Lent, Fasting, and Anorexia

[Mrs_Sally]

I have a question about fasting. My wife and I are joining the church at easter, and this will be our first lent. I really want to follow the tradition of fasting on all friday’s and ash wednesday. My wife thinks that it isn’t a good idea, because it could set me back on my road to recovery. I do not intend to use it as a way to “not eat” as I have never had that type of anorexia. I just get scared to gain weight and get fat again after I lost 160 lbs 5 years ago. I am getting help for the mental part, and I have beating the disorder by about 90%. I just want to know if I should fast at all, or if I should fast only on ash wednesday and good friday. Or should I not fast at all. I know that it is only meal, and two “snacks”, but I don’t want to upset my wife, my health, and god. Thank you everyone for your help.

Are you under a doctor’s care for your anorexia? If so, you need to follow your dr’s directions for your diet. Someone who has a medical condition that dictates diet - whatever that condition is - is not obligated to fast or abstain. You should be obedient to your doctor in this matter and consider taking on a different penance. You can start a new prayer (ie, daily rosary), spiritual reading, almsgiving, or service project.

Edited to add: I see that you’ve decided to move away from fasting with food. That is excellent news. I pray you have a beneficial Lent and Welcome Home!

 

[YoungTradCath]

See, this is why I hate bringing up my anorexia to anyone. You will always get the person who thinks that anorexia is a woman disorder, or a teenage disorder, or a “you have to be skinny to have it” disorder. Anorexia is a co-morbid disorder that can manifest itself in many different ways. You can refuse to eat, worry about eating too much, think you are fat when you aren’t, ect. My issue stemmed from losing 160 lbs in 7 months through eating only 500-800 calories a day and biking 45-50 miles every day. I started out at 380 lbs and now I am 210 lbs. I am also 6’5" and have a body fat of 17%. I know that I am not fat, and I know that I know how to lose weight the healthy way, but I eat something and I hate myself for eating certain things. I also equate foods to when I was fat. ( ice cream, pizza, fast food, eating out at restaurants) I have not had fast food in 6 years, and I only go out to eat if I am forced by my wife, which is maybe 2-3 times a year. Anorexia is the hardest disorder to fix, even more so than drug dependency, smoking, or alcohol abuse. As an outsider looking in, I understand that people don’t get why I " just can’t eat and not worry" or “just get over it”. I also get annoyed that people always think that I lost weight by doing a stupid diet (ie subway) or by a surgery. I lost weight, I did it because I needed to, I did it a way that wasn’t healthy, I am suffering my decisions and I turn to prayer and my councilor to help my get over the last hump.

As far the main topic, I talked to my priest after mass last night. He said that I shouldn’t fast, as I wasn’t planning on doing once I did more research. He said that fasting could mean from anything. I am going to try and eat more during lent as a way to heal myself. I am also going to set up time at night to turn off electronics and pray, read scriptures, and spend time with my wife. As for the abstinence, on ash wednesday and good friday, I am abstaining from the internet ( only at work for related business) and TV. I will not eat meat on Fridays, and pray more for help in my condition.

I see. I never intended to accuse you of anything, as I realize this is tough for you. If you cannot fast then do other works like adding extra prayer into your daily life, helping with the local poor, giving up other things, etc.

 

[OraLabora]

You need to talk to your priest.

Rather his doctor. If his doctor says it is OK to fast then he should observe the Church’s fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, and no meat on Fridays. If his doctor says it will endanger his health then he can dispense himself, as I will this year since being diagnosed with type II diabetes last summer.

 

[MKF]

Wow. Congratulations on the self control necessary to abstain and exercise so well as to loose that amount of weight! I have a sister that has lost about half that in a similar way, but without the after effects - I hope!

Heartier congratulations and prayers for you and all who are entering the Church this Easter!

Please pray for us, too. This can be such a fervent time for you that your prayers might be most efficacious these next few months.

 

[JimmytheButcher]

I have a question about fasting. My wife and I are joining the church at easter, and this will be our first lent. I really want to follow the tradition of fasting on all friday’s and ash wednesday. My wife thinks that it isn’t a good idea, because it could set me back on my road to recovery. I do not intend to use it as a way to “not eat” as I have never had that type of anorexia. I just get scared to gain weight and get fat again after I lost 160 lbs 5 years ago. I am getting help for the mental part, and I have beating the disorder by about 90%. I just want to know if I should fast at all, or if I should fast only on ash wednesday and good friday. Or should I not fast at all. I know that it is only meal, and two “snacks”, but I don’t want to upset my wife, my health, and god. Thank you everyone for your help.

Friend,

I am reminded of a story about a monk who lives in a Byzantine monastery along the Redwood Coast. His allergic to wheat gluten, and yet the whole monastery lives on bread (no oil, no meat, and no dairy) for the whole of Lent. His superior commanded him that he must eat meatw while the all the others fast and abstain. From what I understand, it tears at him something fierce to not be part of what everybody else is doing.

He has his Cross. It looks like you have your Cross. Everybody has their Cross and they must bear it on the way to Calvary, where Our Mother Mary inviolate stands with her heel crushing the skull and being given to us by Her Son.

I have a little saying, “God allows turtledoves.” Some people are chosen by God, or are in some circumstance, where they simply cannot afford to purchase a lamb for the temple rituals. God was one of the those people when He was Incarnate of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

I hope that helps.

 

[mfrances]

And few priests etc will understand eg anorexia.

I was surprised to learn that priests do know quite a bit about anorexia. Priests come across people with every problem and illness and often do research in order to council people better.

 

[Hopemercy]

I was surprised to learn that priests do know quite a bit about anorexia. Priests come across people with every problem and illness and often do research in order to council people better.

Not in my experience and not here in Ireland. Period!

And illness is the province of medically trained folk, In these cases, a little knowledge can be a very dangerous thing indeed.