I’ve been receiving a few questions about “The Ramadan Challenge”. The idea of the challenge is consume just 800kcal per night, in order to restrain the nafs (ego) and transform the body. Our hope is to achieve somewhere in the region of 5-10kg of fat loss this month. After I announced the challenge, quite a few people are trying it out… and something tells me if it works the way I’m hoping, next year thousands will do it, insha’Allah.
Here are some of the most common questions people have been asking, which I’ve condensed down for your convenience:
Question: Why only 800kcal per day?
It’s the sweet spot that’s low enough that you keep most of the positive metabolic effects of fasting (ie. massive fat loss), and high enough that it’s safe and sustainable every day for up to 12 weeks. Plus, it equates to 2 sensible meals, which is perfect for Ramadan.
Question: Are you turning Ramadan into a diet?
Everyone has some kind of diet… whether your dietary choices are leading to weight gain or weight loss. This is just an intentional way to piggy back off all the positive physical changes that happen through fasting, by not ruining it with over-eating at night.
If we fast and break our fast more like the Prophet, peace & blessings upon him, we’ll naturally experience a physical transformation. 800kcal is a useful benchmark, backed by cutting-edge scientific research, completely aligned with the divine prescription of fasting.
Question: Isn’t it Sunnah to eat normally during the night?
Yes – but our normal, and the ‘normal’ of the Prophet Muhammad, peace & blessings upon him, look nothing like each other. He would eat enough to keep his back upright for worship. His advice to his companions was that if that wasn’t possible for them, one should fill the stomach a third with food, a third with water and a third with air, but no more.
Even on 800kcal per day, I’m full with food after each meal and still not hitting this ideal.
Question: You aren’t supposed to restrict yourself at night – why are you doing that?
It really doesn’t feel like restriction! By eating the right foods (greens, beans, lean protein, etc.), you’ll be very full by the time you hit 400kcal. I’m just swapping out the fried, fatty, sugary foods and drinks for wholesome, nutritious, delicious, calorie-counted-in-advance meals. All round, fasting this way just ‘feels right’.
Question: How is your energy on 800kcal per day?
It was a little low yesterday, as expected – the first 3-4 days, your body is still using the energy from the food you eat. By now, my body seems to have switched into ketosis, so it’s using fat for energy 24/7. I’m not doing any blood tests, but my energy is significantly higher today, and I expect it will stay that way for the rest of the month, insha’Allah… but I’ll let you know.
Question: What kind of results can you get from one month of 800kcal per day?
Apparently, anywhere from 5-10kg of weight loss, depending on how heavy you are to start with. The vast majority of that will be fat, even more so for heavier people. But, I’ll be able to tell you more about the results at the end of the month.
Question: What do you eat?!
You can check out my Instagram to see examples of meals. It’s a lot of greens, lean protein and bean & veggie soups.
