What does fasting do for you?

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I’m very curious about fasting, as I’ve had friends of various faith traditions over the years practice this ancient and global tradition. I’ve tried fasting and praying for intentions, but all I feel is hungry, grumpy, and hypoglycemic. Am I approaching it all wrong? How do you feel when you’re fasting? Is there a prayerful enlightenment I should be feeling as a result of fasting? I’d love to hear your experiences.
 
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How do you fast ie time, prep, food and water during.

Do you eat a lot of sugar
 
I don’t think you can just jump into fasting and expect a halo to appear over your head right away. It’s a process. In the Roman rite, Catholics are only obliged to fast two days out of the year. Two days doesn’t do much for you. Most folks will feel grumpy, hungry and hypoglycemic like you mention. But that’s because they don’t do it much.

For Lent, I didn’t fast (except for Good Friday) all Fridays but I did not eat snacks on Fridays. That was hard the first few times but it became easier (not physically but mentally). You don’t have the shock that you have the first few times you fast. You can more fully get into it.

Now, I am by no means an expert on fasting. I need to do more of it. But that is my experience.
 
Pftttt. Ash Wednesday?

Yeah, I fast then. The Ashes give me strength.
 
One is doing fasting correctly if people don’t realize that you are.
It’s self denial.
 
virgo said:
I’ve tried fasting and praying for intentions, but all I feel is hungry, grumpy, and hypoglycemic. Am I approaching it all wrong?
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No, this is the effect it has on a lot of people. I usually feel this way myself; sometimes I also get a pounding headache or an overwhelming urge to sleep. It’s supposed to feel lousy or it wouldn’t be penance.
Occasionally it is possible to get a high or an “ethereal” feeling from fasting, especially if you have done it for a few days, and this feeling could be taken as a spiritual feeling. But I don’t really recommend fasting that long or that regularly.

Some people think fasting is a good way to develop self-discipline or that it is a good way to learn that you don’t need anything but God. I can see self-discipline being developed from going without certain things (soda, desserts, meat on Fridays, etc.) and from eating smaller portions than you normally would, but I think people should eat enough to keep them going through whatever activities they’re planning on any given day. I also do the fast from the Flame of Love diary where you do an extreme bread and water fast for 1 day but you can break the fast after 6 pm if you say a 5-decade rosary for the poor souls.
 
Ah, I see. So the fasting is for self-denial. Is there something about fasting that brings you discernment, or a kind of opening to the Holy Spirit? I’ve always wondered this, as people I know do it when they really have something big that they are praying for.
 
For me, it’s primarily to resist sin.

I can practice saying ‘no’ to porn later by saying ‘no’ to chocolate or carbs now.
 
I tend to get hypoglycaemic also,so I will make sure I get the right food when I fast in Lent,or other times I choose.
I’m not a big eater in general,if I do eat more I become sleepy and I find it more difficult to think of God and pray.
 
The benefit of Fasting comes from your body transitioning from burning glucose to burning ketones which are produced in the liver once all the glucose and glycogen have been used up, typically into day 2 or 3 of a water only Fast.

The reason this is beneficial is that when the brain functions on ketones, the mind is clearer and more focused - which means bible reading, prayer, listening to homilies, etc. is taken to another level. Memory, learning, retention are all increased.

It’s also beneficial for the body as it allows the body to redirect the energy typically used to process food to instead be focused on cleaning the body of all impurities. Also, cancer cells can’t feed off of ketones so fasting basically starves cancer cells.

Spiritually, it also increases the time we have to spend on God rather than food preparation & eating And puts into practice our belief as Christians that we are solely dependent on God to sustain our lives.

Fasting is awesome and worth the effort! Hunger is usually gone by day 2 or 3 of a water only Fast, once your liver begins producing ketones for your body to burn.
 
Tired and hungry. Like, really, if you went to bed really late and are wondering how ever you can get back onto your good sleeping schedule, just don’t eat anything and drink only water. Boom, magic solution.

Remember, fasting without prayer is just a diet! I certainly do feel that prayer is stronger when strengthened with fasting. I had a very unlikely prayer seemingly answered with much fasting and prayer.

I reccomend going for only very short fasts. Perhaps try one week to take a day out and try intermittent fasting. Then for a couple days. Then the next week, just fast the whole day one day.
I think any fast 3 days or over require a bunch of extra special care and stuff and might be dangerous. Oh! It’s always a good idea to check with your doctor.
 
Fasting is a tremendous practice. It has helped me pursue sexual purity. When I fast, I no longer have a desire to view pornography and masturbate or to experiment with drugs, get drunk, fornicate with a woman I barely know, or any other sinful thing. I believe that fasting is a gift from God. Not all fasts are valid, though. Jesus said, in Matthew 6, to not be like the religious hypocrites. Don’t show off-- do it for the glory of God.

Right now I’m on my fourth day of caffeine fasting. The Lord put it on my heart to fast from caffeine. I suffered a headache yesterday; it’s a withdrawal symptom. The good thing about fasting is that you can pretty much make your own rules. You can fast from almost anything, like alcohol, video games, cigarettes, swearing, food, drinks, sex, fast food, coffee, etc.

When you fast, you are basically saying to God that fellowship with Him is more important than eating and drinking. Fasting is a spiritual act-- it’s much more than abstaining from food and drinks, It’s a form of worship that helps us understand that faith is more important than filling our bellies.
 
Well when I look at the pictures of famine & realize how privileged we are to be able to do this.
 
Tis_Bearself said:
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virgo:
I’ve tried fasting and praying for intentions, but all I feel is hungry, grumpy, and hypoglycemic. Am I approaching it all wrong?
Click to expand...
No, this is the effect it has on a lot of people. I usually feel this way myself; sometimes I also get a pounding headache or an overwhelming urge to sleep. It’s supposed to feel lousy or it wouldn’t be penance.
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Although i have not done it in a long time, when i do it privately, i do the Old Testament absolute-fasting (no eating/drinking) for a full day (sunset to sunset). And usually approximately 18 hours into it that pounding headache starts due to lack of sugar and water (and coffee, i guess!!) along with such drained energy.
 
A RIGOROUS fast requires a doctor’s supervision.

A “normal” fast means you only eat one FULL meal + two lesser meals in a day. And avoid snacks.

But if your work is strenuous, then you are not permitted to cause injury to yourself or others.

[Most people normally do not eat FULL meals.]

You really need to read up on and study fasting.


[In normal usage, abstinence means not eating meat.]
 
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Wife.of.Gabriel said:
The benefit of Fasting comes from your body transitioning from burning glucose to burning ketones which are produced in the liver once all the glucose and glycogen have been used up, typically into day 2 or 3 of a water only Fast.

The reason this is beneficial is that when the brain functions on ketones, the mind is clearer and more focused - which means bible reading, prayer, listening to homilies, etc. is taken to another level. Memory, learning, retention are all increased.

It’s also beneficial for the body as it allows the body to redirect the energy typically used to process food to instead be focused on cleaning the body of all impurities. Also, cancer cells can’t feed off of ketones so fasting basically starves cancer cells.
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We are not supposed to give medical advice on this forum.

Fasting yourself into ketosis can be very dangerous. It is also not something that happens with every fast. It should not be presented as some sort of cancer cure/ prevention on here.

I would urge people who want to do this type of fasting to check with their doctor.
 
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