SOME HEALTH GUIDELINES FOR RAMADAN

Bump.... so I can find it for the sticky!

Hi all,

I came across this fine site while searching for some ideas for conserving muscle mass and strength over the fasting month...

i am really anxious this year cause of the longer hours required to fast...

just want to express my appreciation for all the great information and its respectful presentation on this site, and the fact that there is a topic dedicated to the Ramadan month as it is truely trying time for any lifter involved.

thanks

Thanks this thread has some very usefull info.

This year is gonna be a killer, i aint got no time to train as i am on nights the whole month.
Even upon breaking the fast, on my days off i have to see how i feel for a quick light session.
Basic aims are to eat clean, and avoid gaining fat.
There's nothing else you can do.
Good luck bro's and ramahdan mubarak to you all.
Thanks to all the mods, for this sticky.

Hi guys,

How is everyones fasting going together with diet & training?

My diet before sunrise has been as follows:

500ml water
2 whole eggs & 3 egg white ommelette
1 whole meal pitta, 1 wholemeal toast with flora spread
bowl of oats with raisins & honey
glass tropicana orange juice
40g Instant milk protein with 5g L-Glutamine & 3g HMB in mixture of 100g milk & 200g water

upon breaking fast my diet has been as follows:

40g of whey protein with glucose
dates & fruit
Chicken/meat/fish
Rice, pitta or potatos
Water

yesterday i only managed 1 litre of water as it was the first day for fasting and i was feeling really tired due to lack of sleep and feeling a bit under the weather 9seasonal cold symptoms) :-(

For training i am hoping to try to maintain my muscle & weight but lower body fat by following a 4 day split as follows:

Monday: Pull routine & 20 mins steady state cardio
Tuesday: Push routine & 20 mins steady state cardio
Wednesday: Bag work, skipping, burpees & ab work
Thursday: Legs & 20 mins steady state cardio

I will keep gym work to 1 hour max and weights will most likely be at a weight that i can lift between 6-8 reps at 3 sets.

I also don't know how best to fuel my workouts as i will be going to the gym 15 mins after breaking the fast, i will obviously consume a protein shake and fruit/banana. i don't want to eat a full meal as then i will not be able to train and also do cardio with the aim of burning body fat as energy source.

Any opinions/advice on the above will be most welcome together with everyones diets and training plans during the month of fasting.

Thanks

Hi Guys,

Another really good read, kindly funded by the Department of health:

http://www.communitiesinaction.org/Ramadan%20Health%20and%20Spirituality%20Guide.pdf

Hey mate

personally, its been a bit of a mess these last two days...i am working evening to nights on shift basis.

I am trying to eat through the night, every 2 hours

100g Rice + 200g Chicken Breast + Salad 
500ml water


 at 4.30 am I finish off with: a glass of smoothie
               300g of cottage cheese with fruit + a few tablespoons of yog
               1 large homemade oatcake + peanut butter
               3 1000mg Fish Oil caps

By then i am impossibly full and quite uncomfortable. I have worked hard all summer i got down to a good cut ( 8% bf from 13%) so i am psychologically finding it hard to eat more carbs at such an odd time and then go to sleep. 

Today will be the first day back in the gym..ill be training shoulders and biceps (3 x 12) and abs, no cardio. this is more of a trial and error routine tho. 

very anxious about the whole thing. . .  
               

At 4am i usually have:
My anit-catabolic approach. lol

1L of water with 2000mg Vit C dissolvable one.
50g whey in 200ml skimmed milk
3 Table spoons of H&B EFA's combo equals to 30gs in glass of diet coke, tastes ok! lol
15gs of L Glutamine
40mcg of Clenbuterol
50gs of oats in water
A piece of fruit pref banana

Training, i havnt been yet, im like yourself im on nights also.
Aiming to train twice a wk, keeping it simple for a month, not going too heavy, may be include 20 mins ss cv too.

I just come of a 16wk cutter, 8 of those wks on aas, the first 8 wks natural, apart from clens.
Doing cardio 5 times a wk, and weights, went from 20% down to 11%. In reasonable shape. Just dont want it to go to waste bcuz of fasting. Guess ill have to wait till after eid to catch up.

