Staying fit in Ramadan

Ramadan Kareem! it's the 5th of Ramadan already, obviously this one is going to fly by fast. One of the biggest challenges when it comes to Ramadan is staying fit, I have some tips and tricks that I personally use and going to share with you. The reason why this post is a little bit late, is that I wanted to put these tips to the test first.

Water

The 2 or 3 liters your body needs in regular days doesn't decrease in Ramadan. The different in Ramadan is that you have less time to consume them. I personally would drink at least 2 glasses on Iftar and like 3 to 4 glasses on Sohor, then the rest of the day I make sure I have my bottle with me. 

  

Meal Planning

The 5 to 6 meals plan isn't practical in Ramadan . If you are following a calorie based diet, then you have to consume these calories in order to maintain your fitness goals. What I do is I would mix calories from meals in one keeping in consideration the amounts of carbs, protein and fats I am consuming. That doesn't mean I am going to eat rice and bread with eggs and chicken in the same meal, what I do is I kick my brown rice up a notch from 50 grams to 70 grams. I also eat Iftar and Sohor, but I make sure to have a snack in the middle. 

Food Order

As soon as it's time to break your fast you think you eat everything on the table, we have all been there. This always leads to eating too much and feeling heavy after your Iftar meal. I use something that I like to call the "Etiquette trick", I start with some kind of fruit juice, then soup, then salad then my veggies and protein, finally I have my carbs. Same goes to Sohor, I have fruits and veggies before I have my cottage cheese, yogurt and brown bread. 

Treats

To be realistic, no Ramadan will pass without a little of heavenly indulges. It's not a crime to have one piece of Konafa or Attayef, the crime is eating the whole tray. For me, I would have one cheat day with the same system as my regular days. I would have my cheat Iftar with the same order, the same thing with Sohor and my snack gets a little bit sweeter. 

 Exercise

 Unlike the word on the street, working out when you are fasting is very bad for you. The body needs energy and your workout will strip more energy from it, therefore your body won't have any energy to burn fat. Wait 2 hours after your lovely Iftar, then go to gym and do your regular exercise.

 Finally

We all have weak moments where we have multiple cheat days or when we are just too lazy to workout for a week. Make sure to keep calm and remember that it's Ramadan and you are fasting for long hours. Get yourself back on track even if you are only days away from the end of Ramadan and never think that it's too late.

Posted in: Fitness,Food