assalaamu aleikum
yes, I am already worrying about Ramadan, some years my hubby goes back into traditional mode and wants SWEETS... then when the kids are fasting I want to encourage them so I bring stuff they want to eat instead of what i think they should eat. Or what I should eat... we don't do dessert the rest of the year but I guess it's kind of an "incentive" thing in Ramadan. And fasting makes me super tired some days so I look for the line of least resistance. Maybe IF I get organized and freeze some food ahead of time...?
Are you guys all lawyers or going to be?

salaams
*LOL* no, not law, i made that reference in the other post coz most ppl don't understand the difficulty of the exam i'm taking...i actually finished in medicine...the exam i'm taking is to get a liscence to practice/specialize futher here in the States

i think strawberryeyes is doin the same?? i do use kaplan..if we're refering to the same thin...

btw, pray for me!! exam's in Aug...

well, my hubby got all these book frm the library, atkin's diet, south beach, & even the one that showed up on oprah, french ladies don't get fat (or something like that)

i'm a calorie counter pretty much & it worked out for me before, but i'm so tired of counting. i've pretty much memorized calories for everything, seriously...everything...

i think i'm going to try the south beach, it seems like a simple concept & not much of a hassle although it does kind of follow atkins in a way...

also, there's a nice recipe in the french ladies don't get fat book...it's leek soup, though it doesn't help you lose weight exactly, it helps u to lose a few pounds of water, i think it's ideal if you have a party to goto in a couple of days & wanna lose a couple of pounds before then; in the book it says it's a good motivator to lose weight, once u've lost a couple lbs, u want to keep losing...
at the moment, i'm just trying to keep my weight at the same number till the exam is over....i keep gaining & gaining & i'm just so desperate in tryin not to gain anymo

what kinda diet regimen's ru guyz following?

btw, cat n' horses, as for the sweets, u can freeze alot of sweets, like rasagulla, rasmalai, all the different halwa's...they'd be also nice to eat w/ roti for sehri....there's alot of food u can freeze, like cooked keema, daal, that's what i do...much much easier on u

*L* strawberry eyes, my hubby has the same problem when he eats things not made in the house...all kinda different bowel movments...he hasn't gotten used the food here i guess & he hates it...

oh no............... please don;t tell me to freeze sweets and eat them for sahur (sehri)! that's the last thing I need!! I haven;t had rasmalai for ages...

that's so cool that you guys are doing medicine... we need more lady docs (at least around here!) so I am always happy to see women going into medicine. May Allah grant you success in your exams and your careers.

i should look for that leek recipe, I like leeks (lived in Wales for one year LOL)

i;m not following p articular regime right now, i am very confused with all the hype that is around. I lost a lot of weight on curves low carb but also got v/ constipated which Did. Not. Help. let to some other probs in fact. I wondered about YOU on a diet but it says to eat the same every day and I think I would go nuts if I did that. I like variety - Pakistani food one day, Arabic the next, Italian, Chinese, Canadian/English.... you get the idea!

oh no silly *LOL* the sweets aren't for u, for ure kids!! heheh i meant if u freeze sweets, it'll be easier on u & u can serve it to u're hubby n' kids for sehri & to open iftar w/....btw, i know an aunt who are all health freaks n' stuff n' she makes excellent rosogolla w/ splenda....imagine that? if u have time u can experiment w/ that so that ure kids eat healthy as well...

i also have the leek recipe here lemmi write it for u: ingredients 2 lbs leeks
1. clean reeks. cut off ends of the dark green parts leavin all the white parts. reserve the extra greens for soup stock.

2. put the leeks in a pot & cover w/ water. bring 2 boil, reduce heat & simmer uncovered for 20-30 mins. pour off liquid & reserve. place leeks in a bowl.

