Weight Loss in Ramadan: A Halal Fibre Routine Around Iftar and Suhoor (UK Guide)

Quick answer: Ramadan can be a good time to reset your eating, but many people gain weight instead: large iftars, fried snacks, sweet drinks and late-night eating add up. Fibre can be part of a lighter Ramadan, but the short eating window changes how you use it. You need enough water with every serving, and the timing has to fit around iftar, your evening meal and suhoor. Here is a routine that works within those limits. Ramadan 2027 is expected to begin around 8 February, depending on the moon sighting, so now is a good time to plan.

Why weight often goes up in Ramadan

• One very large meal. Breaking a long fast with a big plate makes it easy to eat more than you need.
• Fried and sweet foods. Samosas, pakoras, sweets and sugary drinks are part of many iftar tables.
• Late eating and short sleep. Eating late into the night and waking for suhoor disrupts sleep, which makes appetite harder to manage.
• Less movement. Many people are less active while fasting.

The basics first

King's College London's Ramadan nutrition guidance recommends nutritious, fluid-rich foods at suhoor, a little-and-often approach at iftar, eating slowly, and high-fibre foods such as fruit, vegetables, wholegrains, beans and lentils. It also stresses that fibre draws water into the gut, so it must be paired with plenty of fluid, and suggests sipping fluids between meals rather than drinking a lot during them.

The three-serving Ramadan routine

The one fibre with an authorised weight loss claim is glucomannan: glucomannan, in the context of an energy-restricted diet, contributes to weight loss, at 3g a day in three 1g doses with 1 to 2 glasses of water before meals. Outside Ramadan that means breakfast, lunch and dinner. In Ramadan, most people still eat three times, just in a shorter window:

1. Iftar: break your fast first, then fibre before the main meal

Break your fast as usual with water and dates. Then take one serving of fibre in a full glass of water and follow it with another glass. The gap for Maghrib prayer fits naturally before your main iftar meal.

2. The evening meal

If you eat a second meal later in the evening (many people eat after Taraweeh), take your second serving about 30 minutes before it, again with two glasses of water.

3. Suhoor: only if you can drink enough

Take the third serving before suhoor only if you can comfortably drink the two glasses of water with it and still have time before Fajr. If you go back to sleep after suhoor, leave at least an hour before lying down: the NHS advises taking bulk-forming fibre at least an hour before sleep.

If suhoor is too rushed, use two servings instead of three. Be aware that two servings provide about 2g of glucomannan, which is below the amount the claim requires. Fibre still adds to your daily intake, but the weight loss claim only applies at three 1g doses.

Water: the part you cannot skip

Count it out: three servings means around 1.5 litres of water just alongside the fibre, on top of the fluid you need anyway. If that is not realistic in your eating window, use fewer servings. Start Ramadan with one serving a day and build up over the first week, so your gut has time to adjust.

Medicines in Ramadan

Your eating window is short, so timing matters. The NHS advises taking bulk-forming fibre more than an hour before or after any other medicine or supplement. That includes the contraceptive pill, iron and thyroid tablets. If you take regular medicines, or have diabetes, speak to your GP or pharmacist before Ramadan about timing. More on supplement timing in our Ramadan supplements guide.

Lighter iftar ideas that add fibre

• Lentil or chickpea soup to start, instead of fried snacks.
• Half the plate as salad or vegetables.
• Wholemeal roti or brown rice instead of white.
• Fruit chaat instead of sweets, most nights.
• Water or laban instead of sugary drinks.

For digestion during fasting more generally, see gut health during Ramadan.

Is the fibre halal?

Psyllium husk and konjac are plants, but capsules, flavourings and refining aids need checking. We explain both in is psyllium husk (isabgol) halal? and is glucomannan halal?

Our fibre for Ramadan

BioSlim contains 1.05g glucomannan per 5g serving, so three servings meet the claim conditions, with psyllium husk, sugar beet fibre, inulin, live cultures and fennel, peppermint and ginger. No caffeine, which matters when you are already short on sleep. Halal approved, kosher approved and vegan. Sugar beet fibre contributes to an increase in faecal bulk. May contain traces of mustard and sesame.

Food supplements should not replace a varied, balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, have diabetes or another health condition, speak to your GP before fasting or changing your diet.

Can I take fibre supplements in Ramadan?

Yes, in your eating window and only with plenty of water. Taking fibre without enough fluid can be uncomfortable or unsafe.

When should I take fibre in Ramadan, iftar or suhoor?

Before iftar's main meal (after breaking your fast with water and dates), before your evening meal, and before suhoor only if you can drink two glasses of water with it and leave an hour before sleeping.

Does fibre help you lose weight in Ramadan?

Glucomannan, in the context of an energy-restricted diet, contributes to weight loss at 3g a day in three 1g doses with water before meals. In Ramadan that means three servings in your eating window, alongside lighter meals.

Does taking fibre break my fast?

Yes. Anything you eat or drink breaks the fast, so take fibre only between iftar and suhoor.

Can I take the pill and fibre in Ramadan?

Yes, but keep them more than an hour apart. Plan the timing with your pharmacist before Ramadan starts.