Ramadan Fasting and losing weight

[Cimaguy]

Does anyone here have any articles or recommendations on how to lose weight whilst fasting for Ramadan?

I was sitting at 99.4kg on the 18th May. I am currently down to 97kg. I do want to make the most of the month and drop as much as I can. I will try then to maintain it there after which is the tricky bit.

I saw a nurse specializing in cardio health yesterday who said I dont look fat. I look about right. The fact I have a belly is enough for me to say I need to shed the pounds. Also being 5'10 and 97kg is putting me on a rather heavy side of things.

Thanks!

[Type R Tom]

Cimaguy said:

Does anyone here have any articles or recommendations on how to lose weight whilst fasting for Ramadan?

I was sitting at 99.4kg on the 18th May. I am currently down to 97kg. I do want to make the most of the month and drop as much as I can. I will try then to maintain it there after which is the tricky bit.

I saw a nurse specializing in cardio health yesterday who said I dont look fat. I look about right. The fact I have a belly is enough for me to say I need to shed the pounds. Also being 5'10 and 97kg is putting me on a rather heavy side of things.

Thanks!

I was under the impression that you aren't meant to over eat when breaking your fast, therefore I would imagine a modest well balanced meal and then some porridge in the morning would mean you can't not lose weight!

[Countdown]

Type R Tom said:

I was under the impression that you aren't meant to over eat when breaking your fast, therefore I would imagine a modest well balanced meal and then some porridge in the morning would mean you can't not lose weight!

Unfortunately (IMO) the body metabolism slows down s well. because you're feeling a bit more hungry and tired you might be less inclined to go to the gym or for a long walk.

If you want to lose weight you need to stay off the fried food/cakes at iftari time and keep doing as much exercise as you can.

[TartanPaint]

Look into a ketogenic diet. You can maximise the effects of the intermittent fasting by avoiding carbohydrates (completely, like <20g per day) and eating only protein and fat. This forces your body into ketosis, and you'll burn your bodyfat. It will also help avoid hunger and keep your energy levels high.

[Halb]

maybe of assistance

Fasting Tips: 3 Best Foods to Break a Fast- Thomas DeLauer…

https://youtu.be/eIqglSUUqm0
8 mins

[UpTheIron]

Cimaguy said:

I saw a nurse specializing in cardio health yesterday who said I dont look fat. I look about right. The fact I have a belly is enough for me to say I need to shed the pounds. Also being 5'10 and 97kg is putting me on a rather heavy side of things.

No offence intended, but that's 15st 2lb in old money isn't it? Are you an incredibly odd shape, as the comment from the nurse sounds rather suspect.

As for weight loss, it sounds to me like you are doing OK as it is and trying too hard probably won't have any positive benefits at this time - your body will be under enough stress as it is. Unless you already exercise vigorously and regularly I would be wary about overdoing it when fasted. I would have thought if weight loss (rather than specific fitness) is the goal then perhaps stick to brisk (long) walks / relatively low intensity exercise whilst maintaining your fasted & reduced balanced diet.

[Halb]

15st3lb, so close!

[Cimaguy]

UpTheIron said:

o offence intended, but that's 15st 2lb in old money isn't it? Are you an incredibly odd shape, as the comment from the nurse sounds rather suspect.

As for weight loss, it sounds to me like you are doing OK as it is and trying too hard probably won't have any positive benefits at this time - your body will be under enough stress as it is. Unless you already exercise vigorously and regularly I would be wary about overdoing it when fasted. I would have thought if weight loss (rather than specific fitness) is the goal then perhaps stick to brisk (long) walks / relatively low intensity exercise whilst maintaining your fasted & reduced balanced diet.

Indeed, I completely agree. I do not understand the nurse at all. Seemed a very odd comment to make. A belly isn't good for anyone. I dont feel hugely confident in his assessment.

I do think weight loss in important, slow and steady, as a pose to hard and fast. I am doing 10k steps a day. Cant really do running as my energy levels are low. I struggled to do a mile without slowing right down.

I have a sweet tooth so need to curb that really.

[Ahbefive]

UpTheIron said:

Cimaguy said:

I saw a nurse specializing in cardio health yesterday who said I dont look fat. I look about right. The fact I have a belly is enough for me to say I need to shed the pounds. Also being 5'10 and 97kg is putting me on a rather heavy side of things.

No offence intended, but that's 15st 2lb in old money isn't it? Are you an incredibly odd shape, as the comment from the nurse sounds rather suspect.

If he's 6ft 5inches it might be about right?

[PWeston]

Countdown said:

Unfortunately (IMO) the body metabolism slows down s well.

Intra-day meal frequency has zero effect on metabolic rate and even in the total absence of food it takes 2-3 days minimum for there to be any reduction in metabolic rate.

To the OP, weight loss during Ramadan should come without any real effort if you stick to unprocessed and not overly calorie dense foods.

[hyphen]

TartanPaint said:

Look into a ketogenic diet. You can maximise the effects of the intermittent fasting by avoiding carbohydrates (completely, like <20g per day) and eating only protein and fat. This forces your body into ketosis, and you'll burn your bodyfat. It will also help avoid hunger and keep your energy levels high.