Anyway good luck bro's...
 

i just got back from training...was a true uphill struggle...felt light headed and was much weaker than usual...will have to adjust elements of diet accordingly...

i am relying on real food despite lack of convinience since i had alot of bills to pay and had to cut work shifts cause of exams--hence i am low on supps...just a few scoops of whey left...

Guys approx what time are lighting up and daybreak times at the moment?

James


Guys approx what time are lighting up and daybreak times at the moment?

Hi James,

Sunrise is approx 04:28 and sunset is approx 19:51

As the days go by sunrise gets later and sunset gets earlier (this changes by about 2 mins every day)

Thanks

cheers - so it gets slightly easier every day!

LOL, yeah mate you could say that, suppose the body also gets used to it and adjusts itself accordingly.

What do you think would be good to eat after breaking fast and prior to going gym to do say 30 mins weights lightish weights to maintain exsisting gains and 20 mins steady state cardio that will hopefully use body fat as energy source to drop body fat as i'm thinking it will be similar to doing cardio first thing in the mornign afetr your body wakes up from its nightly fast?

I was thinking a protein shake (40g) with glucose for rapid injestion and a banana.

Many thanks for popping into this thread for your knowledge and help.

right now i am having

100g rice + 200g chicken breast + fibrous veg
plenty of water

i wait 20-30 mins and then have  1 large homemade oatcake (30g oats, apple, peanut butter, sugar) and hit the gym

straight after i down 20g whey in water

then head home to another 100g rice + 200g chicken and alot of veg

Iv actually lost 2lbs already and 1% bf! lol.
Down to 12.13st.

IBZ i usually have a lucozade the one which has caffiene for extra stimulation and fat burning. Good stuff.
Salaam.

I havent checked the scale but i feel that i have lost some thickness, especially in arms, chest and legs...

will check weight in gym tonight...

militant1


Iv actually lost 2lbs already and 1% bf! lol.
Down to 12.13st.

IBZ i usually have a lucozade the one which has caffiene for extra stimulation and fat burning. Good stuff.
Salaam.

Salaam,

Do you have any food prior to gym?

I am thinking of 40g protein with dextrose & creatine, 1 banana & adding fat burning pill which has caffeine for the stimulation as well and then doing 30 mins weights (max) to maintain current muscle mass & then do 20 mins steady state cardio to try & loose fat.

20g - 30g whey protein straight after cardio

10 mins later arrive home from gym and have proper meal.

Would the above meal plan be ideal for body to tap into fat store as energy or is there anything else you can advise to add/remove?

Thanks   

IBZ


LOL, yeah mate you could say that, suppose the body also gets used to it and adjusts itself accordingly.

What do you think would be good to eat after breaking fast and prior to going gym to do say 30 mins weights lightish weights to maintain exsisting gains and 20 mins steady state cardio that will hopefully use body fat as energy source to drop body fat as i'm thinking it will be similar to doing cardio first thing in the mornign afetr your body wakes up from its nightly fast?

I was thinking a protein shake (40g) with glucose for rapid injestion and a banana.

Many thanks for popping into this thread for your knowledge and help.

I would immediately have some simple sugars and whey protein, followed 30 mins later by a meal of high protein and low GI carbs - then train 45 mins after eating that.

I wouldn't want to train only on the whey and glucose.  If you need to train not too late, then have some oatcakes with this too

hi all
i checked the scales today...apparrently theres no real numerical change...but my body composition is changing...losing muscle thickness and storing increasing amounts of fat below the belly button...was around 9% before starting ramadan..now must be atleast I2% or more...abs are doing a houdini...
do you think it would wise to start some steady state cardio...at the moment i am just doing weights...3xI2 X 2 body parts/day--usually 3-4 exercises/body part.

Hi mate,

I am the same, the number on the scale has not changed which did surprise me as i was thinking i would have lost weight but do feel and notice in the mirror of loosing the thickness & muscle size :-(

I am doing 20 mins steady state cardio after weights now. As much as it pains me to say this i've decided not to worry too much about the muscle loss, as i am hoping muscle memory will pick up after fasting is over and can really go at it hammer & tongs.
So at present i thought to do more cardio & get my belly fat as low as i can and depending on how i look after fasting is over maybe continue with the cut and then start a clean bulk.
I would say start a steady state cardio after your weights session and see how you get on. What is your current diet like?