fast one day a week and one week a year

Last year I water-fasted for 12 days. I didn’t decide on a fixed number of days from the start (certainly 12 wasn’t my initial target, I thought I’d do 4-5 max and stop). But because I was feeling great and was really motivated, I didn’t feel this to be a burden that I want to be done with ASAP and so overall it turned out to be a very empowering experience for me. I am not a very religious person but during this time I felt, what’s the word… enlightened? hallowed? initiated? The entire world felt like a better place – more colourful and with less things worth stressing over. Many things which would truly piss me off on my regular day did not bother me, I was in a very “forgiving” mood. Interestingly I was not in any way in a state of some chaste exaltation – quite the opposite my sexual desire was quite high.

Ok, now the bad stuff: There was a period of discomfort for the first 3 days: I felt hunger the first 2 days and had a severe headache. Both symptoms disappeared almost completely through the course of the third day and on the fourth day I felt awesome – my body felt lean, mean, healthy and pure. Nothing hurt inside of me.
Until the 8th or 9th day I could jog and I felt otherwise energetic and able to perform regular daily tasks and light exercises. After the hunger quietted down I still did feel slight discomfort in my stomach, but drinking water helped that. I drank water regularly. I also drank mineral water every now and then to ensure my internal fluids mineral and ion balance. Try to buy a different mineral water brand each time to alternate the content of minerals and the ion polarity.

After the 9th day the fatigue gradually started to kick in. I felt the exertion when climbing stairs or carying groceries. You’ll know it when you start feeling it. Your body will try to tell you that it is time to stop the fast. It may be way less or way more than 12 days for you (I certainly wouldn’t recommend a 12 day fast as your first fast). Don’t concentrate on number of days. The journey is more important!

Good luck dudes, you can do it. Easy. :) Just think positive and know that you’re doing something good for yourself on many levels.

is remarkable to me. The more deeply I focus on my relationship with Christ, the more I give up the temporal and focus on the eternal, the more remarkable the “return” He gives me…blessings to you!

I’m going to begin fasting on Monday’s and Holy Week during lent. It was hard to pick which day of the week to fast on, but I think Mondays will be best. I want to begin my week in fasting instead of ending it that way.