What is fasting?

[whichwaytogo47]

I was wondering what exactly is fasting? Is it where you skip a meal or don’t eat before a certain time? I’m not referring to Lent but the run of the mill fast for prayer or novena. Is it the quantity of food that you eat? Can it be that you forgot to eat and than offer up a prayer for someone? Can you change what your fast is for after the fact (i.e. if you have someone else to pray for)? Can you fast for the day and than be a glutton at 7pm because you are SO hungry? Is there any way to sin while fasting and any ways to avoid that sin?

Any tips on making a successful fast? I am trying to learn how to better pray for people and sometimes I think it’s necessary to fast. The problem is, it works well when I need to do physical work (i.e. filing) but not so well when I need to do mental work (i.e. concentration. I am wondering if it’s best to do it on the weekend when out with friends when I need to save money on eating out but than how to avoid picking which defeats the purpose of fasting. Should I tell my wife about fasting hoping we would do it together or is it best to only bring it up in terms of praying and that we each individually take up fasting? Is talking about it with my wife avoiding anonymity? What about asking fellow Christians (like my aunt) or people on this board - is there somehow that we’re getting our reward here and thus won’t be saving it for heaven? I’ve only fasted twice in the last few years. I had attempted to fast many times, but have fallen into temptation and not completed succeeded.

Thanks so much!

 

[otjm]

Fasting within the definition of what the Church requires is one regular meal, and two others which are (approximately) each half of one meal.

Beyond that, fasting is what the individual defines it as, and one might hope that common sense has some (name removed by moderator)ut.

It could be two meals a day, one in the morning, one in the evening; it could be nothing bet bread and water; it could be bread and water in insufficient quantities.

No, talking with your wife is not avoiding anonymity, but it might avoid someone being angry if she is fixing the meals, and you are refraining. Oh - there’s that common sense again.

You have a moral duty (assuming you have an employer) to do the best work you can for what you are remunerated. ah, yes, common sense.

Fallen into temptation? Or simply hunger - the body’s response to lack of food…

 

[RKS89]

You can fast from all kinds of stuff. Cream in your coffee, desert, meat, bread, alcohol, a whole meal, for a whole day. I think less is more where fasting is concerned, lest we be tempted to spiritual pride.

 

[whichwaytogo47]

Thanks for your thoughtful post.

 

[greenrangerx]

When I fast, I typically give up one meal (usually my lunch), and then use that time to pray instead.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

You can fast from all kinds of stuff. Cream in your coffee, desert, meat, bread, alcohol, a whole meal, for a whole day. I think less is more where fasting is concerned, lest we be tempted to spiritual pride.

This is correct. Pick something that is going to give you enough hardship that you’re offering it up, but isn’t so extreme that you’re going to pass out or be unable to do your work, drive your car, take care of your kids or whatever you have to do.

I’m on a fasting program right now and for most days the requirement is no dessert, no sweet drinks, no alcohol, no soda, no eating between meals. On those days, I’m doing all that but also trying to follow a low-sugar diet plan that involves certain amounts of meat, fruit, salad and very limited amounts of bread (mostly cracker bread). Two days a week are supposed to be bread and juice only. Because I don’t think 2 days a week on bread and juice is good for me, I made one day bread and juice and the other day I’m doing an egg and grapefruit fast where 2 meals consist of one egg and a half grapefruit and then you have a small low or no-sugar dinner. Other people are doing other type fasts that work for them - one person is doing a liquid meals only day, somebody else is on a doctor-prescribed Keto fast, etc.

For my bread fast day I’m following the rules that Elizabeth Kindelmann used: bread and water till 6 pm and then you can “break your fast” by having something else after 6 pm if you want, but if you break your fast, you have to say 5 decades of rosary for the Poor Souls on the same day.

You can also fast from non-food items, like go without TV, internet, video games, etc. for a day if giving up one of those activities would be a sacrifice for you. I myself wouldn’t “fast” from TV because I almost never watch it, or from video games because I almost never play them.

Traditionally, we don’t fast on Sundays, except for the one hour before receiving the Eucharist at Mass.

 

[brian_custer]

when i was young i fasted on only milk & water for 3 straight days

now that i am an old f***t, " fasting" is lobster newburg on fridays in lent

 

[otjm]

Aside from “New Year” resolutions and weight loss, I am of the opinion that fasting is a good thing. Stepping back not only from enjoyable things, but also from those we tend to take for granted gives an opportunity for perspective, something we tend to lose when “in the moment”. And that can lead to a look at life overall; where are we going? And how are we getting there?

 

[otjm]

Your comment abut bread and water: if forced to eat what generally passes itself off fro breead in the grocery store, that would be a penance bordering on severe.

On the other hand, if it is Jim Leahy’s “No Knead Bread”, I could live on that and water alone!

 

[Tis_Bearself]

I purposely don’t pick tasty bread to do the exercise. I use Wasa cracker bread, either light rye or multigrain. The multigrain is slightly better but I am not a fan of either one, which makes it a penance. If I were eating some nice loaf of bakery bread, or even a loaf of Wonder-fype bread, it wouldn’t be penance at all because that stuff has sugar and refined flour in it.