Day 1 of 7-Day Fast
It’s only the first morning of my fast, and since I have a weekly rhythm of fasting 24-30 hours, my body is in familiar territory. I did just get a text notification of my favorite cafe offering a $2 special for my kryptonite—Pumpkin Spice Lattes— that reminded me, “Oh yeah, the temptations are going to amp up.” So here we go!
For now, I’ll share a little of my preparation that got me here.
As I said, I’ve already developed a weekly rhythm of fasting. For my detail-lovers: When I say fast, I mean no eating and just water to drink. Previously, for my weekly fasting rhythm, I have been doing black coffee in the morning because it doesn’t take me out of a fasted state and avoids the caffeine headache. My weekly rhythm looks like not eating dinner one evening, and then no breakfast or lunch the next day. I break fast at dinnertime. I have been doing this weekly rhythm long enough to know that I’m generally okay for about 24 hours, but at that point, I start to get a little loopy and have trouble making decisions or staying on task. But I also know that food is coming pretty soon, so I can push through. Also, I’ve come to appreciate that uncomfortableness being a part of my rhythm. It allows me a regular choice when it feels hard to either lean in to God or to turn to a comfort vice of some sort. Full disclosure: I turn to comfort more than God. Fasting gives me an opportunity each week to try again, and it serves as a reminder that I’ve still got lots of room to grow in my full surrender to God.
Coming up on this seven-day journey, I decided to ease into it physically instead of going off of everything cold turkey. On Tuesday, six days prior, I went on a metabolic cleanse. It consisted of two protein shakes per day and one whole-foods based meal. Using this protocol, I went off dairy, caffeine, sugar, seed oils, processed foods, and all my supplements for six days. This gave me a chance to already work through caffeine headaches and sugar cravings; plus, my appetite naturally decreased because I simply wasn’t eating as much—no more mindless snacking.
Also, my church has been on a 21-day journey of fasting/denying ourselves to make room in our heart for Israel. Looking at the 21 days, I knew that I couldn’t fast for the first 16 days because of three immediate family members’ birthdays and an 8-day visit from my parents. So, I made room in my heart by denying myself some of my favorite go-to vices for comfort—social media, alcohol, and falling asleep in front of the TV. To me, this feels like throwing a softball at my decision to make room in my heart because it doesn’t get my physical body involved (i.e., I don’t feel the discomfort and pull on my physical and mental state to remain engaged and press in to God). But, I see its value in preparing me for these seven days of fasting. I’m particularly curious to see how the combination of fasting and already having many of my vices taken away will steer me. Will I lean into God, or will I find a new vice of choice to numb the discomfort. We shall see. I promise to confess here what choices I make.
And finally, I have a support group in place. Two of my friends have already braved an extended fast and are checking in often for encouragement and support. My immediate family is also well aware of what is ahead, and I’ve done the hard (for me) task of asking for help. I won’t be doing as much of the food prep as usual, and I’ve set them up for success in executing simple meals while I’m potentially out of commission. Plus, I have you—my online accountability. While my audience is small for now, I’m committed to communicating my process and getting it written down. I believe that extra level of accountability will also keep me focused.
My final thought for today is that I need a more detailed prayer list that I’m praying through this week. I need to know for myself what I’m praying about, but I’m also inviting you to share what you’re needing prayer for. I believe fasting turbo-charges our prayers, so let me know how I can be praying for you. 💛
