I recently fasted for 24 hours in an effort to bring attention to world hunger. I had never fasted before, and I’m not going to lie, it kind of sucked was really hard. Below are my thoughts in real time. Ish. Also, if you would like to donate to the cause, see here.
FRIDAY
8:30 a.m.
Haven’t eaten yet. Feeling really hungry. Last ate about 8 p.m. the night before. Had originally thought the fast would start at 6 p.m. tonight, and I’m trying to decide if I can do the whole 30 hours.
9 a.m.
I start searching for co-workers to justify me eating. I find one! She says she’s Jewish and she has fasted for Yom Kippur. She said the whole point is to make me think, which, you know, makes me think. I tell her I want to do noon to noon. She says, that would still be a long time and I jump at the rationalization.
9:30 a.m.
I decide officially to do noon to noon. I eat some oatmeal and Craisins, plan to eat McDonald’s for lunch and then nothing else until noon tomorrow.
10:20 a.m.
I’m already hungry again after the oatmeal. I suck at this.
10:41 a.m.
Food is so tricky for me. I have so many eating issues. (see: weight, loss). I have to really think about my reasons for eating all the time. It’s so weird to me that my issue is over eating, when others are having trouble finding food. It’s cliche and I hate it.
11:43 a.m.
Just finished my McDonald’s. Time to start fasting. (I’m scared). (Wait, does soda count?)
12:14 p.m.
Debating whether I should do my usual workout tonight or not. I want to go.
12:35 p.m.
Really happy I decided to eat the McDonald’s. I also prayed for the food to nourish my body and help me get through the next day. It seems to have helped.
2:41 p.m.
I keep forgetting that I’m fasting and then considering reaching for something to munch on, and then remembering that I’m fasting. Really makes me realize how accessible food is for us.
3:04 p.m.
I have left over Chinese food at home and I was just seriously thinking about eating it after work. MUST.RESIST.FOOD!
7 p.m.
So tired and ready to go to sleep. Did not end up working out. Decide to read my Bible and pray. And really, I’ve been praying throughout the whole thing for strength.
10 p.m.
Seriously. I’m a little dizzy. My friend Tom Loewy talks about how fasting in itself makes you hungry. He says, it’s easy to go from noon to noon without food if you’re not thinking about it, but when you make a conscious decision to do it, suddenly you’re hungry 20 minutes in. I agree. Also, there’s toffee on my kitchen table and I really want some.
11:13 p.m.
Thinking a lot about the hierarchy of needs pyramid and how hard it is to do anything when you’re thinking about food. My whole night has mostly been shot because I didn’t work out or do laundry because I was too hungry.
SATURDAY
7 a.m.
I’m really, really hungry. I pray for strength. Seriously start to think about how crazy this is.
8:13 a.m.
Have decided it’s now appropriate to start counting down until noon.
10:27 a.m.
I’m just going to leave my house now and drive to the CiCi’s were I’m meeting up with youth group folk to break the fast. Maybe if I get there early, the fast will end early.
11 a.m.
Ok. I’m literally an hour early. Also, hungry. So close.
Noon.
Huzzah! The fast is broken. My first bite is a brownie. Best. Brownie. Ever. Thinking maybe I will never do this again. Unless it’s like driving long distances, in that you forget how much you hated it each summer and do it again. Either that, or next time I’ll just give up Facebook.
