Faith Based Support Groups - Your Diet during Ramadan

When I say the word diet, I don't necessarily mean "diet" as in to lose weight, but the actual dictionary defintion of the word

"The usual food and drink of a person".



Hello/Salam to my fellow muslim and non-muslim friends!

I thought it would be a nice idea to start a thread to help each other whilst we fast during Ramadan, and give each other support and encouragement during this year's Ramadan. We can share our thoughts on certain aspects of our lives that we want to improve on and work on, on what we ate and what we got up to during the day. Maybe share what we are thankful for, even small blessings, like being able to walk -stuff like that :) Maybe everyday we can all say one thing we are thankful for.

I was just wondering if there are any other muslims out there, that will be trying to eat healthily during Ramadan.

I found this very nice and inspiring article about advice during Ramadan. Ramadan is a spirtual cleansing month not only for the soul but also for the body.
http://www.islamonline.net/english/Science/2001/12/article5.shtml

I know for me personally, each Ramadan I have had a tendency to over-eat after breaking my fast. But this time, I want to really practice constraint, and listen to my stomach when it is comfortably full.

I have started for the past few days, following the concept of eating slowly and stop eating when I have reached satisfaction or I am comfortably full (Paul Mckenna's golden rules). I hope to continue doing this during Ramadan.

And I once heard about the Hadith that the Prophet (pbuh) said that leave 1/3 of your stomach for water, 1/3 for air, and 1/3 for food.

I was just wondering how other muslims are going to cope during this Ramadan. I know Ramadan is not about losing weight, but I know personally for me, I would like to use this opportunity, to address my issue of gluttony and use control and constraint on what I eat. As in the past I have had a tendency to overeat and then feel uncomfortable and stuffed.

Also I will try to get in some exercise during Ramadan ,I haven't decided when I will get in the exercise, and what I will be doing exactly.

And another interesting article

http://www.crescentlife.com/spirituality/diet_during_ramadan.htm

{quote} Normal or overweight people should not gain weight. For overweight people Ramadan is an excellent opportunity to lose weight. Underweight or marginally normal weight people are discouraged from losing weight.

It is recommended that everyone engage in some kind of light exercise, such as stretching or walking. It's important to follow good time management practices for Ibada (prayer and other religious activities), sleep, studies, job, and physical activities or exercise.

Ramadan fasting has spiritual, physical, psychological, and social benefits; however, man-made problems may occur, if fasting is not properly practiced. First of all, there is no need to consume excess food at iftar (the food eaten immediately after sunset to break fast), dinner or sahur ( the light meal generally eaten about half an hour to one hour before dawn). The body has regulatory mechanisms that activate during fasting. There is efficient utilization of body fat, El Ati et al.(3) . Basal metabolism slows down during Ramadan fasting, Husain et al. (4). A diet that is less than a normal amount of food intake but balanced is sufficient enough to keep a person healthy and active during the month of Ramadan.

In summary, intake of a balanced diet is critical to maintain good health, sustain an active lifestyle and attain the full benefits of Ramadan. {end quote}

I wish you all a Blessed month of Ramadan. And I look forward to your posts during Ramadan, which I believe will be starting end of this week, possibly friday/saturday.

hey salaam!

great 2 see u are planning for Ramadan. I usually have gained weight during ramadan in the past because all of the good food being served is so good!! but this ramadan i'm planning to break my fast with healthier higher protein options instead of filling up on empty carbs and oily foods. i'm trying to just eat the same way but just moving around when i eat what. i definitely plan to eat something high in protein and fiber for suhur. i love ramadan! can't wait. i'll post here too

Hey Salam Caliyah! how lovely to have you join me in this thread!! thanks so much for your lovely message and your kind words!

That sounds like a great plan!

I am also planning on breaking my fast, with dates, and milk, and fruit. and then pray and then have a nice meal. :)

I cant wait too, its going to be an exciting challenge! I'm looking forward to it :)

ps well done on your weight loss so far! that is great!

asalamu alaikum

i usually wind up overeating when i break my fast. this ramadan inshallah i going to keep that in check though. i plan to try and give up junk food this ramadan. and start healthy eating habits again.

thanks echo! we can do this! = ) inshA

i decided for this ramadan that samosas and fried foods are off my list until Eid! and definitely no visits to 'snackalicious cinderella falafel cafe' in new york lol it's going to be hard = / honestly...i would do the whole calorie counting and all but when it comes to ramadan cooking i can't stop at just one. i totally understand how u feel helwa.

there are some stuff that i found on ramadan/dieting etc. that i'll try to post here when i can inshallah

hugs ladies

Hey Salam Helwa! welcome !! glad to have you on board, and that is such a great idea to eat healthy during Ramadan :)

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Caliyah - hehe exactly, together we can do this!! inshaA.

oooh i love keema (meat) samosas, so yum! but yes, i will keep fried things to a minimum also!

wow that cafe sounds lovely!!

that would be super if you could post things about ramadan and dieting. thanks!! :)

:hug: :hug: to you both :)

oh yeah samosas are the biggest temptation during ramadan because they taste the yummiest during that time. i don't know what it is but i don't even eat samosas outside of ramadan lol!

Oh, I am soo glad I found this thread!!
I have been reading the same articles you posted about ramadan and weight management.
For me the key is to force myself to eat before Fajr (I live in montreal so it's 4:30am at my time). Eating proteins, and taking some vitamins is probably a good idea.
Then exercising is the other issue. But I read an article somewhere (can't find it again :-( that if you want to exercise then you should probably eat a small fruit and drink some water/juice then work, and then eat your meal.
But I agree with of the authors, Ramadan helps to clean your body and your mind. So we should try to use it to achieve goals (spiritual ones and physical ones). It's not easy but we will feel great at the end.
I'm excited about this thread!

Yai Salaam, I was seriously looking for a thread about Ramadan as well. My plan has been to lose 10 lbs every month and I hope I lose 10 lbs in Ramadan as well. We can share our tactics and eating habits here.

Ramadan Mubaruk to all

lol helwa - i could samosas everyday! hehe

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Miss Maya! :welcome3: so nice to have you join us!!!
I am the same as you, exercising being an issue, i really like exercising first thing in the morning. so i'm not sure how i am going to arrange my exercise around fasting, but will figure it out!
that's a really good tip about exercising after breaking your fast with fruit and water.

Aww i'm so happy you like this thread!
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Alias! :welcome2: !! so glad you found us ! 10lbs aim each month, is so awesome! I agree, we can share what we're doing during ramadan.

Khair Ramadan Mubarak.

exciting, its nearly here!!

its going to be a very good challenge for us.

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I just found out i have my viva examination on 28th of september, so i'm going to be studying/revising during ramadan, so i think i will aim to get majority of my studying done when i wake up for iftari/fajr - in the morning..., cause i might struggle later on in the day to study when i start to get hungry, as i lose concentration.

inshaAllah I hope to get God's blessing in my studies during Ramadan.

Good luck everyone!

Ramadan Mubarak!! It's been confirmed that fasting will start on saturday, for London (uk), I just printed out the time table. the first fast on saturday for london, will start at 4.06am.


