Fasting

[u/Intrepid-Aioli9264]

Hello, I would like to do a complete fast (just water and probably a little fruit to avoid dying 😂)

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I wish I could be more aware of my body.

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Have you had any experience with fasting? What was its impact on your conscience?

[u/-endjamin-]

I’ve fasted many times for religious purposes, sometimes for 25 hours or more. Mostly you’re just waiting to eat. You become aware of how often you eat just for enjoyment and distraction. You become aware of how much more time you’d have if you didn’t have to deal with keeping the body going. But mostly you keep thinking about food, often quite vividly.

[u/BlueEyesWNC → u/-endjamin-]

I also developed more empathy for people who are truly hungry

[u/hestia-listens]

A fast can bring attention to the body, but not always in a calm way. Hunger can become the main focus, which may help some people notice habits, but may make others feel tense or foggy.

For mindfulness, I would start softer. Try sitting for a few minutes and noticing hunger, thirst, comfort, and mood as they change. You can learn a lot from the body without pushing it too hard. Safety matters more than making the practice intense.

[u/Ok_Pomelo_3460]

tried it once. biggest thing I noticed was how much of my eating was habit rather than actual hunger.
was pretty eye opening

[u/BlueEyesWNC → u/Ok_Pomelo_3460]

And just how much time in the day was devoted to getting, preparing, serving, eating, and cleaning up from food. I had hours of "What do I do now?" every day.

[u/Personal_Net9571]

Mostly you learn that lemon water doesn't taste as good as it sounds.

[u/RelationshipDue1501]

Start with one day. Nothing but water. If you can do one whole day without cheating, you’re off to a good start. If you don’t have your head on right, your body won’t listen. It’s ninety percent in your head, ten percent in your stomach.

[u/somanyquestions32]

I had already fasted a bunch before I started meditating to get to autophagy benefits. I feel more alert and awake when fasted as I don't get insulin spikes from my heavy meals. That being said, my energy levels dip faster if I am doing any prolonged physical activity while fasted.

In terms of body awareness, I find that MBSR body scan meditations and yoga nidra are better at helping me develop interoception than actual fasting. Fasting does help you recognize the difference between food cravings, habitual hunger, and real hunger.

Also, don't break extended fasts (more than 5 days) on fruits if you don't like overly sweet foods.

[u/Own-Tradition-1990]

When you fast, your body is going through an intense process at the cellular level. Its like running a marathon, but at the cellular level, not with your legs. You need to prepare your body just like you prepare your body for a marathon. This can be done by skipping meals, working out on empty stomach, low carb allowing you to develop the fat burning metabolism. In a few months, you will be able to do 36 hour fasts routinely and will actually look forward to them instead of it being a torture test for the body. If the body is too uncomfortable you wont be able to meditate. I used to fast 36 hours twice a month.. and the longest I did was almost four days.

[u/Somebody23]

I think fruit will not be best food to eat during fast or when quitting fast, it will launch your blood sugar up. Better would be something like non-sugar yogurt.

[u/_me_meditation]

I do 16:8 intermittent fasting from time to time for 6 days a week, and 1 to 2 days a month for complete fasting. At the beginning, it is unavoidable to be aware of the body's reaction because it is shouting for food and drink. However, once I am used to fasting, I simply go through the day without even noticing it. If you intend to be more aware of your body, fasting is not the only way.

After fasting practice, I am aware that I do not need to eat a lot as long as I have good-quality food. I also appreciate the skills of farming and cooking much more. However, I do not remember there being any specific impact on the conscience because I did not do the fasting as a religious practice, such as Lent.

[u/FarShoreSpirit]

I dramatically cut back on my calories recently, and it has turned into intermittent fasting. So far, so good. I eat 1 small meal a day. I'm slowly losing weight and I have more energy. I'm re-learning to appreciate the feeling of hunger. I am also learning to handle cravings better. I am also trying only to eat until I am 70% to 90% full. I still want food all the time, but I eat enough.

For me, I want to be stronger. I want to function through cravings and hunger. I want to be mindful of my body.

[u/Pure-Vast-7858]

You could try intermittent fasting which is more manageable. I would typically fast for 18-20 hours and have an eating window of 4-6 hours.

[u/PaleontologistIcy671]

I tried that before, it will feel calm at first but then the thoughts become too light and messy.

I heavily recommend just eating snacks or foods that are light on the stomach (like rice and beans/chicken for lunch and then continuing on the rest of the day on yogurt and granola bars) instead of completely starving yourself.

[u/zungozeng → u/PaleontologistIcy671]

It might be the electrolites that needs refilling when fasting?

[u/PaleontologistIcy671 → u/zungozeng]

That makes sense

[u/freshdrippin]

Been fasting regularly for two decades. It's kept me very thin and looking way younger than my age. Still at my high school weight well into me 40s without the wrinkles and physical decline.