Slimming World and Ramadan

I was determined this year to keep the fast during Ramadan. I have been a Slimming World member since Jan 2013 and lost a maximum of 2st 4lb but since March I have been hovering around 1st 9lb loss, meaning I have gained back a little and have not been able to lose. Like any self-respecting and well-guided Slimming Worlder I kept a food diary and pinpointed exactly what I was doing that was hindering my weight loss and like any slimmer out here I admit I found it almost impossible to break the habit, which in my case was eating too many syns per week.

I spoke to my consultant and she advised me to fill up on free and speed foods before having my syn treat with this advice in mind I started fasting during Ramadan with a plan to keep on the Extra Easy eating plan. In the early morning between 2am to 3am I eat my cereal or bread with eggs and smoked salmon and drink 500 ml of fluid (not tea or coffee or anything fizzy). In the evening when I break my fast I do so with a minimum of 4 different fruits followed by a syn free meal with at least one third speed food and a litre of fluid. After that I have my syn treats but accompanied by speed food if possible.

I am currently averaging 7 syns a day and most importantly I feel full after I have eaten for many hours. I don’t think I have ever eaten as much fresh fruit in my life and I do feel better for it, but how does all this reflect on the scales? Well, last week at the scales I lost 1lb and although it would have been easy to have a meltdown and throw everything out the window, I knew that morning weigh in would reflect the bulk of what I eat during the night, so effectively I’m at my weigh in lightest in the evening now until Ramadan finishes. When I have stood on the scales in the evening I found I had lost 3lb in the first week of Ramadan, and I hope keeping to the plan, that this weight loss continues.

I don’t think I have ever eaten as healthily and well during Ramadan as I have whilst following the Extra Easy plan on Slimming World. The plan works well for me and my Slimming World target member husband. I hope at the end of Ramadan I can report I am back to being at my lightest and I use that to springboard the rest of my weight loss.