Navratri fasting for weight loss: Nutritionist shares top hacks to burn fat with Navratri vrat

Navratri fasting can be a great opportunity to restart your lifestyle and potentially aid weight loss and fat burning. Here's what you need to know.

Can Navratri fasting help you lose weight and burn fat? In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Simrat Kathuria, a celebrity dietician and wellness coach, said that a nine-day Navratri fast is not merely a spiritual experience but also a chance to restart one's lifestyle.

Fasting during Navratri can help your body dip into its fat reserves and utilise fat as energy, leading to fat loss over time, Simrat Kathuria shared.(Instagram/@__cuisine_culture__)

According to her, “Fasting is something typically associated with weight loss, so the natural question arises: does fasting during Navratri actually result in dropping those extra kilos and burning fat? The answer is not as simple as yes or no.”

Fasting and the science of burning fat

She shared that fasting, simply put, means refraining from food for a period of time. “When appropriately implemented, fasting allows your body to dip into its fat reserves and utilise fat as energy, leading to fat loss over time,” Simrat said. During Navratri fasting, it is common for people to consume very light meals with ingredients like sabudana, samak rice, kuttu flour and singhara flour, she added.

Simrat explained, “These foods are generally gluten-free, easier to digest, and consumed with fruits, vegetables, and dairy products. When caloric consumption is decreased, your body will enter fat-burning mode after depleting its glycogen stores. This is formally called lipolysis, which is the mechanism by which fasting can help manage weight. However, the key factor is still the quality and quantity of food. It is easy to consume calories with food after claiming to be fasting, which is further compounded by eating fried or sugar-infested vrat snacks that negate all possible benefits.”

The Navratri thali: is it actually good for you?

According to Simrat, whether a typical Navratri thali contributes to weight loss or becomes indulgent really depends on your choices. “Many types of vrat food are made with ingredients high in starch and carbohydrates, such as sabudana (sago) or kuttu (buckwheat), both of which give energy but can spike blood sugar levels if over-consumed. However, you can offset this by eating a fair amount of protein with the starch (such as paneer, curd, nuts) alongside a good amount of vegetables, which will fill you up and maintain satiety,” she said.

Incorporate vegetables such as pumpkin, sweet potatoes, and bottle gourd, and also add in nuts and seeds to include good fats.(Shutterstock)

Portions are key

Simrat warned: you may be tempted to overeat fried snacks, such as sabudana vada or pakoras, that seem ‘light’ because you are eating healthy vrat foods. “Deep frying, regardless of the ingredient, only adds calories and will slow your weight loss efforts. Instead, go for the steamed, roasted, or sauté version of the same ingredient,” she said.

Other possible benefits

Although benefits can vary, intermittent fasting for Navratri can be beneficial for more than weight loss. Fasting is resting, which your digestive system needs. It also allows for detoxified digestion and, if done correctly, possibly improves metabolism. Some people even notice more mental clarity and less bloating. The spiritual element of fasting gives an opportunity to practice mindfulness and discipline, which alter long-term eating experiences," Simrat said.

Beware of these traps

Simrat added, “While it's easy to overeat calories with calorically dense foods (with more fried foods and sweets), you can actually gain weight. Overtaking your hydration for more than usual is also a common mistake during fasting; dehydration slows metabolism, and adding fatigue will make you feel hungrier, exacerbating overconsumption.”

Making Navratri fasting work for weight loss

If your aim is to lose weight during Navratri, then you'll want to focus on eating balanced meals with a mix of complex carbohydrates, lean protein, and healthy fats. “Incorporate vegetables such as pumpkin, sweet potatoes, and bottle gourd, and also add in nuts and seeds to include good fats. Be mindful to drink plenty of water, coconut water, and herbal teas to keep hydrated. Also, it's useful to spread your meals throughout the day to limit long gaps in this type of eating that may lead you to binge eat later,” Simrat said.

She concluded: “Navratri fasting can absolutely help you lose weight and help burn fat if you're purposeful about it. This festival is not an excuse to gorge on fried foods, but a time to reset your body, practice mindful eating, and improve your metabolic function. If you use real food, portion moderation (volume control), and hydration, you can use these nine days as a step toward sustained weight management.”

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.