+1

Those on Keto say that they don't feel hungry at all, so perfect diet for people who aren't going to be eating for long periods.

[Cimaguy]

PWeston said:

Intra-day meal frequency has zero effect on metabolic rate and even in the total absence of food it takes 2-3 days minimum for there to be any reduction in metabolic rate.

To the OP, weight loss during Ramadan should come without any real effort if you stick to unprocessed and not overly calorie dense foods.

I think you are right. I have not seen any reduction in weight over the past 2-3 days. It is static at 97kg. I suspect my metabolic rate has stabilized.

During the day my weight drops to 96kg (i.e. the weight before fast break). I eat a moderate amount and drink a lot of water. The following day in the morning I am 97kg again.

[hyphen]

2-3 days isn't really long enough to see results though, give it a week or so.

When you say 'moderate amount' what does that mean though? The same physically sized amount of food can vary wildly in calories depending on what it is. A piece of good Brownie can be 500 calories+ whereas chicken breast of the same size maybe 200cal. So what is your diet?

Also do some cardio, even if it is nothing more than walking up and down the stairs many times.

[Cimaguy]

True, I will track my food intake over the next few days.

Yesterday I had a skewer of chicken, one brown bread pita, a yogurt, maybe 100-150g of mince, a chicken roll, 3 dates, and a packet of crisps.

I tried to do a 2 mile run over the weekend. Really struggled to get a mile down without stopping. Energy levels really drop. I am keen to ensure I don't burn muscle away too.

By the way, thanks folks for your inputs. It is much appreciated.

[kingston12]

Cimaguy said:

I think you are right. I have not seen any reduction in weight over the past 2-3 days. It is static at 97kg. I suspect my metabolic rate has stabilized.

During the day my weight drops to 96kg (i.e. the weight before fast break). I eat a moderate amount and drink a lot of water. The following day in the morning I am 97kg again.

I'm on a bit of a weight loss campaign at the moment, but I limit my weigh-ins to once a week (at exactly the same time each week), on the basis that the swings during the day/week just distort the overall trend in weight loss.

My current approach is intermittent fasting (I just eat dinner) as well as reducing overall carb intake, and slightly increasing exercise. This isn't for Ramadan, though, I am looking to make it a permanent change, but will have to see how that goes!

The possible problem with doing this for Ramadan is that any weight lost during that period will go back on once Ramadan has finished unless you make other, permanent, changes. Have you got a strategy post-Ramadan?

Different things definitely seem to work for different people. I'd prefer the less net calories = less weight to hold true. I think it does broadly, but it is definitely a bit more complicated than that.

[thatjagbloke]

After reading a lot online about professor Valter longo who advocates regular fasting for health benefits and losing weight I tried a 3 day fast drinking nothing but water. The results were spectacular, I lost 7lbs and my flabby midriff. Started off at 12 stone and am now 11 1/2 stone and down to 32" waist from 34". Despite eating the same as before the fast I haven't put the weight back on again.
Have a read about Longo and give it a go.

[skilly1]

I have started intermittent fasting. Following the delay don’t deny scheme. Eat once a day but eat whatever you want (within reason). Only drink black coffee, black tea or water in between meals.
Feel better than ever, lost about a stone in 2 months. I still have days when go on a beer session, so not too strict on myself.

[TartanPaint]

Cimaguy said:

True, I will track my food intake over the next few days.

Yesterday I had a skewer of chicken, one brown bread pita, a yogurt, maybe 100-150g of mince, a chicken roll, 3 dates, and a packet of crisps.

I tried to do a 2 mile run over the weekend. Really struggled to get a mile down without stopping. Energy levels really drop. I am keen to ensure I don't burn muscle away too.

By the way, thanks folks for your inputs. It is much appreciated.

I don't want to sound like I'm on commission here, and other perfectly good ways of eating are available, but really does sound like a keto diet would suit you. It's definitely not for everyone, and I rarely recommend it to others, but it does sound like you'd benefit. Take a look at the FAQ section on www.reddit.com/r/keto for more info. There's a keto diet thread on PH too:

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...



Basically, for energy, your body can either burn sugar (including all types of sugars from fruit, milk, bread, pasta, starchy veg, which all get broken down into sugar) or it can burn fat. Sugar is energy dense, and your body will always prioritise it. To get your body to burn fat efficiently instead, all you have to do is completely deprive it of sugar and carbs for a few days (and put up with a bit of low energy and flu-like symptoms while your body screams out for more sugar! It's like going cold-turkey, but it doesn't last long). Once you're over that, you tailor your diet to a mix of the right amount of protein (for muscle retention) and as much healthy fat as you like (for energy and to stop hunger). But here's the glorious bit. If you eat a little less fat (or if you're fasting, or exercising more, or all of the above, or indeed any other of form of calorie restriction or calorie deficit) your body simply taps into the effectively unlimited fat reserves it handily stores around your waistline in all that flab! Sugar burning people simply cannot do this. They think they can, but really they just get tired and hungry. Fat burners should rarely feel hungry, because the hunger feelings are mostly tied to sugar burning and fluctuation of insulin levels after meals.

