Thread: Fasting?

Do any of you practice fasting for short periods of time? Either for spiritual reasons or health reasons. I've done the Master Cleanse twice and honestly I didn't get much results to crow about from it, but I also could've been in close to optimal shape at the time. I've been more lax lately with my eating and exercise commitments so I'm looking at this again to maybe reprogram my brain back on my health goals.

Fasting for Fun and Profit

If you read that, he has some links to other sites for information.

I am curious about experiences you guys have had both physically and spiritually.

Hi, Darbla;

I fast for religious reasons -- during Ramadan, and then occasionally through the year (there are often Ramadan fast days you have to make up; I have five for this year -- there are also other recommended fast days). I don't know if the Islamic method of fasting corresponds to what you're looking at doing; it is a complete fast between dawn and sunset (fajr prayer to maghrib), meaning nothing taken in, not even water. However, some of the experience might be applicable.

There tends to be, at first, something of a fixation on "I can't eat at all" where pretty much all you think about is food, and what you're going to do to it when you can finally eat -- combined with guilt at "I should think of other, more spiritual things!" -- I found out this is near universal, at least if you can get people to cop to it, since it's rather guilt-inducing. This is how it goes usually for the first week, then you stop thinking about food all the time. In fact, you think of it less and less. I've had days later in the month where when it came time to break fast, I found myself doing the quickie-snack fast-breaking, then delaying eating for a while until I really felt like it (less so when I went to the masjid, because then there's this big meal for everyone, see). So you move into a kind of habit of fasting, where the eating patterns just become less important, and you realize you will get what you need, not what you think you need.

At that point, you just don't feel a compulsion to eat during the day, and yes, you DO become a lot more mindful of what you're doing and why. Food also becomes something more to appreciate, when it is time to eat. I accidentally broke fast this year (really -- and if it is accidental, it doesn't invalidate the fast) by taking an offered muscadine my daughter had picked. There was this incredible burst of texture and flavor, like the most perfect grape ever (and then I went "Whoops!"). People say that fasting sharpens your thinking and senses; I think it does for me. It almost becomes hard to stop, too: for a week or so after Eid, I had to remember to eat lunch.

But yes: the first few days of fasting, all you want to do is eat. I'm sure there are people who don't have that going on, but I haven't met many of them, and some of those who claim not to probably are being a bit disingenuous. If you're doing it for non-religious reasons, it's probably less of a...thing...to be fixated on eating at first.

Fasting is really good for our health. It helps us to reduce our weight. It helps belly to take rest for one day. It makes our digestion system good.

Look up Intermittent Fasting- there's a ton of resources online about it. 18-24 hour fasts once in a while will not hurt you and will give your body a bit of a 'break' from constantly digesting.

Originally Posted by Tiziri

Hi, Darbla;

Food also becomes something more to appreciate, when it is time to eat. I accidentally broke fast this year (really -- and if it is accidental, it doesn't invalidate the fast) by taking an offered muscadine my daughter had picked. There was this incredible burst of texture and flavor, like the most perfect grape ever (and then I went "Whoops!"). People say that fasting sharpens your thinking and senses; I think it does for me.

That's so interesting! It makes me want to try fasting!

Originally Posted by Siobhanafin

That's so interesting! It makes me want to try fasting!

Well, Ramadan is here again, so if you're going to try to fast in the next month, you'll have plenty of company (including me)

Ramadan Kareem Tiziri.

Its going to be challenging for many over here in the Middle East. Its high summer here and Doha day temps are
hitting 50+ (122F) fairly regularly.

Originally Posted by Tiziri

Well, Ramadan is here again, so if you're going to try to fast in the next month, you'll have plenty of company (including me)

I have anemia and very low blood pressure, so i have medical reasons for not doing a full fast. I do what some call a juice fast, tho the name can be misleading as I avoid anything with a high sugar content! I usually use liquid chlorophyll or lemon juice in water, for a longer fast I do essentially a homemade watered down v8 with a little "lite" salt for potassium. It is really freeing to not need to think about food or eating, and it helps purge the system both physically and mentally/spiritually. It is a good time to refocus on how you want to live and evaluate how you have been living. I am a Christian and use religious resources when I fast, but I don't follow the liturgical calendar for fasting. I recognize when I need it and am open to doing this as the spirit leads. That being said, I would probably not have tried fasting without my earlier religious experience.

Originally Posted by Aziza_UAE

Ramadan Kareem Tiziri.

Its going to be challenging for many over here in the Middle East. Its high summer here and Doha day temps are
hitting 50+ (122F) fairly regularly.

Allahu akram, Aziza! :)

Eeeehhhh, I'm feeling fortunate it's not that hot here, because that would be a challenge (we had a heat wave where the temp hit 107-109 for several days, and that was near unbearable -- I was considering it a good thing it wasn't Ramadan yet)! Hydrate well at night, and take it easy!

Today is my third day doing an IF (intermittent fasting)

I stop eating food after dinner on Sunday and don't eat again until Dinner Monday night (which ends up being about 8-9pm by the time BF gets home.


So far it hasn't really been hard for me. I think my body enjoys the break in digesting.

Im giving it a full 4-5 weeks to see if there's any benefit to me in doing it. (for fat/weight loss etc reasons. ) the vote seems to be out on whether or not IF is beneficial to women for weight loss purposes.

But like I said, whether or not i get a boost in fat/weight loss, I feel pretty light and clean after doing it.