Tips to Lose weight during Ramadan

Neglectfully, we all spent Ramadan preparing and eating unhealthy foods that not only ruin our health but also grab our precious time and money. It is a custom to have oil-laden foods in iftar to compensate the whole day empty bowel. Is this the right trend? No we should modify our lifestyle towards healthy living. Especially the youth should bring changes in the conventional lifestyle for a healthier and smarter Pakistan.

Thanks to the virtual world that now we have access to all healthy option for Ramadan activities. The most crucial issue for teenagers in this regard is weight. Young fellows want to look physically perfect and for this they have to maintain their weight .Ramadan is the most perfect time to lose weight as you are already fasting the whole day.

There are two ways to lose or maintain weight without being fatigued while fasting

Healthy meal plan
Regular light exercise

The Dietary Concern:

Though you are not allowed to drink the whole day during the fast but still you can hydrate yourself well to get saved from dehydration as well as to control your sugar cravings after iftar.
Take two glasses of water or juice at Iftar, Four glasses in between iftar and suhur and then two glasses at suhur. It does not include your caffeine beverages and instead of these addicted drinks you can take herbal teas as alternative.
Remember in Ramadan, your metabolism slows down and you do not need any extra boost of energy therefore the iftar meal should be normal and to get your choice of reading on the weighing scale Forget that you haven't eaten all day and imagine your regular meal and eat accordingly.
Dates would be the perfect food to open your fast as it is Sunnah and scientifically a single date is enough to provide fast acting sugar to your fasting body. It is also a rich source of potassium and other mineral. Don't take more than one date as dates have high sugar content.
You can have a single pakora to satisfy your craving but it's better to have yummy boiled chickpea (choley) chaat. Fruit chaat would be another healthy option but try to avoid sprinkling too much sugar on your chaat plate. You can boil chana daal or beans to have spicy chaat at iftar. Most dieters switch to black chick peas as they help you to remain energetic without increasing your weight.
Don't overload your digestive system.
After having a light iftar complete your prayers.
Take a five minute walk, or have a conversation.
Carry on your meal and pick only one main dish, make sure it is balanced in carbs and protein.
Avoid fried foods.
Control your portions.
Replace refined carbohydrates with whole-meal foods. Glycaemic index of whole-meal food maintain your blood sugar level while you are fasting.
Another major reason for the weight gain is the disorderly sleep cycle, this disturbance release many hormones that affect metabolic rate therefore try to sleep at least five complete hours.
Chew slowly every bite of food to the end, resulting in less eating during iftar.
Never skip suhur meal. Avoiding suhur will make you hungrier and you will overeat at iftar. Your suhur meal should be limited in salt to avoid getting thirsty. Take protein rich diet like cheese or eggs with some carbs. This combination provides a balance level of glucose in your blood so you don't feel hungry.
Detox drinks boost your metabolism and you will feel light throughout the day. fruits, like grapefruit, contain special enzymes that help the body to utilize sugar thus aiding the weight loss. You can make detox drinks at home with ingredients like apple cider vinegar, cucumber or lemon.

The Workouts:

It's a myth that exercising during Ramadan will make you weak. The fact is that if you really want to shed extra pounds you have to do some light exercises in Ramadan. Some recommended exercises are as follows:

For Beginners

Squats
Plank
Floor bridge
Forward lunge
Push-ups on knees
Backward lunge

10 repetitions of each exercise 1 set is fine

Intermediate Workout

Lunges
Floor bridge with leg lift
Push-ups
Triceps dips

Your Ramadan workout should be half in severity than normal routine. The best timing for exercise

Before suhur
After iftar
After Taraweeh

USEFUL LINKS:
Lose weight this Ramadan with 6 easy food tips
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/variety/2014/06/30/Lose-weight-this-Ramadan-with-6-easy-health-tips.html