Ramadan can be a challenging time for many Muslims trying to achieve weight loss and fat loss goals.

Ramadan can be a challenging time for many Muslims trying to achieve weight loss and fat loss goals. 

The 30-day fasting period during the Holy Month of Ramadan means refraining from consuming food and drink in the long hours from dawn until sunset. 

This can mean a huge dietary upheaval and metabolic mayhem in contrast to the usual fitness regimes of many Muslims around the world. 

But with proper planning and the right guidance on diet, nutrition and exercise it is still possible to safely and effectively progress towards your weight loss and fat loss goals while fasting for Ramadan. 

We have created this guide to weight loss in Ramadan and added some sample meals to help you make progress and finish Ramadan fitter, healthier and leaner than when you began. 

Calories 

If your goal is to lose weight, then you need to monitor your daily calorie intake. 

This is even more important during Ramadan when it's very easy to over-eat on calorie-dense foods during Iftar – especially when you've gone all day with no food or water. 

The bottom line for many people struggling to lose weight is they're often simply consuming too many calories to lose weight or shed body fat (even if those excess calories are coming from healthy sources). 

Ever heard the expression 'you can't out-train a bad diet'? Well, it's true. 

To hit your weight loss goal, you need to be in a calorie deficit. Not just day to day, but over the week. 

You could be in a calorie deficit of 300 calories a day from Monday to Friday which totals 1500 calories down. But then if you cut loose at the weekend and eat two tubs of ice cream totally 3,000 calories then that calorie deficit you've worked so hard on maintaining through the week will turn into a calorie surplus – and that means weight gain. 

That's where tracking your food, and therefore your calorie intake, is key. Using an app like My Fitness Pal is really useful for helping monitor your diet and ensuring your calorie intake is where it should be to keep losing body fat.