Fighting Ramadan kilos
First we fast, then we feast. But what about our waistlines? Hannah Rashdan reviews some healthy advice
If Ramadan's traditional routine of inactivity and overeating has you worried about your weight, a bit of healthful advice may allay your fears. According to weight management and physical fitness experts, health awareness is the best defense against those extra kilos this month.
While we all know the key to weight management in general is a combination of nutrition and exercise, finding the motivation is usually the problem. "This Ramadan can be different. So fight through, and don't wait until after," says Indji Solh, a physical fitness expert.
Solh explains that, "In terms of time management, exercise during Ramadan may seem difficult, but is actually a great time to try and organise yourself and make regular activity a habit."
Even if you don't have much, make the most of your time.
"If you can only fit a 45-minute workout into your busy Ramadan schedule, then those will be a concentrated and efficient 45 minutes. And once you make that workout part of your routine, it will become addictive," Solh says.
Fitting exercise into your Ramadan routine means finding a time that's convenient. According to certified sports nutritionist, Gina Grant, "It depends on the person and their type of workout. If you are looking just to maintain your weight or you are doing cardio, then a good time would be about an hour and a half before eating."
If you are able to exercise before iftar, then Grant suggests a 45-minute workout and eating around 30 minutes after you have finished. If your workout consists of heavy weight- lifting, Grant suggests eating first, but warns that "if you eat and go exercise right away, your body won't absorb nutrients properly. So give yourself time to digest."
While Grant says there are no rules for when to exercise, she suggests waiting until after you have eaten if exercise while fasting makes you feel dizzy or too weak.
Solh knows that with all the food and celebration during Ramadan, exercise isn't always a priority. So, she suggests group classes as "a great way to stay motivated even when your schedule isn't flexible".
So now there are no excuses. Right? Well, exercise is only half of the equation.
"You can be very active," Grant says, "but if your caloric intake over-rides your output, you will gain weight."
But don't throw yourself on the mercy of diet fads just yet. Grant advises a simple solution. "The answer is balance, variety and moderation in both exercise and nutrition. When it comes to activity and food, remember that one benefits the other," she says.
From her experience as associate director of Maadi's Weight Management Centre, Grant noticed that "most people who are worried about weight gain during Ramadan complain that their energy drops, they become extremely hungry and then cannot control the urge to eat. So they over-eat."
Another culprit: eating too fast.
"Even though you've been awake all day, your digestive system has not. Your body has been dormant and cannot handle an overload," Grant says. "That is why people suffer from headaches, diarrhoea, constipation or drowsiness after eating so much food."
She suggests breaking your fast with half a cup of milk and three or four dates, followed by soup, and then a five to 10 minute rest before food. "This gives your body a chance to realise what's going on, and your digestive system a chance to wake up before continuing with a normal meal," Grant says.
However, judging a normal meal is not as simple as eating whatever you normally do.
"If you haven't changed your normal caloric intake, but your level of activity has decreased, you will gain [weight]," Grant warns.
Keeping the balance of caloric intake and output in mind doesn't mean depriving yourself of irresistible Ramadan sweets however. Grant makes the general suggestion that having your piece of basbousa or konafa is acceptable, but keep it to the size of a half a deck of cards.
Proper digestion is necessary for the absorption of much- needed nutrients. And Grant warns that, "Drinking water immediately after or with food may dilute digestive enzymes and prevent the digestive system from functioning properly."
While iftar is most always followed by "nibbling and snacking", as Solh says, "watch what you're eating and space it out. We are the worst sabotage for ourselves, so fight through the obstacles, and more importantly, don't wait until after Ramadan," she says.
A little health awareness can go a long way. Not only will it help you avoid those extra kilos this month, but it just might keep them away for good. "What people need to realise," Grant says, "is that diets don't work. Changing your lifestyle works."