The juice is to be drunk (reheated or at room temp) every 2-3 hrs, 1 cup at a time. As meals or whenver u're hungry, hae the leeks themselves, 1/2 cup at a time. Drizzle w/ few drops of extra-virgin oilive oil & lemon j. season sparingly w/ salt & pepper. sprinkle parsley if u wish. U can do this for 2 days (acutally, day & half, she suggests to start on sat. & sunday night u have a very light dinner of 3 oz meat & steamed veggies)
Enjoy!!

btw, my husband & I are just like you!! We LOVE trying out new dishes & trying out new cuisines. But at this moment in time it's difficult for us coz we always have to ask that is there any pork? or any alchol or wine? etc, etc. & then we've been trying to eat halal also (i know i know, it's bad we're not doin so already) & it gets so difficult. i've realized i'm such a carnivore!! what's the wales food like?

thanks for the well wishes. i wish more men in islam thought it was okay for their wives to work. though women in islam have gone far w/ their education, i know so many in frm different countries/cultures who can't end up getting married or don't get married because of men. Or if they do get married stop their careers because their husbands said so. This area is a real soft-spot for me because it's not like women aren't allowed to work it's just that they have to have permission frm their husband. And though I understand the reasoning behind it, it bothers me alot that at this day n age men in our religion still don't like their wives working or being more educated. but allah knows best!

anyways, i'm blabbering too much...allah-hafez

Alaikum Salam!
I was on last year for a bit during Ramadan and then things seemed to have waned off this thread. Glad to see it's picking back up, Alhumdullilah!
I did Atkins for about 5 months and lost 40 lbs., Unfortunately, the minute you stop doing Atkins it starts piling back on as quick as it came off. I have put on 20 lbs since January and an fed up with myself again. I am thinking about weight watcher too. I thought that maybe I need a more realistic way of eating.
Thanks for those 2 Hadiths that were posted. I think I will print that and hang it on my frig!
hope to talk again soon, Inshallah!
Salam
Maggie

walaikum salaam Maggie!!

So awesome to have someone new join...well actually you're more senior to us in this forum really....

Yes, atkins is hard in the sense that once you've reached your goal it's very hard to go back to a normal regimen because you gain it all back. The problem is that one is use to eating all they want at first (protein) but when trying to reintroduce the carbs in to your life you have to again portion your meals. I'm going to start south beach inshallah, & theoretically I was thinking that'll be the very obstacle I have to face. In phase one I can eat all protein & veggies in whatever quantity I want but when it comes to phase II, when reintroducing carbs back into the diet, I'll have to start making my portions smaller because I won't be able to eat all that I want in whatever quantity. I'm wondering if I'm making any sense to anyone? *L*

Well inshallah I hope we all succeed w/ our weight "managing." Salaam

salaams everyone, sorry i wasn;t around for a week or two... life got in the way!

propanalol, I sooo hear you about women working! It IS possible to work and you can find "halal jobs" if you try really hard. I have a friend who is very religious and strict on hijab and not mixing etc. She told me that she got a job as a teacher when her first child was 6 months old but gave up after 3 days because her husband told her to quit. her husband told his friend at work (another religious bro) and the guy told him off - he said if we don;t let our womenfolk work, who is going to teach our daughters?! so the husband relented and she has been teaching ever since, and she has 5 kids too ma sha Allah. and her workplace is giving them to opportunity to get a masters degree whilst working.

you can say ditto for doctors to treat the women - often the ones who shout loudest about not wanting men to treat their womenfolk are the ones who don't want their daughters to go to school or uni. grr!

AND to bring this kinda back on topic we need nutritionists and personal trainers and kinesiologists and all the rest of it... I can really rant about women and work when I need to LOL.

I recently met a Muslimah nutritionist and am going to have a consultation with her in sha Allah. I tried low carb before and lost tons but you can;t keep that up forever, especially when you mix with Muslims. Ever been to an ISNA conference and looked for a low-carb offering in the food bazaar?

And about freezing the sweets for the kids --- no, no, no! sweets are occasional treats around here, keeping them in the house on a regular basis = DOOM. Ask me how I know They get candy once a week ONLY otherwise they will end up like me

salaams

man, cat i WISH i was so busy!!! ever since this exam prep that's my only agenda!! i stay at home n' nothing else, ugh n' i'm the last person to stay at home, drives me up the wall. notice i'm da one who'z always at this forum *L* my hubby is complainin to kick me out coz i'm inda house so much. dis is one of da reasons i'm gainin weight, sittin at hm n' doin nothing.
i haven't been to the ISNA convention, yet....inshallah next year. i wanted to this year but since both my husband & I are studying we're living paycheck to paycheck n' borrowin money frm out parents. i've always wanted to go but all these years in college & high school i've been abroad. now that i'm bak inda states, for sure inshallah next year...actually, we have to keep in touch!! it'd b so awesome to actually meet up...neat aye?

n' guess what my sisters!!! i'm so happy, i lost 3-4 lbs, yippee!! i'm down to 143. n' how pathetic is that?!! since i joined fat chicks i was at 143 & had gained 4 lbs but at least i'm bak at 143...i hope in da next 2 weeks i lose mo

salaams
prop, are the exams over yet?? hope it's all going well in sha Allah.

