Fasting & Ramadan

7 Tips to Control Our Appetites in Ramadan

It’s time to break your fast. Isn’t it a wonderful feeling? Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (peace and blessing be upon him) says, “The fasting person experiences two joys: one when he breaks his fast, and one when he meets His Lord” (Muslim). That first joy is something we can all attest to. Especially with the long, 16 hour fast, it feels great to finally quench your thirst and get some satisfying food in your tummy. Ok, well, some might not be the right word. For many of us, when sunset rolls around, we eat like there’s no tomorrow. Or, should I say, to stock up for tomorrow? Whatever the reason – being tempted by delicious food, compensating for feeling deprived during the day, storing energy for the next day’s fast, or just plain old social eating – we struggle repeatedly with over-eating at iftar time.

Subhan’Allah (Glory to God), the Prophet ﷺ said: “The worst container to be filled to its utmost capacity is the stomach. It is enough for people to eat what will suffice to keep them standing, but if that is not attainable, then one third for food, one third for drink, and one third empty for air” (Tirmidhi). Most of us know the Prophet’s Sunnah (practice), but how many of us continue to eat until we’re 5/3rds full, to the point where we can’t breathe and feel uncomfortably stuffed, lethargic, sleepy, and not as energized for prayer and worship as before we broke our fast? It’s amazing how we can practice complete self-restraint with food while we’re fasting, but we struggle to apply it even partially when we have the green light to eat.

We are now in the second half of Ramadan, and before we know it, the month will be over. Let’s make it one of our goals (and insha’Allah [God-willingly] commit to it for good) to minimize over-eating so we can maximize the benefits of this blessed month. Here are seven tips to help develop a more mindful approach to eating:

1. Think of the Purpose. One of the benefits of fasting is that it makes you appreciate the blessing of food. Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala (exalted is He) says, “So eat of the sustenance which Allah has provided for you, lawful and good; and be grateful for the favor of Allah, if it is [indeed] Him that you worship” (Qur’an, 16:114). Your ultimate purpose in life is to worship Allah (swt), so food provides you the energy and strength you need to worship Him with more devotion, concentration, and reverence. As you have iftar every day, ask yourself: are my eating habits hindering me, or helping me increase the ihsan (excellence) in my worship?

2. Remember the Source. If friends or relatives shower you with gifts, it is common courtesy to thank them and show appreciation. Allah (swt) provides you with sustenance on a daily basis, so remembering Him when you eat is a thoughtful way to express gratitude. The Prophet ﷺ said, “Allah is pleased with His slave when he eats something and praises Him for it, or drinks something and praises Him for it” (Muslim). When you take the time to remember Allah, mindfully and with contemplation – before, during and after you eat – it is more likely that you will be satisfied with less food.
 
3. Start Small. Break your fast with something light (i.e. dates and water), then pray Maghrib (evening prayer) before having the rest of your meal. That should take the edge off your hunger, which makes you less susceptible to binging and ravenous eating. Also, when you serve the food, serve it in a small plate, then go for seconds if you feel the need. Keep the main dishes away from sight and not where you’re sitting. The more food you see in front of you, the more you will eat without thinking about it first. If you’re having trouble holding back, think of Allah’s rewards, “And eat and drink but do not be wasteful, certainly He does not like those who are wasteful” (Qur’an, 7:31). Remember that waste is not just what goes in the trash, but also what we consume in excess.
 
4. Hydrate. Don’t forget to drink plenty of water when you break your fast. You’ll be less likely to eat too much afterward because that hunger sensation (which is often mistaken for thirst) can partly subside with hydration. Also, sip the water slowly and smile with thanks as you feel it tingling down your body. The Prophet ﷺ said, “Do not drink in one gulp like a camel, but in two or three (gulps). Mention the Name of Allah (say Bismillah) when you start drinking and praise Him (say Al-hamdu lillah) after you have finish (drinking)” (At-Tirmidhi).
 
5. Share with People. Ramadan is a beautiful time because it brings family and friends together, and strengthens the bonds of kinship and brother/sisterhood. Part of that bond is built when you share food together. Sharing not only increases the blessing in your food, but also makes you realize how little you can be satisfied with. Some of the Companions came to the Prophet ﷺ once and said, “We eat but are not satisfied.” He ﷺ said, “Perhaps you eat separately.” The Companions affirmed that. He then said, “Eat together and mention the Name of Allah over your food. It will be blessed for you” (Abu Dawud). If you’re at home, make sure you don’t eat alone, and invite people to eat with you. If you’re eating out in a group, partner up with someone and order a dish together.  You will be surprised how filling it will be. The Prophet ﷺ said, “Food for one person suffices for two, and food for two people suffices for four, and food of four people suffices for eight” (Muslim).
 
