Fasting With Stomach Issues -- Ideas?

[uniqueusername]

Hello !

I’ve been a Catholic for about five years now; fasting is still very new to me. I have a pretty good handle in why we fast; I also understand when we should fast. Unfortunately, it makes me violently ill. Today, for example, I went without food all day (just because it’s Friday, and I wanted to give it to Our Lord), and when meals came around I went and prayed instead. All was well. I ate a light meal of buttered noodles and a few vegetables. Now I’m in agony. And so it goes every time.

Lent is coming up. I know I’m allowed to adjust or substitute the fast days if I have a legitimate medical issue, but I don’t want to! I feel how good it is throughout the day and think about Christ’s passion, but at night, after I’ve had my small meal . . . esh.

I have found next to nothing on this issue online. Does anyone else have this problem?
If so, do you have any ideas about how to fast without being violently ill afterward?

 

[Wesrock]

Please follow the advice of your doctor regarding fasting. Also, please note that fasting during Lent, for healthy individuals within a certain age range, allows two half meals and one full meal a day. We don’t have an obligation to fast sun up to sun down.

 

[c1949]

It seems that you have to take care of yourself, if fasting causes too much of a problem.

Just talking about it makes me hungry.

 

[midori]

Fasting gives me bad breath. When my stomach is empty, I can smell it.

There are different types of fasts. You can do a bread-and-water fast. You can eat half a meal. You can fast from a particular type of food that’s difficult to give up-- like meat.

The big thing is the sacrifice and the discipline. If one particular sacrifice isn’t medically feasible-- suppose someone is pregnant, or nursing, or has health issues, or perhaps you’re a guest and you can’t keep your fast without offending your host-- then you can replace it with another type of sacrifice that works with your situation.

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

Today, for example, I went without food all day (just because it’s Friday, and I wanted to give it to Our Lord), and when meals came around I went and prayed instead.

That is not how the Church defines fasting.

Fasting means limiting yourself to one normal meal and up to two smaller meals that don’t add up to a full meal.

There are two fast days during the year: Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.

If you want to do something on other Fridays you can abstain from meat. Substitute fish, eggs, or other non-meat foods in your meals.

Once you know what fasting means for Catholics you can decide if it’s medically prudent.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

First, I think you need to talk to your doctor and get medical advice on this.

Second, fasting by going without food all day is not a normal Catholic fast and it would make a lot of us sick for various different reasons including stressing the bowel or having fluctuating blood sugar or stomach acid. You are supposed to eat small, regular meals, not go without eating all day and then dump a meal in yourself, unless you are somehow eating a large meal at 11 pm the night before so you can go through most of the next day with no food.

Third, yeah going without food all day can make some people feel good like they are getting a weird little “high” (which some people interpret as a spiritual high) or really accomplishing something for our Lord, but fasting, like every other Catholic spiritual practice, is not about “feels”.

Jesus didn’t expect people to go without food all day. That’s why he fed them instead of just telling them to offer up their hunger and continue listening to him. Jesus had meals with his disciples too. Jesus is eating with somebody all through the Gospel. Don’t put this fasting stuff up on a pedestal.

The Lent fast for Roman Catholics is two small meals and one normal sized meal, not no food all day and then one little meal. The Lent fast is set up the way it is for practical reasons.

And it’s only 2 days out of Lent. Fridays in Lent are abstinence days, not fast days. Now you can certainly fast on additional days in Lent or even outside Lent if you wish. I fast one day a week through the whole year. Last Lent I fasted 3 days out of the week.

But my fast is not “go without food all day”. And it doesn’t feel good either.

 

[JMMJ]

You may have blood sugar issues. Don’t fast if it makes you sick. If you still aren’t sure, discuss it with your priest.

 

[Bluebright]

Well like the others said, get some doctors advice…but saying that I know doctors are going to look at you like why are you going there?

The church requires to my knowledge only the fast of two small meals and one normal meal in Lent so why not stick with that? I dont know your medical issues but it seems no food is the issue…perhaps less food might be ok. Also you can fast with types of food… say you love ketchup, give that up…no harm done there. Or small things like that that should not cause you any harm when eating, like if you enjoy salt on your food, or gravy, or spices and herbs in the cooking, or desert, or sugar in your coffee/tea, etc. Chose really bland food, like mashed potato with no sauce or gravy etc. in it and a plain piece of fish with no sauce herbs/spices or gravies and a serving or veg cooked with no salt herbs/spice etc. which is a very dull plain meal and not appetising and could certainly be said to be fasting from taste or pleasure, but should not cause your body to be sick as it is not no food. Might that help? These are usually more commonly called mortifications but are to the same end. For the love of God.