Religious Fasting/Ramadan vs. Dieting to Lose Weight

“I am quite overweight and will be starting my Fasting Month of Ramadan in a few days. I feel that this may also be a good time to reduce some weight. I am interested in a weight-loss diet for the period of Fasting.”

First and foremost it needs to be said, that fasting is not about dieting, and dieting is not about fasting. Religious Fasting and dieting to lose weight are not the same and follow different principles.

During the month of Ramadan, Muslims abstain from food and water/fluids from sunrise to sunset. This may seem like an opportune weight loss diet, but it is not.

Fasting/Ramadan is generally not meant as a way to reduce weight, but is performed as a religious regimen, which should be beneficial for health and well-being if guidelines are followed.

Overall health depends a lot on what is consumed during non-fasting hours: for sustenance, but not excess!

A Ramadan Diet should be basic and simple. If this is forgotten/not remembered, overall health during the Month of Fasting can even decline instead of improve.

Combined with a reduced water intake, the metabolic rate and energy expenditure is considerably lowered, which can easily lead to weight gain, especially when foods and fluids consumed are of high caloric value (fatty foods/sugary beverages).

Furthermore: levels of activity/exercise are limited, contributing to significantly lower energy expenditure and therefore reducing requirement.

Some individuals even end up gaining weight during Ramadan because the body soon figures out that it is only getting two meals at night. Therefore energy is efficiently conserved during the day, whilst body-fat and tummy-fat will be deposited from rich, excessive night meals, especially if Fasting turns into Feasting during times permitted to consume foods and fluids.

On the other hand, dieting to reduce weight is more successful, if times of eating food and drinking water are more structured (at regular intervals), ensuring a higher metabolic rate, especially in combination with regular exercise.

If you wish lose or maintain weight during the period of Fasting follow healthy guidelines:

Limit or Avoid:

• Sugary drinks, ‘soft’ drinks, fruit juices, liquidized fruits [sweetened, unsweetened, even home-made]
• Oily, fatty foods, ‘rich’ foods at night [Iftar]
• Highly processed foods
• Junk foods
• Overeating

Increase:

• Water-intake at permitted times
• High fibre vegetables, green leafy vegetables
• Vegetable salads, whilst minimizing the use of mayonnaise, salad cream. Rather use traditional salad dressings
• Fresh foods
• Fibre rich starch/complex carbohydrates at Sahar (meal before sunrise), i.e. red rice, upuma, rotti prepared with whole grain varieties of flour, combined with above

Try to drink only water and moderate quantities of tea, herbal tea, green tea/coffee without sugar. Eat a well-balanced meal at Sahar.

Eat slowly and chew well to prevent overeating and to aid digestion.

If you want to reduce weight it is best to start an effective diet plan after the Ramadan Festival.

Please contact your health care professional for more detailed, individualized advice during Ramadan Fasting, especially if you suffer from diabetes, kidney disease, liver impairment, heart disease, gastritis or other health problems.

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