And just like that as of 8.18 pm today, Ramadan 2012 is half way over! To be honest I was really dreading this year’s Ramadan. Not because I didn’t want to fast, but the usual fear of how long the days will be and how it was going to be. However, whether it’s the fact that I’ve been so busy at work these past few weeks or that I really forced myself to focus for Ramadan so I could make this challenge successful, time has literally flown by. I almost find myself trying to slow it down so I can get more done! SubhanAllah this month is full of miracles. So far, I’ve been able to eat clean every single day (aside from the cheat meals), I’ve been able to work out successfully, and I’ve been able to fulfill my Ramadan obligations, almost without any effort at all. Sure a few mornings I’ve woken up wishing I could sleep a little more but seriously, it’s been amazing so far.
So that brings me to today’s half way celebration. I figured today was a good day to throw in a cheat meal (ahem, or two). Again, I won’t discuss what I ate because as you know it’s my dirty little secret. If you didn’t read my post from last week about a cheat meal/day, I talked about the importance of having a day where you “reward” yourself for doing well. Sometimes it’s during a night out with friends or other days you want to unwind and not worry about gathering Paleo ingredients. The key is to know your boundaries because for one, if you have been eating clean for a while and you decide to down a burger with a liter of Mountain Dew, you are in for a painful night! Also, you have to make sure you contain that cheat meal to just that meal. The last thing you need after all of the hard work you are putting in is to step onto a slippary slope and making a cheat meal a daily habit.
So here we are, half way done. For those of you fasting, how will you take day 16? Are you at a point where the repitition of waking up early and not eating/drinking all day is getting to you, or are you focused even harder now because you’ve passed the hard part? For me, it will be the latter. We are now in familiar territory as far as fasting hours. Ramadan starts on average 10 days earlier due to the lunar calendar every year. We have already fasted these hours and we survived. If you are losing strength, take a minute to refocus. Focus Focus Focus, gather your blessings and make this Ramadan count!
Day 16, back on paleo and back to the gym! See you then
One Fit Ramadan 
Great post and congrats on all your achievements! I don’t think I was taking full advantage of this blessed month. You’ve definitely inspired me to stay focused and change my ways for the second half of Ramadan i’A.
Regarding my other post…but ras malai is so good!! haha j/k Thanks for the tips!! It has been hard especially with having an iftar dinner 3-4 times a week (especially when they give a full plate for iftar then expect you to eat dinner too)…I’ll have to start going prepared and sticking to my plan.
Thanks again for sharing your experience and good luck on finishing the second half strong!
Thank you! iA may Allah reward your for your efforts and give you a blessed month! I’m sure you are doing great! Just focus, focus, and re-focus! I’ve somehow managed to avoid Iftars at relatives this year for the most part but I know how hard it can be. Eating healthy is not a short term venture. It should be made a lifestyle. Once it’s a lifestyle, these plans will fall into place without much effort. It becomes second nature. The best part is when you see others around you getting influenced as well and you see the content on their plates start to change over time.
Thanks and good luck to you too!!
I can’t believe we are already going into the third week of Ramadhan. Like Nida, I too have not been taking full advantage of this holy month. I have used iftar with friends as a reason too many times to have a cheat meal. I did 3 cheat meals this week over 3 days! 😦
Anyway, I’m curious..have you lost weight this Ramadhan or noticed any change in body measurements? Since you have been training and eating strictly paleo last 2 weeks, you are the perfect person to share with us the effects of intermittent fasting
You know what, that’s ok. Sometimes that break is needed. Just start your day off with a plan and remind your self to stick to it. If you really want to succeed in this, plan your day around the food. Try to find a friend to this with and write down everything you eat. If you know someone else will be evaluating your food logs, you will be a little more motivated to stick with your plan.
I’ve lost about 10 pounds so far. It seems as though it’s fat since I don’t think I have lost too much strength/muscle. However, I will be checking my strength numbers this week as well as getting my body fat tested to make sure the weight I’ve lost is “bad weight”. If it is lean body mass that I’m losing, then I will have to see how I can re-strategize. I’ll post about it later this week. Thanks!