This fat burning idea is the basis of the ketogenic diet, and it has proven very successful for weight loss, hunger management, high energy levels, improved focus, athletic endurance (e.g. marathon running, but not so much for high-intensity bursts like sprinters where sugar still wins) and many other benefits (including reversing T2 diabetes because fat burners have very low and stable blood glucose levels, and thus insulin dependency drops).

it's not easy to stick to, because carbs are EVERYWHERE and in EVERYTHING. But it's worth reading up on, because it sounds like it might help your situation.

I think you're eating just enough carbs that you're still a "sugar burner" not a "fat burner" but not enough of anything that you can go a day on your reserves. That means when your small sugar reserves (from your food, and some reserves in your muscle mass) are depleted, you've got nothing left, and your energy crashes. You're probably storing more of the fat you consume than you can access again. Accessing fat reserves requires a complete absence of sugar for an extended period. It's not instant. The fasting will help, but converting to a fat burner and THEN fasting is like a double whammy for weight loss. Your body will rip through stored reserves as long as you don't give it any sugar (which triggers sugar burning and fat storage again) without you feeling hungry, which again helps keep you out the fridge.

Fat burners can run for miles on just water. I fast for 16 hours every day, naturally simply by skipping breakfast. It's easy. I'm never hungry. I do 7 to 10k two or three times a week without so much as a banana before or after.

See what you think. I might not be for you, but it's an option.

[Cimaguy]

TartanPaint said:

I don't want to sound like I'm on commission here, and other perfectly good ways of eating are available, but really does sound like a keto diet would suit you. It's definitely not for everyone, and I rarely recommend it to others, but it does sound like you'd benefit. Take a look at the FAQ section on www.reddit.com/r/keto for more info. There's a keto diet thread on PH too:

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...



Basically, for energy, your body can either burn sugar (including all types of sugars from fruit, milk, bread, pasta, starchy veg, which all get broken down into sugar) or it can burn fat. Sugar is energy dense, and your body will always prioritise it. To get your body to burn fat efficiently instead, all you have to do is completely deprive it of sugar and carbs for a few days (and put up with a bit of low energy and flu-like symptoms while your body screams out for more sugar! It's like going cold-turkey, but it doesn't last long). Once you're over that, you tailor your diet to a mix of the right amount of protein (for muscle retention) and as much healthy fat as you like (for energy and to stop hunger). But here's the glorious bit. If you eat a little less fat (or if you're fasting, or exercising more, or all of the above, or indeed any other of form of calorie restriction or calorie deficit) your body simply taps into the effectively unlimited fat reserves it handily stores around your waistline in all that flab! Sugar burning people simply cannot do this. They think they can, but really they just get tired and hungry. Fat burners should rarely feel hungry, because the hunger feelings are mostly tied to sugar burning and fluctuation of insulin levels after meals.

This fat burning idea is the basis of the ketogenic diet, and it has proven very successful for weight loss, hunger management, high energy levels, improved focus, athletic endurance (e.g. marathon running, but not so much for high-intensity bursts like sprinters where sugar still wins) and many other benefits (including reversing T2 diabetes because fat burners have very low and stable blood glucose levels, and thus insulin dependency drops).

it's not easy to stick to, because carbs are EVERYWHERE and in EVERYTHING. But it's worth reading up on, because it sounds like it might help your situation.

I think you're eating just enough carbs that you're still a "sugar burner" not a "fat burner" but not enough of anything that you can go a day on your reserves. That means when your small sugar reserves (from your food, and some reserves in your muscle mass) are depleted, you've got nothing left, and your energy crashes. You're probably storing more of the fat you consume than you can access again. Accessing fat reserves requires a complete absence of sugar for an extended period. It's not instant. The fasting will help, but converting to a fat burner and THEN fasting is like a double whammy for weight loss. Your body will rip through stored reserves as long as you don't give it any sugar (which triggers sugar burning and fat storage again) without you feeling hungry, which again helps keep you out the fridge.

Fat burners can run for miles on just water. I fast for 16 hours every day, naturally simply by skipping breakfast. It's easy. I'm never hungry. I do 7 to 10k two or three times a week without so much as a banana before or after.

See what you think. I might not be for you, but it's an option.

This is by far the best explanation I have ever read on the topic of burning fat.

Truly inspiring. I sincerely appreciate it. I will take up this approach. I've told the wife I'm not doing sugar and carbs. I'll be having veg and chicken tonight. Also lots of water!!! Nothing else... not even a date. I will try this for the rest of the week. I suspect by Sunday morning I'll be fat burning!!! Thank you!

[alabbasi]

If you're fasting this time of year in England, you'll lose weight for a few reasons.

1) The days are looooooooong. There's really not much time to eat.
2) You'll also lose water weight
3) If you're like me, you'll spend a lot of time thinking about what you're going to eat. When you do and as long preparing your own food, you probably won't want to eat garbage

Don't worry about how much you weigh and worry more about how your clothes fit. @ 90kg's , My waist is 32 and my chest is 44. I'm 5'10. If I tried to get to my BMI weight, I would not look good.