40 Days for Life Fasting Requirements?

[Melodeonist]

Yesterday I was at my parish’s monthly pro-life ministry’s Rosary. After we had finished, the leader gave me a couple 40 Days for Life sheets. I’d love to do this, but I’m unsure what the fasting requirements are.

Any help on this would be appreciated! Thanks!

 

[pianistclare]

I don’t know you didn’t just look it up.
From their website:

Decrease your food consumption. We can’t go 40 straight days without food, but we can decrease the amount we eat. Perhaps we limit our portion sizes so that we eat enough to power our day—but not enough to fully satisfy ourselves. Or maybe we decide not to snack between meals. Perhaps we can even skip a meal. Any time we eat less than we’d like, we’re trusting Jesus’ words “One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).The key here is to use good judgment. Our goal is to draw near to the Lord, not to pass out from malnourishment. If you decide to limit your food consumption, make sure your fasting plan makes sense in accordance with your state of life. After all, there’s nothing pro-life about going without food for a day if you’re an expectant mother or work with heavy machinery for a living!
Give up a certain type of food. The night before each 40 Days for Life campaign begins, I like to treat myself to the most delicious hot fudge sundae I can find. And then I set sweets aside until after the campaign. Another food we might give up is meat, which is often eaten to celebrate God’s blessings. This was true in Jesus’s time as the return of the prodigal son was celebrated by feasting on the fatted calf (Luke 15: 11-32). It’s equally true in our time. Just think of your Thanksgiving turkey or perhaps an Easter lamb. During 40 Days for Life, we can eat simpler meals focused more on fruits, vegetables and grains. If you find yourself saving money on your grocery bill as a result, you can even contribute the savings to your local pregnancy center.
Turn down the temperature on your morning shower. Fasting doesn’t have to involve food. A nice, steamy shower is a rather comfortable way to start the day. But during 40 Days for Life, we can give up those hot showers. Of course, I’m not suggesting you give up showering altogether for these 40 days. That would be imposing a sacrifice on your loved ones! But you can turn down the temperature. A lukewarm shower gets you clean just as well as a hot one. If you’re truly daring, you might even go with cold showers for 40 days.
Replace your beverage of choice with water.
Fast from media.

 

[robertmidwest]

What is your diet like now? Is it pretty good? Or do you eat a lot of junk food?

From your other posts you are already taking a pretty big load in school. And working a part time job. And you have some family issues going on. Here is my suggestion: With the other stuff you have going on decreasing calories will only add stress right now. Why don’t you make a sacrifice out of cleaning up your diet? Healthy portions. Lots of vegetables and some more fruits. Less refined carbs, caffeine, sodium, saturated fats. Talk with God and tell him you are going to you are going to observe a very healthy diet as a sacrifice. Tell Him you want to make yourself the best you can be as an offering. Don’t think of making a sacrifice as just withholding food. This would be a good time to maybe start walking two miles a day? I think just cutting back total intake for the day is bad idea for your work and school.

 

[Melodeonist]

I actually haven’t been eating too much lately. I find the less I eat the less I need to eat. I often skip breakfast, often lunch too. Sometimes I do a total fast all day and I offer it up to God as a prayer. Sometimes I have a small breakfast (yogurt or a banana) and/or a small lunch (another banana, beef jerky, or something else small.) Unless I am fasting, I almost always have a large dinner made by my mother.

Honestly, I haven’t had any problems so far.

 

[robertmidwest]

I actually haven’t been eating too much lately. I find the less I eat the less I need to eat. I often skip breakfast, often lunch too. Sometimes I do a total fast all day and I offer it up to God as a prayer. Sometimes I have a small breakfast (yogurt or a banana) and/or a small lunch (another banana, beef jerky, or something else small.) Unless I am fasting, I almost always have a large dinner made by my mother.

Honestly, I haven’t had any problems so far.

That is your fasting diet? Or normal diet?

You know your situation better than me.

 

[Melodeonist]

I guess it’s my normal diet. I try to incorporate fasting as much as possible. What I include my fasting diet is strictly no food only water. If we get pizza or my mother makes macaroni and cheese though, expect me to eat a ton of it!

Before I did this with my diet I was snacking all the time and drinking soda like it was going out of style. My current diet helps me save money and keep my weight normal.

 

[robertmidwest]

Before I did this with my diet I was snacking all the time and drinking soda like it was going out of style. My current diet helps me save money and keep my weight normal.

This is great.

The part that is hard to understand is cutting back meals from a diet where you already skip meals. To me, it sounds unhealthy.