1 year Post RNY - Ramadan

Is anyone else on here celebrating Ramadan this month?

I'm a little over a year out and I've been struggling with depression (not unusual for me but it's been a few years). Last year I skipped celebrating Ramadan as I was just post op and clearly it wouldn't have been safe. I'm not Muslim so I have never felt pressure to celebrate this holy month, but I do gain a lot for partaking in it - such as a deepening relationship with God, a greater sense of connectedness to others and a sense of accomplishment. Ramadan 2018 starts (in North America) tomorrow (May 15) and I'm planning on participating.

For those of you who aren't familiar with Ramadan, it's the holiest month in Islam, and celebrated by recommitting to God and offering up a fast of all food and liquid between dawn (about an 90 minutes before sunrise****il sunset each day. In addition to the fast, other things are forbidden during this same time period, such as sex and smoking. As you can imagine, going all day without food is not that difficult, it's the water/liquid that makes it so tough! I'm fortunate to live in North America where our outside temps are generally mild (70-80s F this time of year) and I work in an air conditioned building which means that I won't be losing nearly as much hydration as those who live in dryer, hotter climates!

My plan is to set "drinking alarms" every two hours through the night to make sure I get in all the water I can. My evening meal will be meat based, then a late snack of protein pudding, and a pre-dawn breakfast (4:30 am here in Ohio) of protein tea and cubes of melon. I bike to work so I plan on leaving early while it's still cool, and then taking it very slow and easy on my return home. In addition to biking to work I'll walk the dog after dark at night to get in additional steps, and maybe swim twice a week.

I have two trips planned over Ramadan and as the rules allow, I'll break my fast while traveling and make up the days later this year (usually I make up missed days in the winter when the days are much shorter!). This means that I'll really only be fasting about 2/3 of the month which seems pretty doable.

If you've celebrated Ramadan post RnY I'd love to hear from you and get any pointers!

Normally I wouldn't reply to this for a variety of reasons but for the sake of newbies and lurkers: going without liquids for the majority of the day (any day) can be harmful. Especially to early out post ops. Especially for a whole month. Especially as the heat rapidly ramps up and we head into summer.

Please just be aware and stay vigilant about your fluid intake everyone.

Amy I agree- I assumed after bariatric surgery I wouldn't be able to participate ever again. The year before my surgery I traveled to Egypt and was so impressed at how many post RNY patients I met there who were able to celebrate Ramadan in a climate far more challenging than here in the Northern US. I still thought it was a long shot, AND FOR SURE I MAY NOT BE ABLE TO DO IT but as I've researched and talked with Muslim physicians I've gotten a far better understanding of the possibilities :) It's also helpful to remember that almost 1/3 of the world's population celebrates Ramadan each year, and most of us never even notice it. Our coworkers, doctors, neighbors, classmates, workout buddies... all quietly going through their entire day without food or water, for a month, and we don't even realize.

While I'm not celebrating out of religious requirements, the Koran is explicit that to participate in the fasting it MUST NOT SERIOUSLY HARM YOU - so most diabetics, the sick, pregnant and or nursing mothers, even menstruating women are forbidden from fasting because of the potential for harm. If during Ramadan it becomes apparent that my body isn't coping well, or if I'm just NOT getting the liquids in over night that I need for a good day, I'll stop the fasting and participate in other ways (generally acts of service and contributing to charity).

Prior to WLS, while celebrating Ramadan I always experienced headaches the first week of Ramadan, mostly due to lack of caffeine, but also as my body adjusted to my increased dehydration. By the second week I felt fine, and by the third week I was in the groove. Then the last week it's like the end is in sight and it's harder again. The primary gift given by participating is the very visceral connection you feel to those who go withou****er because they don't have access to clean drinking water, and those who are hungry because they don't have food. Experiencing the intense thirst and hunger during the day helps me feel true compassion for those who have no choice, and true gratitude that I am able to deny myself by choice.

In general I rarely take an interest in what another is eating/drinking as quite frankly it's not my business. No worries about your post from me - you did address the thirst question yourself.

I emphasized it only for newbies/preops/nonops. Basically those who may not yet know or be used to the priority we must give to fluids in order to be successful. And even more critically, to stay healthy.


edited because I forgot to add well wishes to your observances. Those of us fortunate enough to live here can never be reminded too often of what it is like to feel hungry and thirsty. For far too may people, that is daily existence.

Hope the depression starts leaving you alone...and im so glad you posted!...I wondered where you were!

If you want to participate in a religious fast, that's lovely. There's a great tradition of fasting in Christianity. But calling it "Ramadan" without being Muslim smacks of cultural appropriation, IMO.

Do you know of any actual Islamic opinions on non-Muslim participation?

I love that you called this out - so much of this goes unnoticed in our society!

The first year I celebrated Ramadan it was at the invitation of a Muslim friend. I don't REALLY count that first year (it was the Ramadan following 9/11) because I didn't follow the rules as strictly as I should. I participated a few more times between then and 2008 gradually getting a better understanding of all that is involved from the timing

Several of my Muslim friends have joked that if I can do what many of them feel is the toughest part of their religious practises, I should convert to Islam already! Between my love of Jesus and my love for red wine and great appreciation of bacon, I would not make an effective convert.

While opinions of what is acceptable and not acceptable very just as broadly in Islam as they do in Christianity, the Muslims I know personally, and those I have met online, have all been extremely welcoming and supportive of my participation in their religious holiday. When I was traveling in Egypt my guide would include this bit of my history when he was introducing me to his friends and neighbors and they were all excited and happy to hear it. My muslim coworkers invite me to break my fast with their families, my muslim friends online wish me ?Ù...??? ???Ù... in their greetings, and for me this is proof enough that I'm not appropriating their holiday but instead participating with them. I think if I were to be doing this without understanding the purpose, following the actual rules, and spiritually connecting to the act of submission to God as a gift of gratitude, it would be different.

I was just discussing this with a woman I work with as she's a Muslim from West Africa.

Personally I don't prescribe to the doctrine in any of the "Abrahamic" religions but I do agree that fasting can be good for the spirit.

That said I do take some issue with Ramadan. I'm assuming the rules are laid out in the Quran which makes it roughly a 1,400 year old practice. But 1,400 years ago I'm sure all Muslims were all living roughly along the same latitude. Cut to 2018 and a Muslim in Buenos Aires has it much easier than one in say Anchorage, Alaska. They should just have it 6 to 6 or something.... make it fair!

My grad-school roommate was Muslim. It was VERY difficult to abstain from water here in the Arizona desert! I believe there were many folks who attended her mosque who couldn't handle it every day; they would make up their missed fasts when the weather cooled down.

Yeah the abstaining from drinking water can be dangerous. Again it's not an even playing field. A banker is not making the same sacrifice as a construction worker.