It has been confirmed by the Coordination Committee of Major Islamic Centres and Mosques Fasting will begin on Saturday 22nd of August 2009
http://www.ramadantimetable.co.uk/

fast 1:

Hey Salam Girls, i hope you all are doing okay.

i thought i would just update on my day so far.

i woke up early, did some exercise and then had some breakfast, I wasn't really hungry but I ate anyways.

i ate: 1 piece of toast with magarine (its a blend of olive oil spread) with some mince lamb. 1 cheese and cracker. and one very small bowl of fruit and fibre cereal and some water.

feeling abit sleepy now, but i want to study for abit, whilst i am not hungry, and then maybe take a nap later on.
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how was your morning meal? what did you girls have to eat?

ps i just wanted to share something with you girls.

i was looking for shin stretches, and would you believe it , a good stretch for shins, involves the same position, we sit in , after we prostate, ie sitting on your legs, when we are sitting down. isn't that amazing :)
prayer is not only good for the soul, but good for the physical body aswell. :) i think i once read that its good for the lymphatic system, but i will need to check that out to make sure :)

good luck everyone on your first fast.

this is a wonderful thread !

this morning our fast officially began at 4:31 AM ( i live in nyc )

so far so good im actually not hungry (yet lolz)

for breakfast this morning i had 1 paratha 1/2 cup dahi yogurt (seasoned with salt and cayane pepper ) (channa and cucumbers in the yogurt) a peach and a xl cup of tea ... (1/4 cup milk 2% milk 2 tbs sugar )

im afraid of doing excersize in the morning incase i feel sick during the day i plan to do 2 miles walking tonight and keep it up 3x a week ( its not as much as i usually do but i want to see how i do with that first )

LOLZ @ chubby chick only liking samosas during ramadaan ,

my aunt that we usually break our fast with lives in jackson heights ( its an indian neighboorhood in NY, TONS of resturaunts ) ..... i hope i have what it takes to pass kabab king without buying anything unnessicary ......

they make the best chicken tikka massala .... :(

i really really hope that i find the strength to not eat like crazy when fast breaks i keep on telling myself that is not how allah intended the fast to go .... and that its gluttonus so far i think thats had an impact on how i see the breaking of the fast ... ive never really considered that when i break my fast and eat like crazy that defeats the whole purpose of the fast ....

thanks for the great thread its great to have other ppl to talk to on this subject ....


ramadaan muhbarak ladies

-khuda hafiz

this is a wonderful thread !

this morning our fast officially began at 4:31 AM ( i live in nyc )

z

awww thanks so much! so glad you found us and joining in!! :hug:

your morning meal sounds very good and yummy! and wow i love chicken tikka masala myself!!

you are so right, about not eating crazy when breaking fast hehe. you're so right in that it defeats the purpose, i am more aware of it now. it definately helps to talk about it, to keep remining myself too.

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Fast no# 1

It went pretty well. The only thing i really noticed was that I was thirsty, but just tried to not think about it, and just studied.
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Just before the fast was going to open, i went for a little walk in the garden (10minutes).

Breaking the fast.
I had 3 dates and a large glass of water. Boy was i thirsty! But I think i ate the dates abit too quickly as my tummy hurt abit, so tommorow, i will just eat 1 date and eat it slowly.
Then... for starters, my mom made fruit chaat, yummy :hun: i had 2 small bowls, and ate that slowly , about 20 minutes i think.

i've heard that its good to start the meal with fruit, as your stomach is sensitive, after a fast and fruit is something light and easily digestible.

then took abit of a break, before eating main meal, which was chicken curry, and i didnt want to eat roti, as that would have filled me up too quickly, so i had a nice salad with it and some yoghurt. salad was romaine lettuce, red onions, cucumber, red radish, fresh mint, carrots and tomato. then had a few kettle chips - black pepper flavour hehe.
i took about 15 minutes to eat that. i tried to slow it down. and I was full. I think tommorow i might just have 1 bowl of fruit salad, as i am a teeny tinsy bit over-ful. oopsy.

Then I had 100ml of 7up hehe.

And now for dessert i am going to have 2 kit kat fingers. i've been craving them for weeks, so finally going to treat myself hehe

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Hope you ladies had a good first fast!

ramadan mubarak!! salaam ladies

sorry for not posting in a while. i found the link:
http://islamic-world.net/sister/h22.htm

it has some interesting points. it's TOM so i can't fast yet but I'm really looking forward to it. thanks Echo for starting this thread! =)

my first day went OK. i didn't overeat at iftar and i even got some exercise in.

I agree that this is an awsome thread. So happy to have found it :)

I love Ramadan and see it as a good opportunity to lose weight while at the same time never losing sight of its true meaning.

I'm an exercise freak and usually exercise 5-6 times a week for 90 mins a session so am already missing it after one day of fasting. Luckily my gym closes at 11pm so I can go after I break my fast.

I've had trouble losing weight though and have decided to change my aproach. I'm very strong and fit but bulkier than I'd like to be - I do like to eat! So I've decided to cut out all processed foods and the treats I enjoy like cakes, cookies, crisps and chocolate. Also, I've reduced my portion sizes. I'm 3 weeks in and am not missing any of it. I hope it continues.

My problem in Ramadan is eating so early in the morning. Here in Korea it's about 04.30. I find if I eat carbs I feel ill and very uncomfortable all day. Now for example, these past 2 mornings I've eaten half an apple, half an orange and 2 dates and I feel amazing and very energetic. At night I'd have something like chicken or fish with fruit and vegetables. And one carb - maybe a slice of wholegrain bread or a baked potato. Then a workout after.

Would it be ok to continue this way? Any advice would be appreciated.

Once again, I'm ecstatic to have found this thread and eager to read about everyone's weight loss experiences.

I hope we all reach our goals :)

ramadan mubarak!! salaam ladies

sorry for not posting in a while. i found the link:
http://islamic-world.net/sister/h22.htm

it has some interesting points. it's TOM so i can't fast yet but I'm really looking forward to it. thanks Echo for starting this thread! =)

Salam Caliyah! Thanks for the article, very interesting :book2:

and aww you're so welcome, its my pleasure :) and thank you and for everyone else joining in :hug:

my first day went OK. i didn't overeat at iftar and i even got some exercise in.

mashAllah that is really great!

I agree that this is an awsome thread. So happy to have found it :)

I love Ramadan and see it as a good opportunity to lose weight while at the same time never losing sight of its true meaning.

I'm an exercise freak and usually exercise 5-6 times a week for 90 mins a session so am already missing it after one day of fasting. Luckily my gym closes at 11pm so I can go after I break my fast.

I've had trouble losing weight though and have decided to change my aproach. I'm very strong and fit but bulkier than I'd like to be - I do like to eat! So I've decided to cut out all processed foods and the treats I enjoy like cakes, cookies, crisps and chocolate. Also, I've reduced my portion sizes. I'm 3 weeks in and am not missing any of it. I hope it continues.

My problem in Ramadan is eating so early in the morning. Here in Korea it's about 04.30. I find if I eat carbs I feel ill and very uncomfortable all day. Now for example, these past 2 mornings I've eaten half an apple, half an orange and 2 dates and I feel amazing and very energetic. At night I'd have something like chicken or fish with fruit and vegetables. And one carb - maybe a slice of wholegrain bread or a baked potato. Then a workout after.

Would it be ok to continue this way? Any advice would be appreciated.

Once again, I'm ecstatic to have found this thread and eager to read about everyone's weight loss experiences.

I hope we all reach our goals :)

awww Thank you! so glad you joined us! :welcome2:
I can definately empathesise about eating early in the morning, here in london the fast starts at 4.07am. So what I do is wake up early and do some exercise, even after the exercise i am still not hungry, but i eat something anyways. but i am studying at home for an exam end of september, so i am lucky i can wake up early to exercise. i also go to bed early-ish, after isha around 11pm, so i can get up early - around 2.30am. and then after fajr, i try to stay awake for an hour or so for the food to digest, and study abit... and then go back to sleep again and wake up before midday. so far today i am feeling much better than yesterday, alert, not tired. but abit hungry hehe. :D

i think your plan sounds very healthy to me! and if its working, than that's great!!
what i find, is that i look at how i feel, and if i feel good than what i am doing is working.
good luck with your plan, sounds really good!! very healthy !

My sehri (fast no#2)

I went to bed at 11pm last night, i was knackered.
I woke up at 2.50am, overslept abit hehe. oopsy.
I did 30 minutes of exercise - I felt very alert, and not tired at all. I drank 600ml of water.

I had 1 french toast.

Then after Fajr, I studied for abit, and went to bed around 5.30am, and woke up at 11.30am.

