Here's how I lost fat and gained muscle during Ramadan (2023)

FAQs

Here's how I lost fat and gained muscle during Ramadan? ›

Much of the weight we lose during Ramadan is actually muscle weight, because muscle tissue is broken down for fuel when we go for long periods without food. Below are tips to help you maintain or even build muscle during the holy month.

Much of the weight we lose during Ramadan is actually muscle weight, because muscle tissue is broken down for fuel when we go for long periods without food. Below are tips to help you maintain or even build muscle during the holy month.

You are very unlikely to make any muscle gains during Ramadan. That's why there's no need to train heavy (which is primarily done for muscle gain). Keep your workouts short, around 30 minutes.

“If we don't lose sight of what our bodies need to grow stronger, it is very possible to minimize muscle loss, and even gain muscle, through intermittent fasting,” said Wadolowski.

According to the present meta-analyses, over half of the weight lost during Ramadan fasting may be fat mass. A systematic review indicated that loss of fat-free mass could account for 4.3 to 38.3% of weight lost during obesity interventions based on diet and exercise [87].

During the month of Ramadan, your focus should become doing everything in your power to at least maintain muscle mass and strength. Trust me, even that will be hard to do. To build or maintain muscle mass, you need to be consuming enough calories and simultaneously stimulating muscle growth via resistance training.

The best way to achieve this is through a combination of eating less and increasing your exercise and daily activity levels. Resistance training, in particular, is important to help preserve your muscle and strength.

This makes sense, since protein is functional tissue and there is no point to burning useful tissue while fasting when there is plenty of fat around. So, no, you do not 'burn' muscle during fasting.

While light to moderate exercises are generally safe, engaging in unaccustomed high intensity and high volume of exercise, especially while fasting, may suppress or even lower your immunity levels, and is therefore not recommended," shares Dr Fadzil Hamzah, Staff Physician from the Department of Sport and Exercise ...

Fasting can cause muscle loss, but it's normally well after 24 hours. And that's not something commonly done by those practising intermittent fasting. The process in which we "lose" muscle occurs when, in order to maintain blood glucose, our amino acids must then be converted into glucose (called de novo glucogenesis).

How does fat leave the body when fasting? ›

The correct answer is that fat is converted to carbon dioxide and water. You exhale the carbon dioxide and the water mixes into your circulation until it's lost as urine or sweat.

As long as you're not fasting for more than 24 hours, you don't need to worry about losing muscle. Muscle atrophy is the result of long-term malnourishment, not just a few hours or even a day of fasting.

You won't gain much muscle if you're fasting, but if you lift, you won't lose it, either. “The same activities that build muscle when you're fueled help preserve it when you're in a caloric deficit,” says Poli.

Curbed appetite Observing Ramadan and fasting gives your lifestyle and digestive system a positive U-turn. As your body gets used to eating less, your digestive system gets a chance to rest and your stomach gradually shrinks in size.

Key Points. Both Ramadan and non-Ramadan intermittent fasting are effective on fat mass and body weight losses. Fat mass loss is more pronounced with non-Ramadan intermittent fasting and this type of intermittent fasting, combined with exercise training, leads to higher decreases in body mass index.

Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) During Ramadan Fasting. RMR is known to decrease with prolonged fasting and this may be a counter-regulatory way to decrease energy loss (Benedict, 1915; Forbes, 1987; Garrow, 1978; Woo et al., 1985) [26].

Intense exercise while fasting can lead to reduced muscle mass and muscle strength. However, it is advisable to do medium-intensity workouts during this month. Apart from going to the gym, one can go for a walk, cycle or even do light jogging. Ideal time for exercising would be after iftar.

If you train after Iftar keep your meal light and save your biggest meal for after your training session so you don't feel uncomfortable when training. 'During Ramadan, I prefer to focus on bodyweight exercises like push-ups, pull-ups, and squats, as they don't require as much energy as lifting heavy weights.

It is not recommended to do intense cardio workouts and heavy weight-training exercises while fasting. You should also cut your routine down to two cardio sessions a week throughout the holy month.

What does Islam say about weight loss? ›

Islam encourages dieting, as seen in several verses of the Holy Qur'an, which promote the consumption of pure and healthy food [13]. Part of the etiquette of eating is moderation in eating and not filling the stomach. According to the Islamic scriptures, "A man does not fill any vessel worse than his stomach.

"A person who is attempting to lose weight by not eating may lose weight in muscle first before fat." How does that happen? Well, the body likes to go for carbs (glucose) for energy first. If that's not available, it goes for glycogen, which is glucose that's been stored in the liver and muscles, says Dr.

As intermittent fasting is typically practiced, with fasting intervals of 16-24 hours several times per week, it is unlikely to cause significant loss of lean body mass/muscle tissue.

