Fasting at Work - any tips?

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Tis_Bearself

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I usually work from home, so not a problem, but sometimes I need to go into work when I am fasting. I typically do a bread and water fast or an egg and grapefruit fast. I do not include coffee, tea, or drinks other than water. The fast lasts all day. I do not get all that hungry and as long as I eat what is prescribed, I do not feel tempted to eat extra and I’m not hungry, but I do get tired/ sleepy and sometimes headache.

Any tips for how to cope with this at the office? I work a desk job so I do not have safety worries like dozing off running a machine or driving a truck.
 
We have a break room where snacks like grapefruit or eggs can be prepared. Depending on how restrictive the bean counters get, you can take this to your desk. I generally take beef or vege bullion to my desk and sip it.

A prepared item can be brought in, then heated up if appropriate.
 
I’m not fully sure what your question is, but most workplaces have a fridge/microwave etc somewhere for group use. At least mine does. I bring my sack lunch every day and stuff it in the fridge until use. However, I also often do not eat lunch, depending on when and how big breakfast is. So I don’t bring anything at all.

Bread, hard boiled eggs, and grapefruit don’t really need refrigeration during a work day. Or you could buy an insulated lunch sack to keep them cool.

Maybe your question is just about how/where to eat? I just eat at my desk or small table in my office. Sometimes I’ll sit outside or at the cafeteria. I guess my workplace (university) has a lot of options for this.
 
Maybe make 1-3 little grapefruit smoothie in tiny bottles and use them as an “energy shot” during the most tired moments?
Constant drinking is the key for my when I fast at work, I dont fast from tea, but If i did, I could imagine a bottle of water with a little fruit juice would it make easier to drink.
 
Thanks all. I don’t have a problem storing food or getting food or eating it at my desk. Just looking for ways to deal with the tiredness and headache.

When I am working at home, I just take a nap and make up the time later, such as when the fast day is ended and I can eat something that gives a boost, and have coffee. But I can’t take a nap at my desk, it looks bad.

Normally I would wake myself up with a coffee or a Coke. But on my fasts, these aren’t allowed.
 
Drink plenty of water. You feel tired if you are dehydrated and we get a lot of liquid from our food. You may find you aren’t drinking enough too especially if you would normally have coffee etc. That may well also be the headache issue. Also try move around a bit from your desk and take some deep breaths and that should help wake you up.
 
While at work if you can get up and move around every hour or so for a few minutes to help keep you awake. Go outside if you can.
 
If you want to give up coffee then the sleepy mood will last for 2 weeks. You can try some blueberry juices or just plain blueberries as boost energies while the coffee addiction will wave off.
Why do you have to give up coffee though?
 
I couldn’t give up coffee, or I would get a migraine. I do realize this is an addiction, but…
I get migraines any way on certain days. You might try Excedrin Migraine, which is a lifesaver for me. It is a combination of caffeine and pain killer.
 
I don’t want to give it up permanently. For the first 10 weeks of this year I only had it once a week because I was doing a more extreme prayer program that cut it out along with lots of other things. I started to drink it more often again after husband died because I needed to stay upright. However, I do not drink it every day and it’s not allowed on the 1 or 2 fast days I do per week on my normal more relaxed plan.
 
It’s a devotion I do once a week and trying to get back to twice a week.
Monday fast is for the souls of priests in purgatory.
I write a deceased priest’s name on my chart every Monday or else ask Jesus to pick one from a group (like a deceased Irish priest of Jesus’ choice, a deceased priest from my hometown etc) and then offer my fast for them.
 
I think I’d carefully weigh a couple of factors, such as:

You fast, feel sleepy, have a headache: does that make you do poorly at your job? If so, I’d reconsider fasting of that nature on a work day. Do a fast that doesn’t make you sleepy or get a headache so that you can perform your work well.

You fast from coffee on a fast day, but get a headache. You take a painkiller with caffeine. In this case I think it is more reasonable to just drink a cup of coffee that day, or another beverage with caffeine.

Caffeine withdrawal rather than food withdrawal probably accounts for the sleepiness/headache.
 
I appreciate the thought, and when I have to drive a long way or do something strenuous (like a few weeks ago I had to drive 5 hours to a funeral) I move the fast to another weekday. But this devotion is supposed to be done on Mondays and I would like to do it right. I have done it 16 weeks straight without messing up (except for the funeral week I moved it to Thursday and did it that day because I had to drive and also the son of the deceased had planned a lunch get-together).

This fasting is miniscule compared to what Eastern Catholics and Muslims do. Just looking for tips like drink water, move around, any other way of coping.
 
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I would maybe also try using a bit mint oil on your temples, maybe it helps against those tired minutes with headache…
 
Try not to think of food…😎

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Such fortitude in the face of temptation the Old Colonel has never seen.
 
It’s because of the type of fast. On a bread and water fast, one doesn’t get hungry. One gets tired and headachey. After 6 pm if I say a Rosary for the Poor Souls, I can break the fast, which I will need to do in order to get anything like laundry done this evening.
 
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