Today I feel good, not thirsty, abit hungry, but not too bad, it comes and goes. And I dont feel tired, which is good :) I think my body is slowly getting used to the new routine.

How are you girls doing? what did you have for sehri?

Thanks for the reply Echo :)

Your day sounds like it's going as well as mine. I was a bit nervous this morning because I'm back at work after vacation. I'm a teacher so that involves a lot of talking! I had my usual fruit (apple), 2 dates and 500ml of water for sehri which doesn't sound much but like I said I don't function very well on more than that.

My classes are done for the day and they went wonderfully. Feeling thirsty which is undestandable but otherwise great. Looking forward to gym tonight!

Hoping everyone else is doing well too.

So happy to know that I am not the only one who sees Ramadan as an opportunity to cleanse oneself and not just losing weight but spritually as well.

As a start, I am determined to be an early riser and I take the Sahur for the next 30 days as my training to wake up early. See I never thought myself as a morning person but I read that there is a lot of benefits to waking up early. You have a lot more time for yourself, exercise and the list just goes on. It has been a challenge these couple of days but I am getting better not hitting the snooze at 4.30am. My next challenge will be to do some mini exercise after morning prayers, since its the Ramadan I am steering away from cardio cos I tend to get thirsty almost immediately so I may start with simple yoga or weights. I am starting really slowly...starting with 5 minutes of exercise and working to 45 minutes to an hour daily. I want the change to be permanent so I dont want to overload with too many changes happening at any one time. My body need to adjust and adapt accordingly.

Besides, long term and permanent results works better than fast result thats temporary.

Wish everyone on this spiritual and physical journey all the best! and wish me luck too!

Thanks for the reply Echo :)
.
You're welcome ! mashAllah you're a teacher, that's really great :book2:

i'm glad you are feeling great! and wow hitting the gym tonight. that's impressive

So happy to know that I am not the only one who sees Ramadan as an opportunity to cleanse oneself and not just losing weight but spritually as well.


Hey JaneLee, :welcome: Lovely to have you join us!! That sounds like a really good idea to gradually work up on the exercise, great stuff!! I totally agree with you, small adjustments are accumulative and stay with us for longer.

Thanks! and good luck to you too :)

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Fast no# 2 (yesterday's fast update).

It went well, I tried to be quite active during the day, to increase the number of steps during the day, but i think by night time it really hit me!

For iftari, I opened my fast, with a large glass of water and 1 date.

and then abit later on I had homemade pizza, that my dad made especially - it was delicious, and I overate ooopsy, I should have stopped at 2 slices, but I just couldnt resist eating one more slice. So felt guilty about that. as I did overeat by eating 3 slices. i would have been comfortably full at 2 slices or even 2 and half. hehe
and I had 2 glasses of 7up.

But this morning for sehri, I didn't hear my alarm ! So I wasnt able to drink my water that I had placed next to my bed, by the time I heard my alarm, it was fajr, and I was so tired, i didn't get out of bed. I feel very guilty about that. So tommorow morning, I am going to set more alarms and get up no matter how tired i am. I guess its a learning process, and everyday just need to improve on the past mistakes.

Today exercise wise, is my scheduled day off, so i will just do some light stretches and maybe a light walk in the garden. and today at iftari, I plan to stop eating when i am comfortably full and not over-eat! inshaAllah.

have a good day girls! :)

This accountability and reflecting upon each fast is really helping me, thanks for joining in, I really appreciate it.

salaam

woww!! i'm inspired with how dedicated everyone is. many people don't do any exercise during ramadan (me included) but this year it will be different. i just didn't figure when to work out! so i'm guessing before sahur will be the time - i have a treadmill at home i plan to run on. = )

Echo

you are doing great. just so long as you count calories you should be fine inshallah

Janelee welcome! those are some good exercise ideas for ramadan. i really feel i get so much clarity during the ramadan fast

Tagan there are some good links to help you with menu/activity planning. Make sure you get enough calories for the day so you can really burn everything off.

helwa how have you been?

chunkeymunkey i just wanted to say wow you are doing really amazing on your weight loss! so great to see so many 3FCers doing ramadan = )

Okay so I wanted to ask everyone..what are their favorite Ramadan recipes? I've been trying my hand at different recipes and it's been fun, especially working on making 'healthy' ramadan recipes. So if you all could post your favorite recipes I'd love to try them out! = )

For anyone doing heavy duty gym training during Ramadan- I am pasting the following article I found while researching:

What Is The Best Diet For Ramadan? - Personal Trainer Explains

As a Singapore Personal Trainer and fitness bootcamp owner, one of the issues we have to help clients with in our multi-racial country of Singapore is the fasting month of ramadan.

There are personal training and fitness bootcamp members at the Genesis Performance Center who are going into the fasting month soon this year. And recently they have been wondering what would be the best way to maintain their fat loss, weight loss and muscle building results that they have gotten. This is often a big concern to them because after some time in our programs they already have very healthy habits and lifestyles.

In fact when I was working at the Singapore Sports School, we did research on how to help Muslim athletes perform well even during fasting month/ramadan. Training and international competitions still go on despite the fasting month.

So here are my recommendations...

Either train early in the morning (immediately after the morning break fast) or at night (after the evening break fast)

If you train in the morning, do it at about 730am or 8am if you do it in the evening, do it at about 8pm. This is so that you don't train on a super full stomach.

Even though we may not get the ideal 6 feeding opportunities per day, we should get at least 3 good ones. Morning break fast, evening break fast, and one more big meal before bed. These meals should be slow digesting ones so that you stay full longer. That means no starchy bad stuff. More protein and healthy fats which digest slowly.

So a sample daily timetable for morning training would be:

* 6am breakfast - eggs, meat, nuts, cheese, a whey protein shake * 730am training * 715pm breakfast (evening) - eggs, meat, nuts, cheese, a caesin protein shake * 10pm supper - eggs, meat, nuts, cheese, casein protein shake

For evening training:

* 6am breakfast - eggs, meat, nuts, cheese, a casein protein shake * 715pm breakfast (evening) - eggs, meat, nuts, cheese, a whey protein shake * 8pm training - another whey protein shake post workout * 10pm supper - eggs, meat, nuts, cheese, casein protein shake

There we go! It's not ideal, but it's good enough that you shouldn't lose too much progress during fasting month.

NOTE: Drink water in large amounts as often as you can during the times when you are allowed to. You should be needing constant toilet breaks and your urine should be colorless - that is the correct amount!

Coach Jonathan Wong, is a sought after Singapore personal trainer and performance expert who has helped hundreds of clients in Singapore achieve their fitness, fat loss and sports performance goals. He Is also a Singapore fitness bootcamp owner, fitness author and a member of Singapore Men's Health Advisory Panel. Visit his website and blog for a free 1500 page e-book and constant updates. http://www.coachjon.com

al humduillah i'm doing fine so far. i haven't over eaten at iftar time. i've been keeping up with exercise. for now it's OK. but when i go back to work on Sunday i'll see then if i can keep up the exercise.

hello ladies ! ...

this morning i started my fast with 1 and 1/2 cups low sugar raisen bran cereal
1 cup 2% milk and 1 serving almonds

i must say so far so good its 2:41 and im not hungry ( yet lolz ) i really could drink something though .... but i can make it im not desperate yet :P

i was kind of wondering ( my weight loss plan is calorie counting / weight watchers points i kind of wobble back and forth between the two )seeing as how most of us eat only two meals during ramadan instead of the ( 3 usual or 5 mini meals ) should i also be cutting my calories for those missed meals? or is it ok to just put my calories into two larger meals

the calorie count for my breakfast was as follows

milk 1 cup 190 calories ( basically 200 )
Cereal 1+1/2 cup 315 calories ( i count that as 300 )
and the almonds where 180 ( round that up to 200 )
that makes my total calorie count 700 calories in one meal..... is that going to hinder my weight loss?

any and all advice appreciated i <3 u guys

btw evreyone has been doing great !! helwa58 congrats on the effort to excersize thats awesome !!!

caliyah lolz @ not having figured out when to work out .... me neither i know id like to but im thinking about when would be the best time lolz im using the first couple of days to see how things go ....

echo i agree , accounting for what your day went like helps keep on track !