Well the ISNA conference I was talking about was the canadian one, not the US one... but they switched location this year and it was too far for me to go. I bet they still didn't have low carb food though LOL.

Good news for me on the exercise front, i am back at the gym! and enjoying it. taking some sessions with a personal trainer to make sure i don;t injure myself in sha Allah. got some back probs so I don;t want to do anything silly. I want to do some classes but will wait for the go-ahead from the PT. I don;t want to rush in and then end up in emerg in PAIN. BTDT...

diet and weight.... i think I'll plead the fifth!! I need to choose a plan and stick to it, I guess. still haven't managed to hook up with the nutritionist...

congrats on your weight loss!

salaams cats...

where did everyone else goto? i've haven't come on for quite sometime coz of studies & also *lookin really guilty* i had to read harry potter *L*

n' my exam...um....well...end of this month inshallah....aug 28th...make dua for me, it'll mean alot!! though i'm not nervous i'm just acting weird though...

oh...i didn't have a clue there waz a canadian convention....though i haven't gone, i'm pretty sure they won't have anything healthy

how're the workouts goin? i'm glad ure enjoin the workouts...coz that's the main thing...if u don't like 'em u'll end up quittin exercisin altogether...if u have back probs there are some good workouts on the net...my husband has back probs too & we found some sites specfically to help w/ this...also to strengthen your abs is one of the main points to emphasize...because that'll automatically align u right & take alot of stress of the back..& if there's weight gain around the abdominal area that causes stress on ure back as well...

well, as for my weight loss...not much, very slow but i'll tell u something...my cravings are gone!! it's miraculous...inshallah if i ever get to practice here i'm gona be recommending south beach..to u too! very good diet esp helps prediabetics, pcos sufferers...
gona be slowin down my diet till aug 28 & then i'll be on my weight full fledged...goin to the gym n' all...
well, let me know how u goin along..

salaams

salaams
yes, I was MIA reading harry potter too LOL.
and I joined Weight Watchers, it seems to have stood the test of time, been around almost as long as I have. My family doc is supportive of me joining too. I'm doing the points thing to learn PORTION CONTROL and hopefully getting used to less food intake will be a good good step in the right direction before ramadan gets here,
I'm back at the gym as well and working with a personal trainer who is also a kinesiologist. She has given me some exercise to do at home too, to strengthen the back and abs. In sha Allah that will give me more strength.
doc says i have some kind of insulin resistance so i have to keep away from the r eally sugary fruits, even if they are allowed on WW
I like that WW deals with "real food". It even has a points listing for CHICKEN BIRIYANI
got to go come up with something for dinner now <sigh>

salaams!
oh cats...u have insulin resistance...then u should really really join south beach...in fact i may end up having it too...see, what insulin resistance is a stage before diabetes but research shows that if u control ure diet n' exercise before u actually get diabetes u can actually prevent it...the research showed that the benefits of a diet n' exercise doesn't help u reverse the process once u've already gotten diabetes....

there's diabetes in my family, n' my aunt has pcos (which is strongly associated w/ diabetes mellitus) n' i might end up haveing pcos...there's a long story behind that but i'm not gona bore u w/ that...

see, i'm gona tell u the mechanics behind south beach (actually i should get paid by south beach for promoting them so much *L*) or a actually there are so many other diets based on the glycemic index....this will help u out alot...what happens is...simple sugars & refined carbs like white rice or white flour...or potatoes are very high on the glycemic index...it means that when u take it the glucose or sugar in ure blood spikes up high, too high..the body in turn churns out too much insulin to counter act it...when that happens u're insulin causes decrease the sugar level too low....this is when you start craving...(it's not hunger) and u start craving...so what does ure body do? u end up eating more carbs which is basically like a snowball effect...

