“Ramadan is an automatic diet. During the month of fasting, you will lose 5 kilograms without any effort on your part.” How true is this claim?
The answer is that this claim is incorrect, and losing weight in Ramadan is not inevitable.
Although some people lose some weight in Ramadan, they quickly regain it following the month of fasting. In some cases, a person may gain weight in Ramadan if he overeats at the time of breaking the fast, and if he eats more calories than he burns.
In general, if you want to lose weight in Ramadan, we offer you these tips:
- Drink at least two glasses of water during suhoor.
- Eat fruits that keep the body hydrated, such as watermelon and grapes.
- Eat fiber, protein and carbohydrates at suhoor to avoid hunger during the day.
- Eat with your family and loved ones, and be mindful while eating. And don’t eat in front of the TV.
- Do physical activity and exercise following breakfast.
- Evening walk for half an hour.
- Breakfast on pass.
- Replace fried and fatty foods, baked goods, fresh fruits, salad, dates and a glass of skimmed milk.
- Replace red meat such as beef with white meat such as skinless chicken and fish to include healthy proteins in your diet.
- Eat more fruit and salad if you feel hungry between iftar and suhoor.