6. Go Super Slow. Eating too much can sometimes be a result of eating too fast. It takes a mindful, conscious effort to actually slow down your body’s motions while you’re eating. Try to be aware of every piece of food you eat; raise it to your mouth slowly, chew it slowly, and swallow it slowly.  That will give you time to enjoy the food, savor every bite, and be thankful for it. It will also give your body time to process the food you ingest, and give you time to listen to your body when it tells you it’s satisfied.
 
7. Plan Ahead and Get Cracking! One way to avoid over-eating is by shortening the meal time, and not making the evening revolve around food. Besides planning and making simple meals, every day before iftar, have a plan set that specifies how you will spend the rest of the night. Every moment is precious in Ramadan, so bring that to mind often, and plan accordingly. As soon as you feel satisfied with what you eat, consciously stop eating. Don’t eat more just because there’s food on your plate! It’s better to save leftovers than stuffing yourself so food doesn’t get thrown away. Then, after you finish eating, get moving; help clean the kitchen, go for a walk, read Qur’an. If you can, leave the area where food is visible so eating more isn’t an option. And whatever you do, don’t linger around the sweets and desserts for too long because that’s just asking for trouble!

What tips do you have on how to eat less at iftar time? Share with us!

We ask Allah (swt) to grant us the ability to always be grateful for His blessings, and to utilize His blessings in a way that is most pleasing to Him.

About the author

Naiyerah Kolkailah

Naiyerah Kolkailah

Naiyerah Kolkailah was born and raised in San Luis Obispo, California. She graduated from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, with a B.S. in Biological Sciences, and a minor in Religious Studies. During her college years, she served as President of the Muslim Students’ Association (MSA) and Vice President of the statewide organization, MSA-West. In 2011, Naiyerah received a Diploma in Islamic Studies from the Faculty of Islamic Studies at Qatar Foundation in Doha, Qatar. In 2012, she received a license in memorization and recitation of the Qur’an from Shaykh Uthman Khan, whom she continues to study Tajweed with at Jaamiah Jazriyyah. Naiyerah currently lives in Pismo Beach, California, where she co-directs an Islamic Studies youth program, private tutors women and children in Qur’anic recitation and memorization, and speaks about Islam at local churches, interfaith events and Islam classes. She is also serving as President of the Board of Directors of the Islamic Society of San Luis Obispo County. Naiyerah can be reached at naiyerah@gmail.com.

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  • Another thing is to prepare light caloric dishes or meals specialty with green vegetables like spinach etc and different types of lentils and fruits rather to stick with chicken,mutton and beef…this will also help to eat less

  • to change our eatin habits we brought with us from Jahaliyah to Islam, we need to make a clear decision between jahaliya and islam, do we want to eat and drink like our friend and prophet pbuh told us to do? or as our nafs wants us to do,… la ilaha ila llah wa ashhadu an nafsi rasoulillah ? start ur new attitude today!

    BISMILLAH; drink two glasses before any meal, when u start eating dont drink anythin before u have eaten everythin up, after u have finished ur meal start to drink a glass of anything u like and then say hamdoulillah and for those who wanna see the face of Allah and for those who wanna feel his light on their skin,do a lil bit of dhikr after it, say three times hamdoulillah, allahu akbar and sobhan allah

    Ibn Qayyim may Allah have mercy on him said in al-Wabil al-Sayyib (p63)
    I was once attended the morning prayer ( Fajr ) with Ibn Taymyyah after which he sat down and engaged in dhikr of Allah , until it was almost midday. He then turned to me and said : This is my morning meal , If I do not partake of it my strength diminishes.

    act upon ur knowledge, the body needs 20min to give u the feeling of satiety, dont use food as a weapon to force this feeling of satiety, let it come from alone ! we dont eat til we have no appetite, we eat til we have no hunger.

    the prophet said /pbuh/: The food of the son of Adam is set forth as a
    metaphor of this life; see what comes out of the son of Adam even though salt and spices
    were added to it, he knows how it is going to end up… (Reported by al-Tabaraani in al-
    Kabeer, 1/198; al-Silsilat al-Saheehah, no. 382).

