I am currently observing the month of Ramadan. It entails not eating or drinking from sunrise until the sun sets. Which is tentatively between 4:30 am until 9pm(Detroit). Roughly 16 and half hours of fasting. [emoji31]. Don't ask me how I'm doing it because I have no idea myself. So this is what I've observed. I am not hungry the whole time. I may have hunger pains once or twice a day and then it disappears. I am tired and have little energy by 5pm. After that my eyes start to hurt in the back of my head. I'm sleepy. One interesting fact is that im very clear headed and concentration is on point. Which is weird. I had thought I would be more cloudbrained. Once I break my fast I feel instantly energized but then I crash... when I crash all it takes is a cup of coffee and I'm doing great. I take my vitamins but i spread it throughout the night. Lol just some observations I made and thought I'd share. The month of Ramadan ends on the eve of the 15th of June. The upside is i broke my stall and lost 3 pounds this week so yay. Im not sure if anyone else is observing but please comment if you do! All questions, comments, and inquiries are also welcome. Have a great Friday!

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Best of luck to you! Glad you found a way to do it that's working for you where you can still get in your vitamins. Thank you for sharing.

No problem... its similar to intermittent fasting except for the no drinking water part... its really hot this memorial day weekend so I'm not sure if I can continue with the fast. We shall see. And thank you for your response.[emoji173]

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Hello there. I am preop but I am also observing Ramadan Alhamidallah. One of the reasons I choose my tentative surgery date on June 28 was to have gotten through the month of Ramadan first. I believed it would add more challenges to an already challenging post op so I decided to hold off until after. My question to you is, how long are you post op? This will be something I’ll have to face next year so I’m so grateful that you posted. The dehydration issue concerned me the most so are you able to get by until you break fast? If you still feel restriction then you probably drink first and have to wait 30 minutes to eat??‍♀️?‍♀️ That would really be difficult I’m imagining but please share with me how you are able to manage. Good luck and Ramadan Kareem!!

Y'all are some committed mofos ok I complain when I have to fast for yum kipper and that is 1 day like a month omg

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Hello there. I am preop but I am also observing Ramadan Alhamidallah. One of the reasons I choose my tentative surgery date on June 28 was to have gotten through the month of Ramadan first. I believed it would add more challenges to an already challenging post op so I decided to hold off until after. My question to you is, how long are you post op? This will be something I’ll have to face next year so I’m so grateful that you posted. The dehydration issue concerned me the most so are you able to get by until you break fast? If you still feel restriction then you probably drink first and have to wait 30 minutes to eat??‍♀️?‍♀️ That would really be difficult I’m imagining but please share with me how you are able to manage. Good luck and Ramadan Kareem!!

Hey there! Its so rare to find muslims on a wls forum even though there are so many muslim patients who have had wls. So forgive me when i say you are a unicorn. I guess i am too in a way! Lol
Anyyywho i am 9 months post vsg. I also chose an after Ramadan date for surgery so that i could observe and give myself enough time to adjust with nutrition and needs and to heal so i could observe the following year of ramadan. For you, its even better because by the time next Ramadan rolls around you will be close to 1 year post op! Im sure you will be looking mighty fine too. So, to answer your question about dehydration. I have to literally stay up until fajr prayer 4:30am to get enough water in. I also work so this isn't a very good combo because even if you get enough water you are not getting enough sleep. You have to see what works for you. I take naps when i can after work...but its super hard when you have a crazy toddler running around the house. I do what i can. There were a few days where i fell asleep and maybe ate and drank 500 calories and close to 30oz of water. But i was okay because i needed the sleep lol... its a little confusing i know but you have to see what works for you. Your last question about waiting 30 min to eat... ummm that rules goes out the window for me especially in ramadan. Unfortunately you do have to wait to drink after you eat because you dont want to throw everything back up. Theres no room! My advice is drink your water/shake/ protein before you eat. Dehydration is a real issue. If i feel i am not well i WILL break my fast and just make it up another day. It is what it is and there is no pressure. Allah knows our intentions so we just have to do our best. That hasn't happened to me as of yet, but i will be sure to update you here if anything of that sort happens. We are in the high 80's low 90's temp wise so I'm just going to do my best and if i have to break it i will. Hope this helps and congratulations on choosing to go through with wls to get your health and life back in order! Ramadan Kareem to you too!

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Y'all are some committed mofos ok I complain when I have to fast for yum kipper and that is 1 day like a month omg

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Lol some people do complain but its a very spiritual month for us so we fair well in the food department cuz we make crazy delicious meals for the breaking of the fast. Its just the thirsttt that kills. Especially in very warm weather.

