MY FIRST EVER RAMADAN

The holy month of Ramadan begins tomorrow and it is the first time ever that I will be joining in! I am not Muslim but wanted to support Mamdouh as he will be fasting. I never imagined myself doing it, but now as we are home all day, it is the perfect time to try it out. Mamdouh is Muslim, but does not typically fast because of his job. In Islam, if you are travelling during Ramadan, you have permission to be excluded. Now that we are both not flying, we have made the decision to fast and I thought I would document my experience!

I’m definitely a bit apprehensive about it, as I have never fasted before, or even dieted, so I’m not sure how I will cope. However, I am going to give it 100% and I know once I commit to something, I have pretty strong willpower to continue it.

Living in an Islamic country also makes it easier. In Dubai, we are surrounded by mosques so we can constantly hear the Adhan (calling to prayer). This will tell us when we can break the fast and when we must begin fasting. Although now everything is closed in Dubai due to Coronavirus, typically, all food outlets are closed during the day in Ramadan anyway, so all kinds of temptation are covered.

A couple of days ago, we did a big food shop so we are fully stocked up on meals. I am guilty of snacking a lot on sweets and chocolate throughout the day, but I am going to try and eat more hearty meals that fill me up for longer, rather than needing to snack all the time. We bought lots of meat, vegetables and fruit, as well as lots of large bottles of water. We also bought some dried fruit, seeds and nuts as they keep you full for a longer period of time.

Dried fruit, seeds & nuts

Lots of meat

 

I have read lots of different things about losing and gaining weight during Ramadan so I’m not entirely sure what to expect. We bought ourselves a weighing scales so we can check our weight before and after. Hopefully I don’t lose/gain too much, but I’m sure after Ramadan is over, I will go back to my normal weight!

11.1 stone before

 

I’m really looking forward to this month and I’m excited to see how I feel after.

Ramadan Kareem to anyone also fasting!

Thanks for reading.

Kerry May xo