May the peace, mercy and blessings of The Almighty God be on you all! :)
Ever since I’ve completed my graduation, the only question I receive from my family and friends is "Tell me how to lose weight". But what I’ve noticed is most of us "feel" the need to lose weight only when we’ve heard someone say, "Why do you look bloated?" or maybe "Mummy’s feeding you good food huh?" (I’ve received that too :P)
But what I want you guys to realize first and foremost is that your goal should be to stay fit rather looking thin and skimpy and weak. And when I say "fit", I don’t mean to say you have abs or muscles or can lift heavy weights, but for the girls – you have healthy hair, nails, your skin feels fresh and pure, you don’t get tired often, you deal with mood swings like a pro (yes, food can have an impact on that too!) and your mind and body work efficiently and effectively. And for the guys… well I guess I HAVE TO make this point clear is that your muscles and abs are worthless if all the workout and protein shakes (because excess protein is very harmful) is going to take a toll on you later on. Please don’t make that the ONLY reason you hit the gym.
Okay so not deviating from the topic, being fit should be your goal for all your life and not just because you’re being told by people that you’ve gained weight or you have an event to attend.
It’s amazing that the basics of health and fitness has been propagating since over 1000 years ago and we began witnessing fitness freaks only in the 21st century…
1400 years ago, The Quran spoke of a fact that leads to healthy living. In Surah A’raf, verse 31:
يَا بَنِي آدَمَ خُذُوا زِينَتَكُمْ عِنْدَ كُلِّ مَسْجِدٍ وَكُلُوا وَاشْرَبُوا وَلَا
تُسْرِفُوا ۚ إِنَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ الْمُسْرِفِينَ
"O children of Adam, take your adornment at every masjid, and eat and drink, but be not excessive. Indeed, He likes not those who commit excess".
Prophet Muhammad (saws) has been reported saying "The human does not fill any container that is worse than his stomach. It is sufficient for the son of Adam to eat what will support his back. If this is not possible then a third for food, a third for drink and third for his breath." (At-Tirmidhi 2380)
But we tend to follow the diet plans of famous celebrities and only have faith in their fitness routine not knowing the foods they promote are in fact the foods that Rasulullah (saws) encouraged us to eat more than a 1000 years ago. Subhan Allah!
So, many of us may have different reasons for shedding those extra pounds but I’m a bit selfish (:P) and I like to turn most of my actions into worship so that I can earn as many rewards as I can.
I’ve heard this – Change your intention to pleasing Allah in every good deed you commit so that your act becomes ibadah. Subhan Allah how easy has Allah swt made it to earn rewards!!
Before you sleep, make wudhu, recite your adhkaars and your sleep becomes an ibadah. Your mum is out and there are dishes in the sink, wash them with the intention of pleasing Allah, washing the dishes becomes an ibadah. You’re making food for your family, make it with the intention of pleasing Allah, your cooking becomes an ibadah.
You get what I mean?
Every act + intention of pleasing Allah = Ibadah + Rewards
Now how do I turn work out or the act of reducing my belly into worship?
Not that difficult you see. Lose your weight the Sunnah way and with the intention that you want to become fit to worship Allah better. I’ve experienced this myself. When you start putting on those extra pounds, ruku’ and sujood becomes hard. And you start having joint pain, muscle twitches and not to forget, you breathe heavily too! It becomes hard to wake up for tahajjud and when it comes to performing voluntary prayers, you feel sluggish. So when you start experiencing these symptoms, make it a point to lose weight primarily to increase and improve your worship. And obviously when you do something for the sake of Allah swt, you get innumerable added benefits.
With the same aim in mind, let’s look at few tips that will help you reduce those extra pounds. NOTE: you won’t be losing it overnight darlings, you need to give it at least 2-3 weeks to see a difference. Remember, to hasten is to lose. Work it gradually so you get benefited in the long run In sha Allah! :)
1. Detox Early Morning:
After you complete your fajr salah, you can add a teaspoon or two of honey, a few drops of lemon (about half a teaspoon) to a glass of lukewarm (not hot) water and have it on empty stomach. You can have warm water by itself too. But adding up honey is the Sunnah of Rasulullah (saws). Apart from helping you shed weight and detox your body, it also boosts your immunity, helps relieve constipation and gassy discomfort.
2. Don’t Skip Breakfast:
3. Try Avoiding White Bread, White Rice and White Sugar:
Swap white sugar with honey. But do remember to purchase the raw honey as it is unprocessed and unadulterated. Since honey is sweeter than sugar, you can reduce the amount you add in your drinks or desserts. Even though honey is beneficial, it should not be consumed in large amounts. Some of the benefits of honey are, providing rich antioxidants, building immunity and aids sleep (when taken with warm milk before sleep).
4. Drink plenty of sugar free fluids:
5. Avoid Chocolates, Pastries, Fried Foods and Sodas (Junk); Include Whole Fruits and Boiled Pulses:
Yes, it’s hard. But these are major obstacles in weight loss. So my dear sweets! You have to give them up to fit into that dress. Dark chocolate is an exception because it actually helps with weight loss, controls appetite, reduces cravings and it has many other benefits.
It’s best to avoid bananas post mid-day but you can have one in the morning. Now whole fruits (not the fruit juices, they lack fibre) are packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fibre (which makes you feel full) and boiled pulses or legumes (like black beans, kidney beans, chick peas) are high in protein and fibre and are beneficial in weight loss. (You can also add in some toasted coconut for a good crunch)
6. Go Easy On The Dinner:
Avoid having heavy meals for dinner like biryani, saucy pastas and starchy foods. Eat less of carbs and more of protein. Soups and salads are excellent choices. Have your meal 2 hours before sleeping and avoid midnight munching. Apart from weight gain, heavy dinners can cause indigestion, acid reflux or burps.
7. Exercise is OBLIGATORY:
You may see that you’re losing about a kg or two by following all the dietary tips but ONLY if you exercise you will lose the excess fat that’s been feeding on your waist, hip, thigh and arms. There are different exercises that can be followed to achieve your desired weight. But be sure to start slow. Crunches, squats, push ups and lunges can cause pain in your lower abdomen and thigh… But no pain no gain right? Don’t stop when you start experiencing muscle soreness… Be steady and keep going… The pain will eventually fade away. And when you see yourself trimming down, trust me, that pain is worth it! It may happen that in the first week, there may not be consistent drop in your weight, but regularity, dedication and hard work is key.
NOTE: Your ideal body weight is 100 taken out from your height (cm). For eg: If you are 160 cm tall then subtract 100 from it. 60kg is your ideal weight. Strive to achieve that. Don’t go crazy behind size 0.
So, my dear brothers and sisters! Have a routine that leads you to living a healthier, positiv-ier and happier life! And of course a life that takes you closer to your Rabb! Happy Rejuvenating! 😀😀
Assalam Alaykum! :)
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