Caliyah - Thank you! :)

yeh i've never exercised during ramadan before, this is my first time. that's totally awesome you're going to exercise aswell before sahoor! great idea !!

thanks for the article! very useful :)
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Wow Helwa! you totally rock not overeating at iftari, well done also on the exercise!

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CM - aww i'm happy you agree that accounting helps

sounds like you've been eating very healthily! well done!

sorry i cant advice on calorie counting :(. as i dont calorie count. I'm doing Paul Mckenna's 4 golden rules (from his 'i can make you thin' book and tv show and CDs), it's working great for me personally :)
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Fast #3

Exercise - 1 hour of X stretch (p90x)

Iftari -
1 date, large glass of water.
1/4 cup of fruit chaat (fruit salad).

Dinner - 5 onion pakore with some ketchup. (bless my parents they wanted to make something special today aswell and tried this new recipe they saw on telly). 1/4 roti. Salad, one serving spoon of brown daal.

dessert - 1 scoop of gajar ka halwa (sweet carrot pudding) with 1 scoop of cornish vanilla ice cream.

very decadent i know, but it's totally fine, cause I followed the 4 golden rules (eat when you are hungry (lol that's easy), eat consciously - SLOWLY i took 40 minutes to eat the entire meal including dessert)... eat what you want (yep check!) and stop when you think you are full.

I stopped eating when i was comfortably full :) did not over eat today alhumdullilah.

Fast no#4

I only drank water for sehri and I am so regretting it now hehe. I wasn't hungry, and thought I will just have a large glass of water and be okay. But around 5pm - it really hit me, and I had a slight headache, and was feeling a little bit light headed and really tired, and I realised I really ought to make an effort to eat something in the morning, even if its just like fruit and fibre cereal. I'm feeling okay now alhumdullilah :) it didnt last long thankfully. So tommorow morning inshaAllah I will definately eat something. I also didn't exercise in the morning, just went back to sleep after Fajr. But tommorow I wanna go back to the morning ritual, of exercising and eating breakfast at sehri, it works for me :).

How are you girls getting on with your fasting?


I was reading some of the health benefits of fasting, and found some interesting points:


Generally speaking, fasting hastens the destruction of the decaying tissues of the body by means of hunger, and then builds new tissues through nutrition. This is why some scientists suggest that fasting should be regarded as an effective means of restoring youthfulness and longevity .http://www.ezsoftech.com/ramadan/ramadan13.asp (http://www.ezsoftech.com/ramadan/ramadan13.asp)


It is believed that many of the health benefits of fasting come from giving your digestive system a break from its work of breaking down foods. Through the practice of fasting, the digestive system also gets a break from combating the toxins that enter the body in the form of the highly processed foods that made up the majority of our modern diets. Since the body is not expending energy in the digestive process, this energy can be used for other purposes such as allowing the body to heal itself. Also, since the body's immune system is not busy fighting of bacteria and other toxins that enter the body through the foods we eat, the immune system can concentrate on healing what diseases and sicknesses in the body.

One of the most obvious health benefits of fasting is the detoxification this practice brings. Some believe fasting can not only allow cells to rid themselves of harmful toxins, and dead or diseased tissue, but can also rejuvenate the internal organs, allowing them to work more efficiently. http://hubpages.com/hub/benefits_of_fasting

Health Benefits of Fasting
1. Fasting initiates rapid weight loss with little or no hunger. Most people are surprised at how little desire for food they have while fasting.

2. Fasting promotes detoxification. As the body breaks down its fat reserves, it mobilizes and eliminates stored toxins.

3. Fasting gives the digestive system a much-needed rest. After fasting, both digestion and elimination are invigorated.

4. Fasting promotes the resolution of inflammatory processes, such as in rheumatoid arthritis.

5. Fasting quiets allergic reactions, including asthma and hay fever.

6. Fasting promotes the drying up of abnormal fluid accumulations, such as edema in the ankles and legs and swelling in the abdomen.

7. Fasting corrects high blood pressure without drugs. Fasting will normalize blood pressure in the vast majority of cases, the blood pressure will remain low after the fast, if the person follows a health-supporting diet and lifestyle.

8. Fasting makes it easy to overcome bad habits and addictions. Many people have overcome tobacco and alcohol addictions by fasting, and even drug addictions. Fasting rapidly dissipates the craving for nicotine, alcohol, caffeine and other drugs.

9. Fasting clears the skin and whitens the eyes. It is common to see skin eruptions clear while fasting, and the whites of the eyes never look so clear and bright as they do after fasting.

10. Fasting restores taste appreciation for wholesome natural foods. People say that their taste buds come alive after fasting and that food never tasted so good.

11. Fasting is the perfect gateway to a healthful diet and lifestyle. Going on a fast gives you the motivation and enthusiasm to make a fresh start. http://cinque.getwebspace.com/facts.html

Salaams! Can I join your thread? I am so happy to see a posting like this out there. I have been looking for support during Ramadan so that I don't go crazy over all the yummy's at ifthar.

I started reading your link and you all sound great.

I live in the Detroit area, and I have to tell you this is going to be a looong Ramadan...I am just so sleepy! After waking up for sahar at 4:45am it is too hard to go back to sleep so I just get ready, get the kids ready and go to work. How are you all managing?

I had a hard time eating this morning though!

I look forward to chatting with all of you.

Sara

Salaams! Can I join your thread? I am so happy to see a posting like this out there. I have been looking for support during Ramadan so that I don't go crazy over all the yummy's at ifthar.

I started reading your link and you all sound great.

I live in the Detroit area, and I have to tell you this is going to be a looong Ramadan...I am just so sleepy! After waking up for sahar at 4:45am it is too hard to go back to sleep so I just get ready, get the kids ready and go to work. How are you all managing?

I had a hard time eating this morning though!

I look forward to chatting with all of you.

Sara

Salam Sara! so happy you found us!! :welcome: jump right in!! and welcome to the group!!

wow i am so impressed that you stay awake after sehri. you are a superwoman!!

this morning, it was soooooooooo hard for me to get up , i was so sleepy. i just drank some water, then went back to sleep and then kept hitting the snooze button for fajr. i was half asleep, but somehow managed to drag myself out of bed, and then went back to bed after fajr. but you're right, its abit difficult to then go back to sleep, does take awhile. theres something about that time before fajr, where its hard to wake up.. , its meant to be when you're at your most deepest sleep thats why its so hard to get up. but its meant to be beneficial, for your body and your soul.

i also did not feel hungry at sehri time, so i just downed a large glass of water.

i look forward to your posts ! and so glad to have you with us :hug:

Fast no# 4.

sehri - 600ml of water.

iftar.
1 date. some water. a small bowl of fruit chaat.

exercise: 30 minute walk in the garden around midday. and 40 minute walk just before iftari.

dinner - 1 and half slice of home made pizza. 1 onion pakora. Some salad.

dessert - 2 cups of sabaz chai (kashmiri chai - the tea that is pink !).

altogether drank just under 1.5 litres of water i think.

I made progress today and progress has been slow. Woke up at about 5.45am for Fajr prayers and because I was still full from Sahur, I decided to wait for an hour before I did some mini yoga. Big mistake! End up sleeping and only woke 3 hours later.

Today I shall resolve to do some mini work before I start my day for an hour before my exercise. That way I get to start on work and exercise before I hit the office!

You are right. Forum and thread is the right way to share and solve each other problems. So, really help at any confusion. Thanks for sharing this information. I read your articles, it really very nice.

JaneLee good luck with your exercise plan!

