13th day of ramadhan,
Weight update: 85.2kg
In the morning, I had a management meeting followed by another meeting. After that I finally went to the toilet, a long seating session in the toilet. I guess how slow I eat also reflect on how slow I $#!+.
Broke fast with my wife’s sister’s family, over ate as we underestimated the amount of food that was bought and prepared. Next time check in with them how much they are preparing. Most of us were full and bloated, ao bloated my wife cancelled the night ride.
At night I was grocery shopping, and I saw a cart of nutella being moved to a car. Don’t get me wrong, I love nutella, despite it being half sugar. I just don’t have it as often. A thought came to me, a quite despising and disgusted thought, of how people misuse the month of ramadhan.
Ramadhan for me is a month where we are suppose to learn to control and discipline ourselves, understand how it feels by the less fortunate, to truly feel hunger. To clear our mind and body of impurities. We can do it in several ways and several levels.
But what I see is some of us indulge ourselves, especially during the break/iftar/sungkai or the sahur. I admit I used to do this as well, being taught to eat a heavy meal during this time. Having to eat a full stomache. To which even though through ramadhan in my youth I used to lose 2kg, but I often gained that 2kg back during raya/eid and even more.
It has only the last few years I realized why it was so, and how I could truly and significantly reduce my weight. In general, not to eat as much. In 2012, I broke my fast with low carb, in 2013, I broke fast with light food like nasi katok and ran at night, 2014-2016 I was doing the same. In 2015, I managed to lose 7kg in that one month, but I gained it all back in 2 weeks of raya. It was last year, I realized this was a trend and broke that trend by learning about intermittent fast, and doint it during raya and managed to maintain my weight loss. And this year I have lost 8 kg in 12 days, and I can stand to lose more by the end of the month. And will try to maintain it during raya. Generally it is only eating between 2pm and 10pm, 8 hours of feast with 16 hours of fast. And maybe another 7 day fast.
I have learnt truly accepting the concept of energy in vs energy out, and the that the body won’t be able use fat if it has energy consumed, and that the body can survive without food for 7 days, and still maintain athletic performance. In my wife’s case even some improvements.
The disgust I felt led to a sense of sympathy, that most people don’t know what I know, or they “know”, but they won’t practice or accept. I could tell people, as I have done before, and even through sharing on this blog, but some will have their reservations, some even skeptical, and others wouldn’t care. People will still buy what or as much as they usually do, and eat as much as they usually do and more. On the other side, businesses will sell as much food as possible. I admit the food business is the best business to go into during fasting month, a lot of food stalls, a lot of buffet in a lot of restaurants, a lot of hungry people. But with that there is also wastage. Some foods won’t be bought and won’t be eaten or finished.
I myself have had sold food during these ramadhan stalls. And in the last one I realized wasn’t being in integrity. Despite the fact that I was already into less carbs in food, but I was selling food like burgers and waffles, because people were hungry, they liked it, and bought it, and I could get money. Where was the integrity? How could I promote a healthy nutrition if I was part of the problem as well? But how do I fix it? I preach either low carb or low consumption, and even by selling a low carb meal (like fish or chicken) will be more challenging and more work, and that would still be eating a lot. Heck, when I was selling, it was also tempting to buy the food around me, and a few times I did and ate until I was full. So since that realization I stopped selling during these stalls. And it had been a lot easier for me to eat less. These year, less than ever, with A 7-day water fast.
The 7 day water fast has taught me a few more lessons as well. How far I can push myself, really experiencing fat burning through fasting. How hunger, real hunger feels like. The normal 1 day fast does help a person sense a difference, but a 7 day fast helps me to feel for those more unfortunate ones in the world that rarely eats. That last day I felt a weakness, if I didn’t have to work that day, I would have taken a day off, or at least be too weak to be productive. I bet a 30 day fast would show me even more, but I am not ready for that…. Yet.
I know selling food is a source of income for many entrepreneurs this fasting month, I can’t blame them for making money. I have done so in the past. I just wish I knew what the useful alternatives are, or else it would be a very quiet month. Maybe it should be? A month of rest? Of abstinence? maybe even some self reflection?
The search goes on…
Blog Of Bobby :p 