When Fasting, Why Does Your Weight Go Up? Maybe This Is the Cause | Good Doctor

Are you confused about why you gain weight while fasting? Not a few people make the month of Ramadan a momentum to implement a diet to lose weight. Many think that by fasting, weight will automatically decrease by itself.

In fact, changing your diet can actually make you fatter, you know. How come? Come on, see the full review below!

Also read: Iftar with Spicy Food, What are the Effects?

Trigger factors for weight gain during fasting

There are many things that can make you gain weight even though you are fasting in Ramadan. Everything is still related to your intake and diet, including:

1. Eating too much

Fasting does require you not to eat or drink for about 13 hours a day. However, the portion of food at dawn and breaking the fast can be the reason why weight gain increases.

According to Whitney English Tabaie, a certified nutritionist, weight gain is closely related to calorie intake. Even though there are calories that are restricted for hours, the intake can be more at other times, in this case, when sahur and breaking the fast.

The potential for experiencing weight gain can increase if you eat until you are full until your stomach feels uncomfortable or even hurts. Yes, you eat too much and there are too many calories in your body!

2. Too much sugar

Breaking the fast with sweets really feels good. Sweet drinks can actually increase blood sugar levels that have decreased after fasting. This is what keeps you energized after not eating and drinking for about 13 hours.

But, too much sugar intake can also have a bad impact, you know. Sugar tends to be high in calories, can affect insulin.

A publication in the United States Medical Library explains, insulin levels that are too high can force the body to store more fat. As a result, weight gain is inevitable.

In the cognitive aspect, increased insulin can also block the release of the hormone leptin which functions to send a signal that you are full. If the ‘message’ is not conveyed, then the brain will continue to think that you still need to continue eating.

Sugar is not only found in sweet drinks, but also in foods such as rice, pasta, bread and other menus that contain carbohydrates. To stay on the safe side, choose safer complex carbohydrates, such as beans, vegetables and fruits.

3. Lack of protein intake

Protein is a nutrient that should be included in your breakfast menu. If not, there is a possibility that you will feel the negative effects indirectly, namely weight gain. Why is that?

Quoted from page harvard Medical School, When compared to carbohydrates, protein takes longer to be digested by the body. The effect, you do not quickly feel hungry during fasting. The more protein consumed, the effect can also last longer.

On the other hand, if you feel very hungry, this will encourage you to eat more when it’s time to break your fast. Of course, a lot of calorie intake can increase the risk of weight gain.

So, don’t forget the protein in your breakfast plate, OK? Protein itself is a nutrient that is easy to find in many foods, one of which is tempeh.

Also read: 10 Foods to Increase Energy during Fasting, Suitable for Sahur Menu

4. Drink coffee

Weight gain is an indirect effect of drinking coffee. As is known, caffeine in coffee is a stimulant that works to block sleep-inducing hormones. Of course, this can keep you awake without sleep.

However, this condition actually has the opportunity to increase body weight. People who like to stay up late or don’t have good quality sleep are very vulnerable to the risk of obesity.

So, those are some of the reasons why you gain weight during fasting in Ramadan. Keep paying attention to food intake at dawn and breaking the fast, okay!

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