so how can u help ureself? what u do is eat the foods that don't spike up ure insulin...these are the foods lower down on the glycemic index...protein, fats (only good ones like olive oil canola oil...) & carbs that are not processed...like brown bread, brown rice...etc...when u digest these foods it's a much slower process..they don't get dumped into ure blood at one shot like potatoes n' sugar...with unprocessed food the food gets digested slower so u sugar doesn't spike up in ure blood sooooo insulin doesn't spike up....i hope u understand n' i'm not makin this complicated...

now how does this help ppl w/ insulin resistance (& not just diabetics)? well, in time as u're body gets adjusted to the new way of eating...it figures out that u don't need so many insulin receptors throughout ure body...because insulin isn't spiking up as how it used to...then the body downregulates (or decreases the number) of insulin receptors...this decreases the "resitance" to insulin...

besides south beach, i think fat blast & "you" on a diet are based on the glycemic index....u should really research on it...it will help u out...

well, i wrote enuf...i hope this helps u out coz that's what i like doin'...helpin ppl out...so my exam's in a few days...4 days exactly, aug 28th..pray 4 moi....

inshallah, talk to u soon

Salaamu alaikom,

Nice to see some other Muslimahs. I'm a bit nervous about Ramadhan myself. I tend to gain weight during Ramadhan with all the delicious food and what not. I'm actually planning on maintaining my healthy habits as much as possible and keeping within my calorie plans.

I have a question about fasting in relation to exercise. I've been taking Les Mills classes (bodypump, bodystep, bodycombat, bodyattack, etc) daily. I do BodyPump 3x a week, Cardio 3 x a week and Yoga once a week. They are vigorous classes where you sweat a lot (except the yoga one where sweating is minimal). I usually drink any wear between a .5- 1. liter before class, 1 liter during class and half a liter after class. I think I'm just one of those people that can't get enough water. I drink 4-5 liters of water a day with a minimum of 3.

The problem is that I really want to continue with my fitness goals and the training that I'm doing during Ramadhan. Has anyone ever did so while fasting or does everyone wait till iftar to exercise? Do yall just put off your training during Ramadhan?

I really need some serious advice. I've only been training four weeks but already I've seen incredible progress in my endurance and strength. I don't want to loose it. I have goals I'm trying to achieve. Don't want to pass out in class either. lol I don't have the equipment or the know-how to really do weight training on my own. The other issue is timing. My gym only has childcare during certain hours. They don't run late enough for to break the fast and continue.

I was considering trying to just go through a class without water and see what it felt like. Any thoughts?

salaam temples....
wow, mashallah u're r such a fit freak!! i'm envious...i can't even break through a jog for even a minute...
well, i got 2 ways of looking at it...one is...an example, when a pregnant woman says she wants to exercise, we tell the patient that if she started exercising before getting pregnant & always has been on a daily basis then she's allowed to continue...as in her body's already used to exercise & she's an athlete or something...
but if a pregnant woman wants to start exercising out of nowhere or had only recently started exercising before getting pregnant then a doctor advices not to continue exercising...
this is the same case for u...if you've been doing this for a long time, where u think u can endure the exercise during ramadan, then go ahead n' continue...but if u only recently started, it will end up being hard on u...

now...another example
i rememer when i was a kid during ramadan i used to play basketball n' i had a muslim friend who also was on the bball team...what happened was i got really thirsty & dehydrated n' i couldn't continue (i was in very very bad shape)...but for my friend, though she was fasting, she still had the energy to play...so actually it all depends on u...i have a feeling that since u do get thirsty alot, i would set aside ure workout till after iftar...(but not right after eating)

now say if u can't continue the classes, (only u know if u can)...i can reccomend light workouts or cardio like walking so that u don't end up getting out of shape but still are not working ureself so hard where u'll faint...

inshallah, i plan to continue on my diet during ramadan n' do some light walking for an hr...but only after taraweeh prayers...but i'm not sure how i'll do..if it takes too much of a toll on me, then i think i'll just end up restarting only after eid...
anyways, in the end, it's upto u...n' how u think u'll adapt...just don't overdo ureself...
kit
salaams