I myself didnt wake up for sehri, i think i must have turned off my alarm in my sleep! cause by the time i heard my second alarm for fajr, i looked at the clock and i missed sehri by 1 minute!! ahh i was gutted, as i had a big glass of water next to my bed ready to drink! That will teach me to set only 1 alarm.

so i've now set several alarms and am determined to wake up for sehri tommorow and have some water and maybe something to eat.
==

MiletJohn thanks so much :) :welcome:
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Today I am planning on exercising about 2 hours before Iftar, that way I wont be dehydrated for very long and can drink water straight after my workout. well that's the plan! i hope by 6pm, i wont be too tired. right now i have alot of energy, but i cant workout now, cause then will be too thirsty for the rest of the day to make it for 8pm

Ohh you ladies are doing great!!!!!! it inspires me to do better lol.
So far it's been ok. My only real issue is that I am almost incapable of waking up in the morning (4:30am). So I don't eat anything from 10:00pm to 8:00pm next day. That's bad, isn't it? For Iftar, I don't think I have been eating healthy things: I eat lots of rice (which makes my stomach bloated), and some meat. And I crave sugar, the dates do not calm my sugar cravings.
After I eat, I get sooo tired that I cannot even move a leg. I even have a really hard time doing my prayers (but I do force myself :-)
I def need to do better. I'll try to learn from you guys!

Good luck! Keeping you in my prayers :-)

Oh and how do you guys manage to exercise because I feel soo soo tired, it's unbelievable! Any advice you may have will be so welcomed!

Thank you for the advice Caliyah. I realise my calorie intake is not where it should be but I literally have to force myself to eat during Ramadaan. I never seem to be hungry, just endlessly thirsty.

Admittedly I've been struggling the past 2 days. I have a tough timetable at school - teaching's not the easiest job when you're fasting!

Onthe upside night time exercise works well for me - I've done 90 mins for each of the past 2 evenings :)

Miss Maya, it can be hard during Ramadaan. My advice is to just will yourself to get into it -take it slow at first but you'll be amazed at how much more energetic and awake you feel when you do exercise. Good luck and I hope it works out :)

Salaams everyone! Well we just finished 5 how about that!

Today I could only eat a banana at sahri. I am just soooo tired. I wake up at 4:45 and then I read quran too so by the time I slept was 6am and I had to get up at 6:30am. At least I was busy all day at work. Then when I picked up the kids I came home, hurried up and made dinner for everyone, cleaned and then finally sat down at 7:45pm. I just couldn't figure out what to eat. I wasn't really in the mood, although I kind of wanted pizza or arabic food...I just had a boiled egg, 2 mini pitas, some daal with yogurt and 2 dates. Then after prayers I had some high fiber crackers and cheese...oh yeah some lemonade. So if any of you follow weight watchers, I have had 14 pts, don't know if I will get the rest.

That article that someone posted, I think it is true, I am not that hungry and not in the mood to have that much.

I so badly want to go to my workout class (I signed up for this bootcamp class...OMG does it kick my you know what) but I am SOOOO tired that I missed it tonight. I have gotten no exercise. How is everyone else doing with that?

Well...I have rambled on. I am watching Top Chef and getting too involved in the food :) Talk to you all later. Have a great night.

Sara

JaneLee
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Today I am planning on exercising about 2 hours before Iftar, that way I wont be dehydrated for very long and can drink water straight after my workout. well that's the plan! i hope by 6pm, i wont be too tired. right now i have alot of energy, but i cant workout now, cause then will be too thirsty for the rest of the day to make it for 8pm

I will probably try that out for the weekend since I usually sleep in for the weekends. That is a good idea.

For those who had trouble being up early, hang in there! It wasnt easy when I started and it is still not easy cos I love sleeping. What I do is try to shave 5 minutes from my alarm everyday eg 7.30am then the next day 7.25am and then 7.20am and so on until you achieve your desired time. I find this works for me. Sometime I screw up but I just kept going. Now, I can be up early and do my Fajr prayers but the challenge is to stay up cos mostly I want to go back to sleep after prayers. So I gotta work on that.

Today after Fajr prayers, I had so much resistance to do yoga so I end up doing 15 push ups, I was determined to get my exercise checklist done that I dont care how much exercise and how long as long as its exercise! I felt so much better after that and I dont feel guilty to sleep in again before I get off to work.

Start small, so small that it don't hurt, so small that you can't fail.

Oh, where do you get that image with the smiley faces that tracks your weight. That is so cool and so fun, I want one!

Jane

aww thanks so much Miss Maya!!!
i can definately relate on it being hard to wake up for sehri, and also being sleepy after iftari!! i do aswell hehe.

well for me personally I have figured out the best time for me to exercise, is approximately 1 and half hours before iftari.
i found that when i exercised before sehri around 3am, even though i drank lots of water during the workout and afterwards before the fast began, i was really thirsty throughout the day.

so then i stopped doing that. and the day before yesterday, i went for a long walk just before iftari, walked about 40minutes and by the time i came back (i timed it) i could drink water and open my fast.

yesterday i did a workout 1 and half hours before my iftari (started at around 6.30pm) i did feel abit shaky and weak after my workout, so you do really need to be careful. so dont over exert yourself.

my advice, if you're feeling tired, go for a walk, the fresh air will do you good.

even walking is great exercise, any movement of the body.

i do tend to get really tired around late afternoon.
==========

sara - 5 indeed!! :) great job everyone!

and wow bootcamp! sounds really tough!! the only thing i would worry about is the thirst factor.
--

Thanks Janelee!!! :)

and well done on doing 15 pushups. any exercise no matter how much, is great!

i totally agree with your philosophy, exercise shouldnt be something that is painful and you dread, cause then you wont do it. even small things can add up over time!

hehe the ticker thingy, this is the website.

but you have to be a member for 20 days and have posted 20 posts- then you can access to your signature.
http://www.3fatchicks.com/diet/weight-tracker/

Fast no# 5 (yesterdays fast confession)

exercise at 6.30pm (about 1 and half hours before iftari).
exercise was - p90x chest and back workout (52 minutes), and Ab ripper X (~16 minutes)

opened fast with 1 date and water.

dinner - 2 plain paratha, 1 fried egg. 1 serving spoon of chicken curry. 1 onion pakora.

after dinner - 2 cups of sabaz chai (pink tea), 1 small bowl of kettle chips (black pepper).

-----------
fast no# 6
sehri - 1 cold plain paratha with some slices of mild cheddar cheese (haha i know sounds weird, but its so delicious) hehe. 600 ml of water.

salaam ladies

so i've been off the exercise wagon..with work an prayers i haven't had time to squeeze it in plus i've been having trouble getting all my water in = ( i think i'm going to track my weight once ramadan is over but i'm still sticking to plan with my eating

Salam Caliyah- nice to hear from you :) i hear ya about drinking enough water.
good idea about tracking weight after ramadan.
======================

Fast no# 6

Sehri - 1 plain paratha with mild chedder cheese. 600 ml of water.

------
7.20pm: exercise (40 minutes before iftari). Cardio - 40 minutes of plyometrics p90x :trampo:

Iftari - 600 ml of cold water (it was so good! cause i was so thirsty after the workout! 1 date.

dinner:

appetizer - 1 mango.

main - 1 chicken patty. 1 roti. 1 teaspoon of light mayo, ketchup and yoghurt. 2 onion pakora.

dessert : 1 scoop of mint chocolate chip ice cream.
--
snack- 1 packet of Discos cheese and onion crisps

Wow, echo you impress me with your P90x workout in the morning. How do you like it? I had ordered it for my husband, but he said he likes the variety of the gym and that he couldn't do it for 90 days...I tried and didn't have the time between the kids, hubby, work, house, etc. for a consistent schedule.

