[julia60]

I know you must be a good person aoise.

I love how you describe your efforts to please our Blessed Mother in her advise to us all; but she must get the giggles at us sometimes when she sees how we struggle in spite of our human condition.

This is sure to be a big plus when you get to the judgement part of your journey to Heaven. !!

[Andy08]

Mt. Carmel,

It sounds like you have very good insight into the many roles food has in your life. You are not alone. Any behavioral change should be done slowly. The change should be set up in a way to guarantee success. Fasting on bread and water every wednesday and friday is the ultimate goal and usually not a good place to start. I think more than completing the "best fast" is developing a closer relationship with God. Even if you start drinking water with your regular meals instead of a soft drink that may be a way to start. In those moments, when you drink water rather than a more enjoyable drink, you will be reminded of God and will most likely think of Him with each sip of water. These efforts increase a closeness to God. One will often think of Him more often on fast days. I know I think of Him a lot more often on those days.

Another reason for fasting is to begin to detach from earthly materialism and desire. No easy feat. Denying ourself something is a way to move closer to heavenly thinking and farther from earthly thinking.

Finally, pray for the grace to be successful. I have struggled with food and alcohol not exercising. etc. When I stopped trying to lose weight for vanity, but instead I fasted to be closer to God the graces that I needed were freely given to me to succeed. Now, I can say I just used sound psychological principles to make the changes. But I know it was an answer to prayers. I still have spiritual battles, in fact I'm in the midst of one right now and not doing too well with it. I just keep hanging on to my rosary, my fast, the sacraments, and this forum.


God Bless you in your effort.

Andy

[Mt. Carmel]

Thanks, Andy. These days, and at the age of 63, vanity is on the back burner with regard to fasting and any weight loss. Apart from using the discipline as a spiritual exercise that in moderation is pleasing to God; I am thinking of the money I would save and be able to divert to more worthy causes than my own flaccid waistline!


Peace and Love.

[Andy08]

I'm 54 and probably will have a little vanity in my bones until I die.

Andy

[Papillon]

What a great thread! Thank you all for sharing.

I met a man recently who urged me to wear the brown scapular. I have it on now for a week.
Now you've all inspired me to start fasting again. It's been a few years since I did it last.
Family life and responsibilities got the better of me, or so I tell myself,
but it was probably the thorns that choked the seed.

I have quite a way to go but I'll let you know how it goes.
Pray for me.

[Maryh]

I've found just reading these post here really encouraging too.
i want to try harder to fast also.
My own experience of fasting on bread and water was..well i had one slice of bread..it made me hungry so i had two more...which made me soo sleepy...i slept the morning away. Obviously not a good idea.

My Friend was a much better example where she took some small chunks of a baguette or something just when she really felt the need. ie. she was feeling weak or dizzy or whatnot. So i'm going to try her method too and soon.

i read in the bible (not sure which passage)..something along the lines of God saying he liked fasting where the'oppressed & prisioners were set free'..so if i fail on a particular day..this reminds me of where im kinda like a 'slave' to certain impulses i may have .it reminds me whats acting like an 'idol': where i devote too much of myself to it.
so this has indirectly highlighted areas where i could try 'fasting'.
I'd hope i wasnt' oppressing anyone or making them my prisioner..but hey..it definetely makes me think.

Even a simple matter of denying myself a magazine and save the money for some worthwhile charity gives a great feeling.
However..i'm sorely needing to strengthen my will-power in a lot of ways so this thread was great to encounter along my way.

[Papillon]

...

[Andy08]

Perhaps the most important thing that has minimized any problem for me in fasting is having a companion to fast with on fast days. Before I developing this fasting partnership, I rarely succeeded. Once the partnership was struck "we" rarely fail. Knowing there's another person counting on me to pray and fast for common intentions motivates me.

Find a partner. You just need one. We send each other a quick email on Tuesdays to make sure we will both be able to fast the next day and what are intentions our. Then we proceed. We usually drop a quick not Wednesday or Thursday and that's it. Nothing too complicated or time consuming. We have never met; we only communicate through emails.

"If two or more of you are gathered in my name, I am with you."
--Jesus of Nazareth

If anyone feels fasting with another person on Wednesdays would help them be more success in their fasting please PM me. We would be happy to add a few to our bread and water fasting group which presently consist of two.

God Bless.

Andy

[Andy08]

I use a reframe in my mind that is based on Sr. Emmanuels discussion on fasting. A mental trick to help succeed in the fast.

