MashaAllah, Allah (swt) has blessed me with a roof over my head and food on the table. Unfortunately, I’m not too good at managing my intake of food, which has lead to a host of health problems. I’ve been struggling with my eating and exercise habits for 2 years without sucess, but inshaAllah I’m on the right path now. I’m writing down everything I eat, dedicating myself to exercise, and not letting my laziness overwhelm me. Oh, and it also doesn’t hurt that the husband has bribed me…if I lose 20 pounds by my birthday in September, he’ll buy me a cat, huzzah!
To that end, I’m a member of Sparkpeople, where there’s a muslim sister support group. Today, a sister posted a thought provoking question
Does anyone sees the irony of us trying to lose weight and eat less, when there’s a major, worldwide food shortage going on?
The price of the whole wheat pita bread the husband adores went up 50 cents since we last bought it 2 weeks ago, but that’s nothing compared to the jump of prices people are facing across the world. The husband is originally from Mahalla el-Kubra, home of the recent strikes/food riots, where food prices have doubled.
Allah (swt) tests us all in different ways. For my in laws, they struggle with too little food that costs too much. For me here in the US, I struggle with too much food that, despite the recent increases, is still very affordable.
Wouldn’t it be great if we thanked Allah (swt) when we succeed in our struggles? And what better way to thank Him right now than to give sadaqah to those who are also struggling.
I’m going to pledge $x for each pound I lose to Islamic Relief’s Global Food Crisis Campaign, and I invite anyone else out struggling to lose weight to do the same.
7 responses so far ↓
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UmmFarouq // May 7, 2008 at 1:20 am
A beautiful idea! I love this! I am going to do this too, inshaAllah.
I was just telling a friend yesterday how gluttony and Islam are so incompatible. It is truly tragic.
Thanks for a great idea.
Musa Abdul-Aziz Evans // May 7, 2008 at 7:17 pm
Masha’Allah!Great idea~I’m on board Insha’Allah!
30-35 lbs. since early-mid March for me,Al-Hamdulillah.
We as an Ummah NEED to discuss these ideas in the masjid FAR more often than we do~this is REAL life.
May Allah(s.w.t.) make your health better.Be reasonable though(especially you Sisters-you struggle so much more with attractiveness issues~~shame on us Brothers)go SLOW and remember Allah knows your real beauty always.
:) :) :)
Love Musa
Musa Abdul-Aziz Evans // May 7, 2008 at 7:25 pm
Sisters,I’m by no means an expert on weight loss,although my weight has yo-yo’d every few years in adulthood.Please be patient with your weight loss/or gain issues~and do your best to remember Allah(s.w.t.)while trying to acheive this.
Males, generally by nature, have a much easier time physically transforming ourselves(it must seem so unfair~sorry.lol)This difference in metabolic rates between genders,insures that women will have more weight for a healthy pregnancy(I believe).
Stay Sweet,Musa
Sumayyah // May 10, 2008 at 2:45 pm
As salaamu alaikum, sister!
I did not know that was you in the Muslim Sisters’ Support group on Sparkpeople.com. I’ve been reading your blog for a while now. You’re always inspiring. May Allah (swt) guide you to your goals. Amin.
Sumayyah1980
UmmFarouq // May 11, 2008 at 12:22 am
Br. Musa,
Yes, men do have an easier time due to the sheer muscle mass differences between women and men. Increased muscle mass which is naturally part of a man’s physique accelerates fat loss, even without exercise. Women need to exercise more and must introduce some sort of resistance training in order to maximize weight loss.
Hey can anyone tell I’ve watched The Biggest Loser and/or Dr. Oz?
Assalamu Alaikum,
Umm Farooq -welcome aboard!
Musa - Oh, I’m patient. I’ve never been one to lose weight easily, so I just keep plugging along.
Sumayyah - I’m Janaan over there :)
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