Whenever Ramadhan comes along, I take a break from training, jogging and sports. Why? To allow my body to rest and recover. This is especially important as I train for the remaining 11 month and well, I am not getting any younger, hence recovery and rest are key to avoid injuries.

So without exercise and activities, shouldn’t I gain weight? Not at all. Let me explain:

1. Calorie Deficit: Although my activity level drops during this month, the amount of calories I consume are not enough to make up my DCR (daily calorie requirements) of roughly 2100kcal. But the deficit if not too high, probably a couple hundred calories per day.
2. Muscle Loss: Without the catalyst of physical exercise, I lose muscle mass. No supplement can prevent this from happening. So all my hard work for the remaining 11 month is gone to waste? Not at all. Thanks to muscle memory, it wont take too long to regain my shape and size. Plus a month long rest only fuels my motivation to kick-start my workout post raya.
3. Water loss: A month long of fasting causes your insulin levels to drop. This causes water loss. That said, I am aware that there will be an adjustment when aidilfitri comes along.

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For these three reasons, it is relatively easy for most to lose weight while fasting. The challenge however is to keep the weight off during the festivities of aidilfitri where especially water retention and calorie high foods are making a come back.