Things they don’t tell you about fasting…

Fasting is something that should be a part of every Christian’s life. Jesus said the friends of the bridegroom will fast while He is not with us. So it’s a given that it should be done.

With that said, I’m going to focus on the practical aspects of fasting. If you have never done an extended fast (>7 days) before, there are some things you should be aware of. If your stomach is easily turned, go ahead and skip this post. I talk about bodily functions.

• The first two days are the hardest. When you start, your stomach knows when it should expect food. After missing a few meals, it stops getting hungry at meal times. This usually takes 4 or 5 days. After a week or two, you feel like you can fast forever.
• You will have a heightened sense of smell starting about the 3rd day. This is not my favorite part of fasting. My toothbrush smells horrible. I can smell my breath in the shower in the mornings. I walked into the candy aisle at Wal-Mart and asked Raegan where the bag of candy had spilled… I could smell the sugar.
• Your body goes into starvation mode when you miss a day of food. This means it holds on to whatever is in the system, trying to get every last bit of nutrition. The first couple of days I don’t have a bowel movement, but then finally the body is like “ok, get it out”.
• The body will eventually start using its fat reserves for energy. This occurs after the starvation mode, and happens to me around day 3 or 4. This is great if you want to lose weight, but there are side effects. Have you ever had too much Olestra? That’s fat that is indigestible, and it leaves the body pretty much how it comes in, as oil. Well, when you burn fat you get an oily by-product in your stool. Actually, it is your stool. For the remainder of your fast. Yes, an oily diarrhea will be your companion for the remainder of your fast. I praise God we live in a time of soft toilet paper. I cannot imagine what John the Baptist endured on a lifestyle of prayer and fasting in the wilderness…
• Your muscles will feel like they’ve been exercising. Kinda achy. Any repetitive movements will begin to hurt. I discovered that I sit at my desk and bob my knees up and down. This causes my bicep femoris to ache. Your muscles and body will be tired. This is the whole point of fasting – to make ourselves weak.
• You will be tired, so you’ll need to sleep more. Late night activities are rough. Have a good alarm clock. I normally get 6+ hours when I’m not fasting, but during an extended fast I’ll be sleeping 8-9 easy.
• You need to drink more. More than you think. More than you want. You won’t want to drink. Sometimes I look at the bottle of water and I think there’s no way I can put that to my lips. Do it anyway. Ignore the taste (yes, water tastes horrible after a while). Keep your teeth brushed, it helps. I like distilled water – it seems to have the least after taste.
• Your body will get rid of impurities. This happens in strange ways. My friend has gotten boils on his skin. I get a coating on my tongue and teeth… it tastes terrible and I have to brush like 6 times a day. Your urine may stink. Your breath will stink (my wife says it’s nothing new for me, YMMV).
• Whatever is in your heart will come to the surface quickly. If something annoys you normally, it will be pounding away at your skull while fasting. Pray for grace and repentance. Fasting shows us what is in our hearts, so that we can repent and turn that area over to Christ.
• Your mind may be muddled. Write stuff down. I have a tough time carrying on a conversation. I usually have to pray for specific grace to perform my job effectively (I’m a software developer). God is good, and the times I have fasted I have performed better than normal at work. But in the evenings I sound like Yoda trying to communicate with my wife. The garage to be cleaned is something should do. Sometimes I don’t even get the sentence all the way out. Raegan, do you know where… Hilarity ensues.
• I strongly suggest doing your chores or whatever in the morning, if possible. You will be at your strongest after you have rested, and it makes a huge difference.

Don’t let any of this scare you. The rewards of fasting are huge. God gives grace to do whatever He calls you to do. Don’t compare yourself with others, just look to Him.