Bootcamp...I LOVE it and I hate it. First class (before Ramadan) we had to run up in a parking structure 4 floors--4 times, then up and down the stairs (4 floors) 3 times then we had to do a circuit of lunges with weights, arm and leg stuff and then had to finish with 100 crunches and 20 leglifts. Anyway, I have been so tired that I missed my two classes this week, but plan on going again next week. So to get back in the groove I laced up for a run right before ifthar (an hour) and of course 10 minutes out it started raining. So I just rode the stationary bike for 30 minutes. At least I did something so I feel better!

You all impress me with getting activity every day!

6th fast complete!

Today I didn't do as well with eating.

Bfast: banana and half of a fiber one bar (all I could handle eating this morning again!)

Ifthar: one boiled egg and 2 mini pitas and a date

Dinner: 1 and 3/4 fried kibbe (I know fried right, but soooo delish!) with about 1 tbsp hummus and 1/3 of a chicken shwarma sandwich.

And then my husband said since the kids start school on Monday let's go for ice cream so we went to this place that makes the BEST ice cream fresh every day. I had 2 small scoops in a cone.

So according to WW I had 30 points! That is 6 over my limit but you get some flexible points to work with and I did earn like 4 points for activities! (or better said I had about 1500-1600 calories and only burned like 200 with my activity)

So I will have to be more careful tomorrow--but I will say this year seems to be going better than last...I seem to be more careful. How about all of you?

I actually got a couple of goods tips from you guys :-) Thankss!
I think now I am going to workout and time it so that i break the fast right right when i finish working out (great idea ladies)!. I have a turbo jam dvd it lasts 20min but it is really intense. I just have to make sure I drink a lotttt of water at throughout the night.
Yesterday, I fell asleep and had only drank 1/2 glass of water. I was so thirsty when I woke up (I woke up at 8am so could not drink anymore) but God is Great because I made it until 7:45pm.
My stomach has been so bloated because I ate tons of rice and nothing else but carbs. I have 3 weeks left so I'll do better.

For this week, I am going to mae a big fruit salad (w/yorgurt in it) and also an egg and potato salad w/ low-fat mayo. I will make a lot of it so i can eat it through the week.
I need to make a menu and stick with the plan!

There is great hadith that says that the Prophet (pbuh) said: ""Do not eat before you are hungry, and stop eating before you are full. Fill 1/3 of your stomach for food 1/3 for water, 1/3 for air"

This statement keeps me focus!

Wow, echo you impress me with your P90x workout in the morning. How do you like it? I had ordered it for my husband, but he said he likes the variety of the gym and that he couldn't do it for 90 days...I tried and didn't have the time between the kids, hubby, work, house, etc. for a consistent schedule.

Bootcamp...I LOVE it and I hate it. First class (before Ramadan) we had to run up in a parking structure 4 floors--4 times, then up and down the stairs (4 floors) 3 times then we had to do a circuit of lunges with weights, arm and leg stuff and then had to finish with 100 crunches and 20 leglifts. Anyway, I have been so tired that I missed my two classes this week, but plan on going again next week. So to get back in the groove I laced up for a run right before ifthar (an hour) and of course 10 minutes out it started raining. So I just rode the stationary bike for 30 minutes. At least I did something so I feel better! You all impress me with getting activity every day!

Aww thanks Sara!!! :D Well I found out that I was getting too thirsty during the day by doing p90x in the morning. so now I do my p90x exercise, about 1-2 hours before iftari, in the evening.

I love p90x! I really love the variety and the structure. everyday is different workout, and I find Tony very motivational ! he's awesome. and Also I love how everyday i look at my timetable and i know exactly which exercise i have to do. i am really enjoying it myself :) i'm in my 2nd week at the moment.

wow Bootcamp sounds hardcore! well done on doing it. i'm impressed !! well done you!
and great you did exercise ;)

6th fast complete!

Today I didn't do as well with eating.

Bfast: banana and half of a fiber one bar (all I could handle eating this morning again!)

Ifthar: one boiled egg and 2 mini pitas and a date

Dinner: 1 and 3/4 fried kibbe (I know fried right, but soooo delish!) with about 1 tbsp hummus and 1/3 of a chicken shwarma sandwich.

And then my husband said since the kids start school on Monday let's go for ice cream so we went to this place that makes the BEST ice cream fresh every day. I had 2 small scoops in a cone.

So according to WW I had 30 points! That is 6 over my limit but you get some flexible points to work with and I did earn like 4 points for activities! (or better said I had about 1500-1600 calories and only burned like 200 with my activity)

So I will have to be more careful tomorrow--but I will say this year seems to be going better than last...I seem to be more careful. How about all of you?

i think you did VERY well with the eating! you hardly ate much!!
i love kibeh myself, and chicken sherma, wow well done you for not eating much, 1/3 sherma isnt much at all :)

I actually got a couple of goods tips from you guys :-) Thankss!
I think now I am going to workout and time it so that i break the fast right right when i finish working out (great idea ladies)!. I have a turbo jam dvd it lasts 20min but it is really intense. I just have to make sure I drink a lotttt of water at throughout the night.
Yesterday, I fell asleep and had only drank 1/2 glass of water. I was so thirsty when I woke up (I woke up at 8am so could not drink anymore) but God is Great because I made it until 7:45pm.
My stomach has been so bloated because I ate tons of rice and nothing else but carbs. I have 3 weeks left so I'll do better.

For this week, I am going to mae a big fruit salad (w/yorgurt in it) and also an egg and potato salad w/ low-fat mayo. I will make a lot of it so i can eat it through the week.
I need to make a menu and stick with the plan!

There is great hadith that says that the Prophet (pbuh) said: ""Do not eat before you are hungry, and stop eating before you are full. Fill 1/3 of your stomach for food 1/3 for water, 1/3 for air"

This statement keeps me focus!

Awesome!!! that's so great! good idea to time it just before your iftari. but do take it easy, if you feel abit light headed or faint, stop until you recover. you dont have to go to the usual speed either. any movement will be better than nothing! and that cold water you drink after the workout just at iftari, is the best drink ever!! it feels so good.

MashAllah I really love that hadith aswell. ISnt it amazing, that what people are learning now about how to eat, The Prophet (pbuh) had already told us!

Basically what I do when its time to eat, I have a little clock infront of me, and it reminds me to eat slowly. and stop when im comfortably full. the slower you eat, the less you will eat, because it takes 20 minutes before your stomach can tell your brain you are full.

also if you eat slowly. putting down your fork between mouthfulls and REALLY chewing your food, like 20 or so bites. there will come a time, when you will involuntarily SIGH, you will draw a big breath and that is your body telling you " i'm satisfied" and then if you eat a few more bites, you will realise you are full.

it works for me everytime! hehe sometimes when im eating something im really enjoying and finding delicious, i hope i dont sigh yet, but eventually that sigh comes along lol. sometimes im naughty and keep eating, but eventually i realise im full and dont want to eat anymore. the food doesnt taste as delicious as when i first started eating.

also another sign to know that you are full, you will be more thirsty than hungry. so its a good idea not to drink whilst your eating. so when you want to drink instead of eat. thats your body telling you- you are full.

sometimes i will have a little sigh after a few bites, but the one i look out for is the one that comes later on.

watch out for it. once you realise, you can never ignore it again!

after the sigh, you eat a few more bites, and you will realise you are full.

wow you girls are doing amazing! okay maybe i shouldn't be so lazy = /
i'll workout before suhoor inshA! = ) i don't want to make any more excuses! and i am going to stay on track

Thanks Echo!

Today I cut myself a little slack, didnt perform prayers or exercise, had pizza for iftar and ice cream! Maybe cause its Friday or sleep deprivation or the weather has been cold and I really like the comfort of my warm blanket. Whatever it is, I felt remorsely guilty at myself but I just think cos the weekend is here. And for me its always the case of 2 steps forward 1 step backward.

Regardless, Saturday is a new day and I'll pick up where I left off. Here I go again....

Thanks Echo!