She suggests that fasting saves souls. It brings souls out of purgatory into heaven, or changes the hearts of sinners to believers. If we pray for a soul, we may save one soul. If we pray and fast but break the fast early, we may save 20 souls. If we pray and complete a fast on bread and water, we may save 1000 souls.

These are arbitrary numbers, but is that cup of coffee or bite of peanut butter worth having 980 souls to have to wait in purgatory until you decide to complete your fast. Can you be a little uncomfortable for a day to help Our Lady with perhaps one of the most powerful tools She has taught us. She need us to help Her with Her mission? Confession, mass, conversion--that's for our soul. Fasting is for other and in helping them we are helped.

When I want to eat I ask myself that question? Is that bit of a chicken wing more important than saving all those souls. So little to sacrifice for such a great gain. To some degree, I believe this so this way of thinking works for me. Perhaps it will help you.
It has been a beautiful experience--making the fast a regular rhythm of my week and life. I have experienced immeasurable graces and prayers have been answered. Good luck in your efforts and hope this little trick of mine helps.

God Bless.
Andy

[gdub]

I have been fasting on bread/water on Wednesdays the past couple of months. I haven't been doing it that long but some limited advice which some have already mentioned...

Wait to eat and start eating bread in the early afternoon.
Focus on souls that are being saved/released through your fast. I offer my fast to the holy souls in purgatory.
Combine it with some type of special prayer time.

I attend adoration late wednesday evening for a holy hour at a local church. I always tell myself throughout the day that I am preparing for that meeting with Jesus at night and to not slip up. He will be pleased when I meet him later that night.

Continued success to everyone who is doing there part fasting.

[Mt. Carmel]

Going to have another try fasting - Wed and Fri - starting tomorrow - DG.


Peace and Love.

[Andy08]

Mt. Carmel,

Good luck.

Andy

[Andy08]

Mt Carmel,

How'd you do? I'm attempting to fast today, Wednesday.

Andy

[Maryh]

Hi everyone..is there any bread and water fasting group out there?
If so..plz may i join in.?

I'm needing a nudge in the right direction i think.

[pablovb]

I recomend to you to start friday only and them more days,I am doing that and I think when I am stronger I will do wednesday too.

what day is tomorrow?

[Mt. Carmel]

Mt Carmel,

How'd you do? I'm attempting to fast today, Wednesday.

Andy

Not too good! If at first you don't succeed, pray, focus and try again! Having a better try today, DG. Two Masses, a rosary and other prayers should hopefully help.

ps. No peanut butter in the house


Peace and Love.

[julia60]

I just revisited this thread this morning, and Thank God it is Saturday. I had to stop, go in the kitchen and make some munchies, for poor little tum.

For fasting tips, I have read that one of the visionaries said that she tells her tummy, she is in charge and she tells it to wait for food till she says so. I guess you can call that mind over matter, and I found that a very helpful tactic, ie telling my tummy I am in charge, and I will decide when tummy gets food, and I say to my tum, you are not going to tell me when to eat, I tell you. That has worked well for me.

Another tactic I have found helpful is, telling myself Blessed Mother says (in my case) no to food on Wednesdays or Fridays so I just tell myself "Mother Knows Best" She will tell me the whys one day.

I am not good at offering the moments of temptation for holy souls or conversions, I can only tell myself "Mother knows Best" and when tummy grumbles..
"behave yourself tummy, I say when to eat"

I ask Blessed Mother to take my efforts and make use of them as only a Mother can. However, I have lately been making a general intention for Peace on the Friday fast, and Prosperity on the Wednesday Fast.

Perhaps I have a long way to go with the spiritual aspect of fasting. Still trying though. Thanks be to God.

[OnASpiritualJourney2]

Well done Julia! The hard part is not letting the tummy have its way the other five days. l

[Mt. Carmel]

I think I will stick a couple of fridge magnets depicting Jesus and Our Lady next to the door handles, and/or and underfed child, and maybe a sign saying, 'The Devil makes work for idle hands and minds'.


Peace and Love.

[prestonwatson]

Hi Joey,

I hope everything would be ok now. You would be fasting every Wednesday and Friday. You would have be used to of fasting by now. A person who starts fasting for the first time, often fall sick. That was not at all to worry. Though it has been a long time to hear from you. Give updates about your fasting and the life. How is everything going on. God bless you. Cheers.

[BobMcCall]

Two hours to go tonight for my fast. This will only be my second week to fast on just bread and water. I had 4 slices of toasted rye bread today. What made it worse today was I am sick with a cold. I am only fasting on Wednesdays at this time. I don't think that I am strong enough to fast two days in a week. Maybe I will get there some day. Time to try to keep my mind on something else.....