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9 hours ago, soready17 said:

Hey there! Its so rare to find muslims on a wls forum even though there are so many muslim patients who have had wls. So forgive me when i say you are a unicorn. I guess i am too in a way! Lol
Anyyywho i am 9 months post vsg. I also chose an after Ramadan date for surgery so that i could observe and give myself enough time to adjust with nutrition and needs and to heal so i could observe the following year of ramadan. For you, its even better because by the time next Ramadan rolls around you will be close to 1 year post op! Im sure you will be looking mighty fine too. So, to answer your question about dehydration. I have to literally stay up until fajr prayer 4:30am to get enough Water in. I also work so this isn't a very good combo because even if you get enough water you are not getting enough sleep. You have to see what works for you. I take naps when i can after work...but its super hard when you have a crazy toddler running around the house. I do what i can. There were a few days where i fell asleep and maybe ate and drank 500 calories and close to 30oz of water. But i was okay because i needed the sleep lol... its a little confusing i know but you have to see what works for you. Your last question about waiting 30 min to eat... ummm that rules goes out the window for me especially in ramadan. Unfortunately you do have to wait to drink after you eat because you dont want to throw everything back up. Theres no room! My advice is drink your water/shake/ Protein before you eat. Dehydration is a real issue. If i feel i am not well i WILL break my fast and just make it up another day. It is what it is and there is no pressure. Allah knows our intentions so we just have to do our best. That hasn't happened to me as of yet, but i will be sure to update you here if anything of that sort happens. We are in the high 80's low 90's temp wise so I'm just going to do my best and if i have to break it i will. Hope this helps and congratulations on choosing to go through with wls to get your health and life back in order! Ramadan Kareem to you too!

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Hi thanks for that detailed response sister! I think there are plenty of Muslims on this forum but because we are almost exclusively discussing weight loss it really doesn’t pertain to our religious orientation so many don’t outright express it. I don’t think it’s embarrassment but it just never really comes up. Our weight struggles go across religious lines so it really doesn’t matter what faith you are here.

I can see that you were able to adjust or at least cope in this holy month. Kudos to you love. This gives me hope that when/ if I am a year out I’ll be able to cope as well. I agree that Allah knows our intentions and in your case, Allah gave you the strength to make it through these first 10-11 days. That is awesome!!

My question about fasting while having the sleeve was more targeted at is it possible to drink then eat before 30 minutes? You seem to be able but I was concerned about it even being possible. I know that some don’t follow that particular rule but at 9 months out for you it doesn’t seem like it is causing you to throw up. I wouldn’t want to be sitting with my family to break fast next year and have to excuse myself because I couldn’t hold what I had just eaten. Are you able to still follow the rule of chewing your food a lot before swallowing? How much do you actually eat at iftoor? Would you mind giving me a sample meal when you break fast? Do you get that low sugar feeling that most of us presurgery get when we break fast? That feeling that after you eat your meal you have to have something sweet and if your family is anything like mine it has to be ridiculously sweet.

I’m sorry to bombard you with so many questions dear but to me you are a gold mine!! I have finally found someone who can relate to our struggles pertaining to our religious practices and customs. I hope I don’t become too annoying.

I’m also going to be a secret sleever (only my husband will know, my four boys aged 20-11 think I’m going to Mexico for liposuction). I won’t dare tell anyone else in my family or my husband’s. Even if they don’t tell me this to my face I’m sure they will be thinking that I’m taking the easy way out besides feeling that I couldn’t control my weight the old fashioned way. They will believe that I was too weak to control my eating habits. It seems like everyone around me is one of two types—1- They are naturally thin and never struggle with their weight, I hate these family members btw ?? or 2- they are obese, some even morbidly obese but don’t care enough to do anything about it. The 2nd type is what I don’t want to become. I still care about my health and how I look. I’m oscillating between a 33-34 BMI but I don’t want to wait until I’m over 35 BMI to do something about it. Diet and exercise for over 25 years has only worked temporarily. I’m 41 and I want to finally be comfortable in my skin. Is this too extreme? 5 years ago the thought would not have even crossed my mind but after repeatedly failing to maintain my weight I’m tired of struggling and tired of avoiding social outings with family and friends because of my weight.

I’m sorry that I’m rambling but I’m hoping you can provide some guidance to me being that you were brave enough to have done it already. I won’t have the support of family or friends because I’m not telling them so I’ve come to this forum for help. Thanks for listening.