Your body releases a natural hormone called Endorphin. This hormone makes you feel happier and can help relieve stress. It will also help you increase your energy levels. This becomes super important during Ramadan when there is so much going and you want to accomplish so many of your goals.

Reduce fatigue and lethargy, thus allowing you to function better in school or at work. Maintain and improve cognitive function thus allowing one to function better during home-based learning or at work. Maintain and improve cognitive function, thus allowing one to think and plan better in the fasting state.

Some short-term side effects include headaches, dizziness, light-headedness, fatigue, low blood pressure and abnormal heart rhythms. It is argued that fasting may impair the body's ability to absorb certain medications and interfere with everyday vital bodily functions.

Fasting increases release of human growth hormone (HGH) which builds muscle (and burns fat). One study showed a 2,000% increase (yes, you read that correctly!) in a 24 hour fast. Fasting also increases testosterone – a study showed a 180% increase in men at the end of a 56 hour fast!

It may sound counterintuitive, but fasting can actually help you maintain or even build muscle [13,14]. Fasting can increase something called human growth hormone (HGH), which is one of your body's most important hormones related to building muscle tissue.

What does fat in urine look like? ›

In addition to an oily appearance, your urine might also have a milky white color. This is due to the presence of fat and protein in lymph fluid. Other symptoms of chyluria include: blood in your urine.

Mostly, losing weight is an internal process. You will first lose hard fat that surrounds your organs like liver, kidneys and then you will start to lose soft fat like waistline and thigh fat. The fat loss from around the organs makes you leaner and stronger.

This is true of weight loss caused by both intermittent fasting and other diets. Because of this, some studies have shown that small amounts of lean mass (1 kg or 2 pounds) may be lost after several months of intermittent fasting ( 1 ). However, other studies have shown no loss of lean mass ( 5 , 6 ).

And over time, a lack of protein can make you lose muscle mass, which in turn cuts your strength, makes it harder to keep your balance, and slows your metabolism. It can also lead to anemia, when your cells don't get enough oxygen, which makes you tired.

If you're going to lift weights, aim for lighter ones with more reps rather than heavy weights. The reason high-intensity interval training (HIIT) isn't recommended while fasting is because these more intense workouts break down glycogen stores for fuel.

As our body embraces the fast, our digestive system will get to take a much-needed rest, allowing it to cleanse and repair itself. Faeces stuck to our intestinal walls will start to loosen. Our lungs and other cleansing organs will also begin a process of healing.

Observers of Ramadan lose on average about a kilogram of weight over 4 weeks, and the lost weight is quickly regained. Current weight management treatments generally assume that skipping meals leads to weight gain and advise against it.

A lot of people will lose weight in Ramadan simply because their portion sizes change. When you fast for a long period of the day, your stomach can become smaller and therefore hold less food. You may also find your appetite changes.

The four phases include the fed state, early fasting state, fasting state, and long-term fasting state (starvation state). Each phase varies based on the primary source of energy used for the body, as well as how it affects your metabolism and levels of specific hormones.

Which type of fasting burns the most fat? ›

Alternate-Day Fasting

In fact, research found that, in overweight adults, alternate-day fasting significantly reduced body mass index, weight, fat mass, and total cholesterol.

During Ramadan, Muslims all around the world abstain from eating and drinking from sunrise to sunset. It has been observed that Muslims tend to gain weight in this month despite fasting an average of 12 hours a day. The reason is a higher caloric intake than usual and less physical activity to burn it.

Over Ramadan, many of our metabolisms will have slowed down due to fasting but getting active now can help you stimulate your metabolism to help you increase your energy and start burning more calories again. Exercising and getting back into regular activity will set you up for a healthier metabolism.

Fasting during Ramadan can cause weight gain in some people. And if you happen to be one of them, controlling your food intake in the evenings can help you prevent the undesirable weight gain.

A 10 day fast appears safe in healthy humans. Protein loss occurs in early fast but decreases as ketogenesis increases. Fasting combined with physical activity does not negatively impact muscle function.

The premise behind intermittent fasting is relatively simple, she says: "When our insulin levels go down far enough and for long enough, as they do during a fasting period, we're able burn off fat."

Doing resistance workouts can help you maintain and build muscle while you're intermittent fasting. Eating enough protein and carbs will help your muscles grow while intermittent fasting. Eating more calories than you burn is helpful (but surprisingly, not essential!) for muscle gain.

You lose weight fast in Ramadan by taking fiber-rich foods during suhoor, working out for at least 30 minutes, and limiting all foods high in sugar, salt, and fat.

Does fasting melt belly fat? ›

When examining the rate of weight loss, intermittent fasting may produce weight loss at a rate of approximately 0.55 to 1.65 pounds (0.25–0.75 kg) per week (23). People also experienced a 4–7% reduction in waist circumference, indicating that they lost belly fat.