Many of us want to burn fat or avoid gaining more of it, to say the least during the month of Ramadan. But once Ramadan days pass, we find out during Eid that we even gained more kilograms of fat. This is because of bad health and nutritional habits that many of us adapt during the month of Ramadan.

To help you burn fat, lose weight and keep your energy and fitness in Ramadan, here 10 pieces of advice.

1. Leave Some Time Between Breaking Your Fast and The Main Course

Breaking your fast over water and dates, or something light, then wait for sometime before having your main course is one of the most important habits you should start with. This will help you control your appetite and prepare your stomach for food after fasting for long hours during the day. Also, this habit will make you feel full faster.

2. Replacing Juice That Contains Added Sugar With Water and Fresh Juice

So much of the extra calorie-intake are coming from sodas and juice with added sugar, let alone the fact that they cause bloating and digestion problems. So, if you are intending to avoid these extra calories, it is better to drink natural juices moderately. Or, you can just drink water.

3. Keep Working-out

Even though long fasting hours can mess your workout routine, staying active is very important in order to avoid weight-gain during Ramadan. Make sure you walk 30 minutes, three days a week at least.

4. Put All Your Food on The Table

Putting everything you are going to eat (e.g. salad, soup and main course) at once will help you become more aware of your food portions, as opposed to when you fill your plate every time you are done with a serving.

5. Eat Dessert, But Don’t Over Do it

What causes weight gain is not dessert in itself, but how much you eat it. If you control how much dessert you eat and how often you eat it during the week, then you won’t face any problems with your weight. A healthy diet is not about deprivation but moderation.

6. Chew Your Food Slowly

Studies have shown that eating food slowly helps you feel full faster, and prevents you from overeating.

7. Start With Food That’s Easier to Digest

Food like dates, light soups, and salads are considered easier to digest for your stomach, as opposed to meats for example. So, it is recommended to start your meal with food that is easy to digest in order to help your stomach receive food without getting bloated or having any digestive problems.

8. Always Have Your Suhoor

Fasting for long hours can lower your metabolism rates and reduce your muscle mass. This will make your body store fat. Therefore, you need to always have your Suhoor meal. Make sure it is healthy and has enough nutritional value for your body to survive the long hours of fasting. However, don’t eat too much.

9. Drink Water Throughout The Night

Avoid drinking too much water at once, but drink water frequently throughout the night. This might not be related directly to weight-gain prevention, but it will help you feel better and lighter.

10. Avoid Fried Food

Weather dessert or any other type of food, choose grilled ones over fried ones to avoid extra calories without depriving yourself of indulging in the food you love. And remember, moderation is always the solution.

About the writer: Shathat Khudari

Diet and Nutrition Specialist
Jordanian University
Fitness Coach
International Club for Sports Sciences

I help men and women from different ages and with many different health challenges to lose weight and increase fitness level and muscle mass. I am registered at Serviis.com as a service provider. I will be happy to receive requests from you through Serviis.com to help you and give you tailored consultation.