult Muslims worldwide cycle between periods of eating and fasting. People generally eat two meals a day during Ramadan: a meal before dawn (Suhoor or Sheri) and a meal after sunset (Iftar), which breaks the fast. Some also take another meal; super. As the Ramadan fast is a type of intermittent fasting, you can take foods that are effective to lose weight.

Healthy Suhoor for Weight Loss

As you need to start your whole day fasting with Suhoor, the pre-dawn meal, it should be wholesome and satisfying. Make sure you take healthy foods to provide your body with sufficient energy throughout a day of fasting. 

Read Ramadan Fasting Benefits: Impacts on health when you fast for 16 hours

So, you need to eat a balanced meal with complex carbohydrates like wholegrain bread in place of refined white bread and proteins like cheese or eggs. If you can take this combination, it will make you feel full for longer and ensure a stable glucose level in the blood, so you don’t get too hungry during the day. 

According to research restricting dietary salt leads to rapid weight loss. So, you must avoid salty foods; canned items, salted snacks, and spicy foods to lose weight. Besides, you should control your temptation to make desserts because the processed sugars inside these sweet treats and beverages can quickly gain weight instead of losing. 

You can eat foods containing naturally occurring sugars like fruits, dried fruits, and honey. Moreover, make sure you avoid processed foods like fast foods and packaged foods if you really want to lose weight. 

Read Ready for Ramadan? How to Prepare Your Body for Fasting?

However, you should not skip suhoor; otherwise, you will be over hungry and end up overeating upon breaking fast after sunset.

Hearty Iftar for Losing Weight

Certainly, you will feel hungry during Iftar after the daylong fasting; but make sure you eat a healthy meal. Try to resist the temptation to cover for missed meals by sesh eating at the break of the fast. Don’t forget to break your fast slowly. 

Start your Iftar with high fiber dates that contain naturally-occurring sugars. Dates help to replenish energy lost during long hours of fasting. Moreover, dates are high in nutrition as they are rich in magnesium and protein.

Read 10 Healthy Iftar Drinks for Breaking Ramadan Fasting

Then, take easily digestible foods like soups and salads. Finally, make sure you take portioned main meals, balanced with carbohydrates and proteins. But try to totally avoid fried or fatty foods with high caloric content.

Nutritious Super

During Ramadan, naturally, people who want to lose weight don’t take super except for some. If you are in the line of that some, make sure you take light items in super. As you need to take a healthy suhoor, you must keep your stomach free. You can take a little amount of rice with fish or meat along with vegetables, dal. 

Drinks to Help Weight Loss through Ramadan Fasting

Studies have shown that drinking water may help to lose weight. That means you need to make sure you are hydrated. Drinking a glass of water before taking a meal works well to lose weight.  Besides, other drinks such as herbal tea-infused water and unsweetened coconut water can be your best choice to lose weight. However, you need to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day to prevent dehydration and help control sugar cravings. 

Read Healthy Sehri Ideas: What to eat and avoid for Sehri during Ramadan

Suhoor

Start your suhoor with a glass of water before taking a meal. If you drink at least a glass of water, it will reduce your hunger, and ultimately you will take fewer foods and lose weight. 

Generally, Ramadan happens on different dates each year depending on the Islamic lunar calendar. If this year Ramadan is in the summer season, you need to drink enough water otherwise you may experience dehydration that may cause mental confusion or tiredness. 

Besides, you can take coconut water which is enriched with potassium and other nutrients. 

Read 10 Grocery Shopping Apps in Bangladesh: An Overview

But make sure you avoid caffeinated beverages like coffee and tea. If you take these drinks in suhoor, they will make the body lose even more water as they are diuretics. 

Iftar

After a whole day of fasting, you are thirsty. So, you must hydrate the body and prepare the stomach for food. Many like to break their Iftar with coconut water. You can limit creamy soups and focus on ones with clear broth, that is rich in minerals, with added vegetables or legumes. You can take classic lentil soup. Besides, you can take watermelon juice, green mango juice, gur syrup, star fruit juice, and musk melon juice to keep you hydrated. 

Super

If you are habituated to taking super after Iftar make sure you drink sufficient water. Try to have lentil soup and/ or vegetable soup at supper. 

Read Cooking Without Oil: How and Why?

Activities for Losing Weight during Ramadan Fasting

Although you take fewer calories while fasting, do not remain inactive throughout Ramadan. So, make sure you take regular exercise. Your daily exercise will help maintain a healthy weight and lifestyle by burning excess body fat and maintaining muscle mass. 

Half an hour of walking can be best for you. If you are doing high-intensity workouts, it’s best to keep the session to 30 minutes but in the case of low to medium intensity, then workout for 45 minutes. 

Besides, as in the month of Ramadan, fasting changes your eating patterns, and your body needs time to adjust and adapt – so it is important to be patient. 

Read Delicious Watermelon Ice Cream and Cake Recipes to Try at Home

Moreover, you can do yoga to remain controlled, cool, and motivated. Every day you can do yoga for half an hour.