Today marks five weeks of fasting on Sundays. I’ve only fasted one other time in my life. This occurred in college as I was pursuing both my business degree and my concept of God at the time. It’s comforting to know that the God I was seeking after back then and my current concept of God both support fasting. But really, should that be any surprise? The practice of fasting goes back thousands of years and spans virtually all religions.

So, what does my practice of fasting look like? And it’s good to refer to it as a practice, because I get to “practice” it every Sunday. So, from the time I wake up, until I wake up on Monday morning, I don’t consume any food. I drink plenty of water, and usually a couple of cups of coffee or tea throughout the day. And instead, I get to notice how my body feels and responds to the sights and smells of food. Because you can’t generally avoid it.

Sunday #1

My first Sunday, I worked an extra shift at Denver Children’s Home. They were having a donor meal, so donors had come in to make breakfast for dinner. French Toast, Bacon, Eggs, potatoes, fruit, juice…and here I was watching everyone else eat their fill. It certainly looked good, but I knew I was going to treat myself to a similar spread the next morning, so it was a good lesson in delayed gratification.

Better put, self-control. For the longest time, I really didn’t like the concept of self-control. Most kids don’t. They want to see how far they can push things, they like to test and try and explore. And while an adventurous spirit is fundamental to a full life, so is self-control.

Sunday #2

I didn’t have to work this Sunday, and when I woke up, I wasn’t 100% committed to fasting. But I was committed to trying this out for a few weeks, so I stayed abstained from food. I thought it would be easy, but that afternoon, a friend invited me to a chili cook-off in which she was competing. So once again during the dinner hour, I was surrounded by food. The cook-off happened in a bar, so I was bombarded with the smell of chili, cheese, beer, and fried food. I came prepared though. I had just bought some thinking putty, which helped me focus my attention on something other than all the food and how I wasn’t eating it. It actually went pretty well, and I was glad I had found a way to get through it without feeling miserable.

Once again, I broke my fast at Syrup, a local cafe in Denver, with french toast, hash browns, coffee, and bacon. Interesting to note is that both times I thought I would eat more than I actually did. I was also taking time to eat more slowly, tasting and trying to savor my food. All-in-all, I really enjoyed both of these Sundays. I enjoy the challenge of trying to stay positive and thankful.

Sunday #3

Two weeks ago…my third time fasting. I was now periodic fasting, which means I was fasting 1-2 days per week. What’s interesting to consider is that we all fast from the time we go to bed until the time we wake up. So for 6-12 hours a day, everyone on the planet fasts. This would be time-restricted fasting in the loosest sense of the term.

I did cheat a little last week, I must confess. I was feeling angsty about being alone, in need of attention, and my stomach was rumbling. And so I snuck a cookie, just like a little kid. Yup, that double stuff Oreo tasted sooo sweet!

Sunday #4

I’d been fasting for an entire month of Sundays last weekend. What was I experiencing and learning?

• Fasting wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would be. The hardest part for me is passing the time. Fasting seems to slow down time, at least for me.
• I was saving money. Cutting out 4 days of meals in a month did make a difference financially.
• It was allowing me to focus my time and attention off of food…mostly. At least when I thought of food, I would be able to remember why I was fasting and focus on something else.
• I was truly feeling closer to God and myself through this process.
• I was losing weight…as some of the guys at my running group had noticed.

I was also not being too rigid with my fasting. On this Sunday, I also met a friend and her family for dinner so my fast was only from when I went to bed on Saturday night until 6pm on Sunday.

Sunday #5

And here were are, the morning of November 10th. My fasting on Sundays will continue for the near future. I like how the fasting seems to lengthen my weekend, as well as give me lots of time on Sunday to read and journal and pray and rest. I’m feeling good about this practice, and its been great to see the benefits it can have in my life.

Thanks for reading. The image for the post is another oil pastel that I recently finished, and the song has been on repeat on my playlist…