Despite abstaining from food and drink most of the day during the month of Ramadan, you may have noticed an unexpected increase in your weight, and this increase comes as a result of wrong eating habits committed by fasting people at Iftar time and should be paid attention to.

One of the most common habits is binge eating, as many believe that eating large amounts of food will quickly compensate them for their long fasting for hours, and will also help them prepare for the long hours ahead.

In order to keep your weight from increasing in Ramadan, and to make your fasting an opportunity to become more agile, you must focus on the quality, quantity and time of your food, and stay away from the wrong habits that cause weight gain, and replace it with healthy ones that maintain your weight.

Common wrong habits

Nutritionist and therapeutic nutritionist Iman Jamal explained to Al Jazeera Net that there are some wrong habits that people commit during the month of Ramadan and lead to weight gain, including:

  • Breakfast on juices or a large amount of dates.
  • Eat a lot of fatty and fried foods such as sambousek, and starchy foods such as rice and bread.
  • Not eating enough protein, and neglecting to eat vegetable salad.
  • Neglecting drinking water and replacing it with stimulants such as tea and coffee.
  • Eating a lot of feasts that lead to eating large amounts of calorie-laden food.
  • Eat unconsciously in front of the TV.
  • Continue to eat non-stop from Iftar time until constipation.

You can drink only half a cup of juice, provided that it is fresh fruit juice without adding processed sugar (Getty Images)

Pass, then break, then breakfast

There is no doubt that feeling hungry all day pushes us to eat as soon as we hear the Maghrib call to prayer, but this rush helps greatly in gaining weight.

The safest way to eat is to break your fast lightly first, take a short break, and then start eating the main breakfast.

Nutritionist Iman Jamal confirmed that this method helps greatly in avoiding weight gain, and said, "After a long period of abstinence from food, the stomach must first be prepared to receive food with simple nutrients, such as a grain or 3 grains of dates with a glass of water or a small bowl of soup, then wait a little or pray, then eat breakfast and start with salad and protein first, then carbohydrates that should not be exaggerated."

She also pointed out that rushing towards food directly when hearing the call to prayer makes us eat unconsciously, eat large amounts of food greedily, and shortly after Iftar you find yourself craving sweets, and then you feel hungry again, and end up eating all the time during Iftar hours, which reflects negatively on body weight.

Dates & Juices

In the absence of any health problems or obesity, the nutritionist says that "you can drink only half a cup of juice, provided that it is fresh fruit juice without adding processed sugar, as well as you can eat well-known Ramadan drinks such as carob, dom, and hibiscus, and add a spoonful of natural bee honey to it instead of white sugar."

She warned against drinking a large amount of juices for breakfast because this can cause weight gain, and explained that "drinking juices on an empty stomach leads to a sudden rise in the level of sugar in the blood, and after a short time it also drops suddenly, which causes a feeling of hunger and the desire to eat again and increase calories, then the formation of fat cells and the occurrence of obesity and weight gain."

In the long run, this habit can disrupt the hormone insulin, which can cause type II diabetes.

As for dates, Iman Jamal said that it is an ideal food, as it provides the body with the necessary energy and fiber after fasting for long hours, and recommends breaking the fast on one to 3 dates and drinking a glass of water, taking into account the health status of each individual and taking into account the amount of calories he needs.

It is recommended to eat from one to 3 dates and drink a glass of water (Shutterstock)

Water for your health and weight

Due to the lack of time between Maghrib and Fajr, it can be difficult to drink the amount of water the body needs (two to three liters per day), which causes many health problems, and affects body weight.

The nutritionist explained that "in addition to the many benefits of water and its necessity for the body, it helps to lose weight, as it gives a feeling of satiety, prevents eating more food than necessary, and stimulates the metabolism, so drinking a little water may negatively affect the quality of burning food inside the body, leading to weight gain and other health problems."

She advised drinking one or two glasses of water 10 minutes or a quarter of an hour before a meal.

Avoid too little food

Nutritionist Iman Jamal also warned against eating less than the body needs, or eating foods that do not contain the basic elements of protein, carbohydrates and fats, as this may lead to a feeling of hunger quickly after breakfast, and eating small non-nutritious meals to fill this hunger, and this leads to weight gain.

She also advised following the "dish division rule", which is to divide the diet in one dish into two halves; the first we fill it with vegetables, preferably fresh such as salad, and the other half divided into two quarters; a quarter of protein, and the other carbohydrates, and she said that this method is effective to know the amount of food you eat, avoid eating excess calories, achieve balance and get the nutritional needs we need.

Eating an insufficient amount of food may cause the body to enter starvation mode, binge eating and gaining weight (Getty Images)

Change your habits

The nutritionist explained some habits that adhering to helps maintain the health and fitness of the body and avoid gaining more weight, namely:

  • Replace simple carbohydrates, such as sugar and white flour, with complex carbohydrates such as whole wheat, bulgur, legumes, and whole grains.
  • Keep eating a salad dish daily.
  • Replace juices with whole fruits.
  • Eat dates and sweets in moderation during the holy month.
  • Cook by grilling and blanching instead of frying.
  • Not every feeling of hunger is real, as the feeling of thirst can be translated as hunger.
  • Do not eat too much and eat out.