Today I cut myself a little slack, didnt perform prayers or exercise, had pizza for iftar and ice cream! Maybe cause its Friday or sleep deprivation or the weather has been cold and I really like the comfort of my warm blanket. Whatever it is, I felt remorsely guilty at myself but I just think cos the weekend is here. And for me its always the case of 2 steps forward 1 step backward.

Regardless, Saturday is a new day and I'll pick up where I left off. Here I go again....

you tripped but you didn't fall - keeep going and don't worry about mistakes u've made. the most important thing is you make sure you stay on plan regardless of how many times you trip

wow you girls are doing amazing! okay maybe i shouldn't be so lazy = /
i'll workout before suhoor inshA! = ) i don't want to make any more excuses! and i am going to stay on track

Aww thanks Caliyah, so nice of you to say!!!

that's great!! good luck. and i love your Jillian quote! i'm watching season 6 of the biggest loser, and i really love it! she is tough!! hehehe

are you signing up for the challenge on this site? i joined :D

you girls interested in joining? sounds like fun !!

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/biggest-loser-challenges/178609-biggest-loser-fall-2009-sign-up-thread-please-weigh-now.html

you have to sign up before the 8th sept and you can declare your starting weight from now.

Thanks Echo!

Today I cut myself a little slack, didnt perform prayers or exercise, had pizza for iftar and ice cream! Maybe cause its Friday or sleep deprivation or the weather has been cold and I really like the comfort of my warm blanket. Whatever it is, I felt remorsely guilty at myself but I just think cos the weekend is here. And for me its always the case of 2 steps forward 1 step backward.

Regardless, Saturday is a new day and I'll pick up where I left off. Here I go again....

like Caliyah so eloquently put it, just dust yourself off, and try again!! its never over until you quit!!

we all have our off days, so dont worry about it at all. tommorow is a brand new day!! keep at it soldier!! :cb:
and i had pizza the other day and had ice cream yesterday. no biggy :)

Aww thanks Caliyah, so nice of you to say!!!

that's great!! good luck. and i love your Jillian quote! i'm watching season 6 of the biggest loser, and i really love it! she is tough!! hehehe

are you signing up for the challenge on this site? i joined :D

you girls interested in joining? sounds like fun !!

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/biggest-loser-challenges/178609-biggest-loser-fall-2009-sign-up-thread-please-weigh-now.html

you have to sign up before the 8th sept and you can declare your starting weight from now.

thanks! okay i just signed up! this is going to be exciting = )

Thank you Caliyah & Echo for your support.

I just notice primarily my reason for losing weight this time was just different. I have always yo-yoed. Previously, I would set myself to lose weight in 2 weeks by starving and working out continuously to reach my target weight, because I was going on a date or I want to impress someone, I just want to look good period and I feel good when I'm lighter.

Now that I am actually dating someone, I just let myself go. My boyfriend is extremely skinny and I was always urging him to eat more, to gain weight, to look healthy and not like a crackhead. So when he eats, I eat. Only problem is when I eat and eat, I get bigger. He doesnt.

I am still confident and happy despite having the weight on, I just wanted to lose it because I am not physically comfortable being heavy. My thighs sweat and they will start rubbing against each other when I walk and after a while it gets really painful. Clothes tend to bite into my flesh, my knees hurt, I just dont like the skin I am in.

And perhaps I am taking it slow now cos I guess the motivation is different. I dont have a deadline to lose weight and therefore dont have that aggressive discipline I use to have , I want to lose it so I can be comfortable in this body on a day to day basis so I dont worry about my thighs chaffing and reduce to wearing pants all the time.

Jane

I would love to join the biggest loser too! How do i go about it?

I just joined the biggest loser too! I don't know if I did it right though, dixied said she was going to open a new thread.

Echo, what starting weight did you use? If it starts by 9/15...I hope I will be done from what I am at now.

Caliyah! awesome that you signed up! this is going to be great!!!!!

you're welcome Janelee :hug: i think its great that you're taking it slow. the slower you lose the weight, the more you have owned that weight loss! good luck!

jane lee, go here: http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/biggest-loser-challenges/178609-biggest-loser-fall-2009-sign-up-thread-please-weigh-now-8.html

and sign up! just say you want to join and then tell them your starting weight.

Sara- thats brilliant you've joined too!!! way hey!! no you did it right, you were meant to sign in that thread, and just put your starting weight.

i used the starting weight that i am currently at right now. which is 167 lbs.

cant wait for the teams to be announced! they've just opened another thread, where we can introduce ourselves, and ask questions.

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/biggest-loser-challenges/180380-bl-fall-2009-early-start-combined-team-chatter-thread.html

Oh man I've been so bad today. I overate at iftari!! I feel so uncomfortable and stuffed now, bad bad bad me!:o
My mom made my favourite Keema (mince lamb curry), i knew i was getting full, but i ignored it.

anyways will do better tommorow! I think sometimes its a psychological thing, that i know i wont be able to eat again till the next day. but i really need to stop eating when i know i am full!

anyways here is my confession: fast no# 16

exercise at 6.30pm - 1 hour p90x workout shoulders and arms. and Ab ripper X workout (16 minutes).

Iftari:
water, 5 pakoras. 1 roti. salad. mince lamb curry.
time taken to eat meal - 20 minutes. feeling after meal - stuffed and uncomfortable. :nono:

hope to do better tommorow!! inshaAllah.

hope you all had a nice iftari.

Ok great! I just signed up

This is so exciting!

i've been doing good these past couple of days. i've lost 1.6lbs since ramadan started. i would have lost more have i exercised a little bit more. but inshallah this week i hope to get some more exercise in.

and my eating habits are going well. i still haven't binged since ramadan started al humduillah.

i've been doing good these past couple of days. i've lost 1.6lbs since ramadan started. i would have lost more have i exercised a little bit more. but inshallah this week i hope to get some more exercise in.

and my eating habits are going well. i still haven't binged since ramadan started al humduillah.

mA CONGRATS!! keep posting you can do this! = ) jane just take it one day at a time and u'll get there

by the way helwa check out the chicks in control forum they have a lot of good posts on binging. i used to have a problem with that but i committed to small goals -- and i wouldn't quit my whole diet after binging once -- it's just a matter of moving forward after a mistake. anyway gotta go..i'm taking a quick nap before iftar and the smell of the food is so yummy

Helwa, that is a great job!

I can't believe that 8 fasts are gone already alhumdillah! Wow. Except I feel a little worn out. Today, my sister was going to visit our youngest sister, so I made some food...cutlets and dahi vada (fried lentil donut soaked in yogurt). Then I just caught up on housework and just got back from an ifthar. I did pretty good on the eating. I just don't feel like eating much these days and nothing really seems to sound that good. Anyway, then hubby stopped for ice cream (my little guys start school on Monday so we thought we would treat them on their last holiday night!) but all I had was 1/2 a kiddie cup of soft serve ice cream (true it had some reeses and caramel on it, but it wasn't a bit at all).

So today I had:
fiber one bar for sehri
dinner, 1/2 naan and a large spoon of tandoori chicken breast and about 1/2 spoon of rice and 1 large spoon of yogurt
and then I had the 1/2 cup of soft serve ice cream with some reeses and caramel on it (it was the kiddie size)

So I think I did pretty good. Wish I saw results better! I am impatient. We shall see what happens on Monday (I weigh in on Monday's but I am a TERRIBLE scale stepper--I need to get that thing away from me!)

Anyways...enough babbling from me. I need to pray and then get to bed!

Have a great night everyone. Chat with you tomorrow.

