In Ramadan, counting calories and exercising are essential

I mentioned before that I think some of us have to count calories every day of our lives because our bodies don't know how to count calories on their own. We have a tendency to overeat while not even knowing that we are overeating.

This is especially true in Ramadan, when many of us feel like we haven't eaten for so long that anything we eat won't be fattening. It is also significant because many of us cut back on our physical activity during the day because we don't want to get too tired while we are fasting.

On the first day of Ramadan, I realized that I consumed more than my daily allowance of calories between iftar and suhoor.

I tried to practice mindful eating during iftar by breathing, eating slowly and drinking a lot of water. Although I did not eat much during iftar, I ate later on during the night. I did not exercise at all during that day.

Exercising while fasting gives you more energy than it takes

While it may seem that exercising while fasting makes fasting more difficult, we tend to forget the endorphin releasing benefits of exercise that actually help a person persevere hunger and thirst.

It is true that you burn energy and lose water while exercising, but it is also true that moderate exercise releases endorphins that act as natural painkillers which give you the feeling that you have more energy than before.