    When u eat and drink when u learn and rest, when u pray and apply, u do it to reach Allah, so be moderate in ur performance. The prophet Muhammad pbuh said;

    .Be moderate, and you will reach what you want.. (Saheeh al-
    Bukhaari, 6099)

    in case of productivity,ibada,performance,: MAKE REST AN NECESSITY not an OBJECTIVE ! the reason for life is ibada, productivity,performance; life is to see what u can do,what u can do with the seasons with the soul, with breath,stars and knowledge,with food and water,

    connect ur eatin habits with ur dhikr, that will help you to attain taqwah and stay moderate and eat and drink what u love and like, and get strong and thankful through it because Allah loves to see the effects of his ni’amah upon his ibad.

    salamu alaikum and “bon appetite”

  • Brilliant article that hits the issue on the head 🙂 Basically, we just need need to remember Allah in everything, and INSHA’ALLAH he will make this life easy so we can enter Jannah in the hereafter! Ameen ya rabb! May He forgive our faults and failings!

  • Actually I find that you should drink something warm such as soup so that you do not simply “dry drink” and just gulp down cold water then feel sick afterwards and still thirsy.

  • Make duaa sincerely before eating. One of the reasons why the duaa of the fasting person is accepted is because it shows your priority in life: food or the worship of Allah.

    Tips for eating:
    – Go easy. Your stomach was empty for the last 16 hours. Imagine a construction worker who didn’t work for 16 days and returns to work, and you give that person the heaviest item to carry; your stomach is a muscular baloon.
    – Always start with dates (odd number). It is sunnah and they are excellent source of carbs. Also, doesn’t cause a spike in your sugar level…
    – Start with fruits (high in carbs) not Samoosa (mostly fat and some protein); your body needs quick energy.
    – Do a small meal, just enough to get rid of the hunger feeling. Go pray, do your sunnah and then return.
    – Remember the food will always be there. Take it easy.
    – The food always tastes better in moderation.

    Imam Ghazali and others said: What is the point of the fasting if you’re going to eat double that at night (you just destroyed the fast by countering the opposite).

    When you are eating, remember how fortunate we are, and how blessed we are. There are people who don’t get to drink or eat for weeks… others are eating from the garbage.

    birkah

  • Binging is definitely a huge problem in Ramadan is completely contradicts the spirit of being able to relate to how the poor feel.

    One way to counter it, I feel, is to not have separate meals for iftar and dinner all the time. Just have water, dates, and lemonade (or a smoothie perhaps) to break the fast, pray, then have dinner as normal. And avoid junk food: it’s engineered to have an addictive quality that makes one just want to keep eating nonstop.

  • Cool beans, masha’Allah. A great post and advice, especially to share, EAT SMALLER and EAT SLOWER.

    I’ve written something similar on Iftar-boxes and Ramadan eating tips. {http://ecojihad.blogspot.com/2011/08/greening-your-fasting-being-eco-muslim.html}

    Peace & eco-jihad,
    Zaufishan.

  • I was in the middle of eating while reading this and realized I didnt need that amount and just put it away ALHAMDULILAH. JazakiAllah khayr Naiyerah for this awesome reminder!

  • Assalamualaikum. I’m from Bangladesh. I think we should discuss about the [[point number 3]] with the Americans. They must be told and explained the verse of the Glorious Qur’an that “And eat and drink but do not be wasteful, certainly He does not like those who are wasteful” (Qur’an, 7:31). They(Americans) are champion in wasting food all over in the world. The cost of the food that they waste each year is 100 million USD($)!!!!…..that’s not good. Every member in my family starts Ifter by taking Dates or Juice. Normally in Bangladesh people break their fast by Water or Juice. May Allah bless the writer of this article. I appreciate it. Mash’Allah!!!

    • Yes brother you are right.But people in our country eat like insane in suhoor and iftaar and then dinner, that’s a problem in our country. 🙂

    • MashaAllah…………. this is soo true for us Americans…………. we are so wasteful…..

      • While I do agree many Americans are wasteful, I know many more who are not. Please keep the month of Ramadan about praising Allah and what brings us together as muslims. Leave the finger-pointing and nation-bashing to those who are evil. Surely Allah Swt will judge all in his time, including each of us. Let our words be kind and gentle to each other. :)))

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