Janelee - awesome you signed up!!

well done Helwa!! on losing the weight and not binging, you're doing awesome! :cheer:

well done sara! :cheer3:
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oh man i've been bad these past two days. two days in a row i've over ate. today i am determined to STOP when I am comfortably full!!!

my confession of my fast yesterday
fast no#9
sehri - 1 toast and mince lamb curry (keema)

iftari - like 5 samosas!! 1/2 roti, 1/2 naan, keema. 1 tbs mixed vegetables. 1 tbs coleslaw. 1 glass of fanta icy lemon.
dessert - gajar ka halwa (carrot pudding) with 1 tbs vanilla ice cream.

no exercise :( had guests over, no time.
have a good sunday girls!

and i wouldn't quit my whole diet after binging once -- it's just a matter of moving forward after a mistake.

that's really good advice!!!!

that's really good advice!!!!

salaam ladies
sara you are doing great! it takes a lot of willpower to turn down the rest of that ice cream. congrats! don't worry about results - just focus on staying on plan. It took me a long time to see a difference in clothing size and when I look in the mirror I still don't see a major change. But I know it will happen eventually.

thanks Echo -- i realized that is what really separates successful dieters from those that fail is that if you make a mistake or overeat once it doesn't mean you have to go back to how things were before. I always used to quit once I made one mistake but now that is not an option.

Honestly I try to get through this by making 5 lb goals for myself and nothing higher. I really am feeling down and not up to much of anything today but I know when I break my fast I will stay on plan because I deserve better. I also completely don't have any cheat days or days where I eat sugary foods (I know it might sound extreme) I just eat on plan foods and have made healthy alternatives to be my snacks/substitutes for the old foods I used to overeat (I am no longer calorie counting I have just switched to a whole foods/lacto-ovo vegetarian diet). What I do is I make a goal every month to have 30 days perfectly on plan and if I break it then I restart it again until I can finally get beyond 30 days perfectly on plan. This has worked for me so far.

Ok, I've just slacked during the weekend. Went without exercise for entire 3 days. I wanted to workout an hour before Iftar like how you suggested Echo, but it completely slip my mind. The entire weekend I was running errands in preparation for Eid and I just conveniently let go of my weight loss efforts. What is wrong with me?

People limit their cheat days to one day a week. I had 3! OMG, I got major catch up to do for this week and then when Friday comes....oh I dread the weekends cos I'm never that discpline when it comes to the weekends. This is me off the wagon again!

So i signed up for the challenge, thats a motivation but how does it work anyway?

What I mean is how does the challenge work?

Salaam & ramadan kareem

I've always stuck to a high protein diet during ramadan and it's helped me lose weight. Well it's actually not any different than I normally eat. I use lots of egg whites in my cooking (no yolk, its all cholesterol). I assumed since fasting causes your metabolism to slow, that you should eat less sugar:?: I don't know if it's correct, but it works for me :D

I never eat the "huge iftar" dinners, or keep eating all night, because it hurts my tummy. I don't like dates, so I usually just break fast with a glass of fruit juice or some grapes.

Janelee, just hang in there. One day at a time and if you messed up then just put it in back of your mind and move on and don't dwell on it. Use this month to pray for guidance and for strength and willpower. I know you can do it! If you were busy running around runnning errands, you were still active so that counts for something.

It is just very hard to fit in exercise. You say it has been three days! So far this whole Ramadan I have only exercised once! But I have been on my feet doing things the whole time so I only sit down at night, I figure that has to count.

I also follow weightwatchers to keep track of what I eat and my activity points and that really helps. This is the month I am using to stay strong and on track and follow a plan. Perhaps you can try that. I just saw a commercial that said one month is free (the online tool which is what I use).

Good luck, I know you can do this!

Okay and I have to post my little victory...ready?

This week (official weigh in day, Monday) I lost 4 pounds!!!!! WOOHOO.

See if I can do it so can everyone else (I have horrible binging, junk snack fooding habits) but I am really praying and hoping that the discipline of Ramadan will help bring me back to focus. The weightwatchers has really helped too. I keep track of what I eat so I know I am not overdoing it and I am determined to have some level of activity every day--even if it is not official exercise.

YEAH! I am so happy. I feel so in-control.

Thanks everyone for being so supportive on this site and to just know that there are others going through the same thing as me in Ramadan.

Okay, have to go, more later.

Sara

Congratulations Sara, that's just awesome!

I had my weigh in on Monday too and have lost 5 pounds so far this Ramadan - so exciting! It makes me even more determined to continue as I have. Exercise, eating just enough to feel satisfied (and not horribly full) and a religious food diary are all really helping. Can't wait until next Monday.

Also settled back inat work and teaching while fasting is not nearly as hard as I thought it'd be which is a huge relief.

Keep going strong everyone :)

Way to go Sarajabeen!

Yeah I kinda been harsh to myself lately. I'll just dust myself off and try try again. I havent lost weight since Ramadan but I've been able to get off with less sleep and am now quite awake when I got up at 5am! I've never been able to be up at 5 so that's quite a progress. I must give myself a pat on the back. And even though I havent really lost weight, my clothes are looser now and I feel much better overall so that's good too.

Focus on the positives more. That should be the way.

Jane

...where are you ladies? = P

no major losses for me so far...i've basically been maintaining my initial loss in the beginning of ramadan. i started working out again. congrats to everyone on their losses

Hi Caliyah,

Good that you've been working out again....and l think my weight have hit a plateau...its not dropping!

Jane

Salam Girls, sorry i've been AWOL. computer problems.

but now i have TOM so will be absent from this thread for a week.

i havent lost any weight since starting ramadan, but then luckily havent gained any weight either! so that's good! :)

you all are doing great!! well done

JaneLee don't worry! forget whats in the past, it doesnt matter. what matters is what you do today.

Sarajabeen AWESOME on losing 4 pounds, thats fantastic!! :cheer3:

Well done Tagan47 on your 5 pound loss, thats brilliant! :cheer2:

Caliyah- well done on your maintenance!! that's super too!

Janelee I know my weight has platued too, but i am just going to keep working out hard and imagine Jillian or Bob shouting at me hahaha i have to see some weight loss at the first biggest loser weigh in!!

but thats great that your clothes feel looser, maybe you have lost weight but it wont show on the scale yet, and then you will see a big drop! well done on maintaining your weight and waking up at 5am!! you rock

Thanks Echo!

Oh does anyone use any supplements? I just ordered the Acai berry drink and pills online, has only started taking them 2 days ago. I dont feel significantly different. Thought they are suppose to have antioxidant qualities and allows weight loss so I thought I gave it a shot. Is it cheating to use supplements to help you lose weight cos I really want to see that scale to shift a little.

I need a little motivation to get out of this plateau haha.

Either my scales needs fixed or my eyes needs checks cos I did my weigh in today and I lost 12 pounds since my last check on Monday! Woohoo! Is that water weight but I dont care cos that's just a push I need to keep going....I am so excited I feel like on top of the world...Truly amazing...

Now fitting into those dresses of Eid doesnt seem impossible anymore LOL

Come on everyone, we can do this!

Wow JaneLee! And here I was celebrating another 4 pounds lost in the past week. That's amazing :)

I just can't believehow quickly Ramadan has gone. I've really enjoyed it. Things are busier at school though which has me exhausted by the end of the day. Doesn't matter, I'm sleeping great!

Thanks for the congratulations Echo. Been keeping an eye on the forum without posting and it's good to see you back after a while away :)

Great job everyone!

asalamu alaikum

just a little update. I've been doing good al humduillah. although i haven't been exercising like i should have been. but mashallah i still managed to lose some weight this weight.

at the beginning of ramadan my weight was 231.4 now im done 6lbs to 225.4.

my biggest concern is if i'll be able to keep it after ramadan. last ramadan i lost weight then right after i gained the weight back. so inshallah i'll keep on losing weight even after ramadan.

Hi Helwa588,

Yes, I am kinda worried that I might gain back the weight after Ramadan too!

Salam girls!

I was looking for some text on how to lose weight during Ramadan. I am really happy that I found this website though! I just registered. I have been reading some of your posts, and I see that some of you suggest protein diet.
So far, I used to gain weight during the fast, except one year when I did not eat suhoor at all...

Is there any way that worked for you. Can you recommend me something based on your own experience. (Btw, I need to lose 10kg)

Thank you in advance

Neyrah