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When is a fast, not a fast?

ladybird64

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I'm guilty of saying this recently but I blame the forum. But seriously, to me, a fast was always abstaining from food for nothing less than a full 24 hour daytime period, a whole day without meals or snacks. So, breakfast, lunch, dinner and anything in between. Having an evening meal on day 1, nothing but fluids on day 2 and then eating breakfast on day 3.
I have talked about fasting but it isn't really is it? If I eat in the evening and miss out lunch and dinner that day then surely I'm just eating one meal a day, not really fasting? What do others think, are we making things unnecessarily complicated and confusing?
 
My experience/opinion of fasting has been very different from what you describe, based on a few things...

Fruit fasts, fat fasts, abstaining from certain foods or restricting to certain foods (e.g. bread and water). Then there are the medieval ideas of certain days, certain times, Ramadan, and now, the current Intermittent Fasting idea.

If there is one thing you can say about fasting, it is that there are no rules!

I guess we have to say what we mean, each time.
 
Well breakfast is called that for a reason (breaking the fast) so abstaining from food overnight is a fast and if you went from breakfast to your evening meal you are fasting
 
Nice sharp response there britishpub, not quite sure where I'd made any suggestion of it being a competition but thanks for the clarification!
 
Thanks for the replies Brunneria and Noblehead, I did think about the breakfast part of it actually. I must have got the idea from somewhere, can't remember where though!
 
Fruit fasts, fat fasts, abstaining from certain foods...is a diet & not fast. The meaning of fasting to me is to abstain from any food & caloric drink. I drink water & water only & no coffee or tea even with little cream.
 
Mafat said:
Fruit fasts, fat fasts, abstaining from certain foods...is a diet & not fast. The meaning of fasting to me is to abstain from any food & caloric drink. I drink water & water only & no coffee or tea even with little cream.
Click to expand...

Then a lot of people disagree with you.

But that's OK. There is room for everyone.
 
Brunneria said:
Then a lot of people disagree with you.

But that's OK. There is room for everyone.
Click to expand...

Brunneria-

Water Fasting
Purists insist water fasting is the only true therapeutic fast, which delivers the maximum self-healing benefits, provides the greatest rest for the digestive organs, and preserves muscle even while losing weight. It is believed that the historical figures (such as Hippocrates) who promoted fasting as healing therapy were referring solely to water fasting.



While it does deliver the strongest therapeutic effect, allowing for the healing of many chronic conditions, it can be more difficult to perform, and some lean muscle is sacrificed (see Ketosis and Fasting page).

Water fasting is, of course, the most intimidating fast to consider, but not if you approach it in small steps. You can work toward a water fast by starting with a few one day easier fasts, such as juice or fruit.

Read : All about Fasting...........
http://www.allaboutfasting.com/liquid-fasting.html
 

Ah, well, if speaking as a purist, then no one can disagree, can they?

Sorry to be so irreverent, but i have met many, many purists, from diet to religion, to ethnicity, to grammar... I prefer a more laissez faire attitude. It is better for my digestion
 
@Mafat, the term fasting is open to interpretation, when I have my blood lipids checked my gp surgery says it has to be a 'fasting' cholesterol check and must abstain from food for 10-12 hours.
 

I would never argue with you here. I fast every time between meals, or snacks, or any food.
 
I do fasts, or you could say I do without food for periods of time because I use it as a tool to help my body recover and also my mind recover from having to sort out what next to eat as I sometimes eat up to eight small meals a day.
It helps keep my body in ketosis and gives my organs a rest from constantly helping me to digest my protein and veg, to help me cope with my unique condition and give me my great energy and well being.
You can call it what you want, it's a label, a word that the dictionary describes.
I have done short ones, long ones(80 hours) intermittent ones, daylong ones, 36 hour ones!

The unusual thing for me is sleeping, helps me start fasting by making sure my blood glucose levels are in the normal zone, if I eat first thing, I have to keep eating regularly through the day, if I fast, I don't!
I think that the idea comes from what is known as religious fasting days!
 
It seems quite simple to me.

A fast is not eating, and 24 hours is 24 hours, quite easy to measure now that somebody has invented a clock.
 
The explanation for fasting is quite straightforward.
Define a clock please?
 
nosher8355 said:
The explanation for fasting is quite straightforward.
Define a clock please?
Click to expand...

Hmm, what is a clock?

This could be interesting for those that haven't ever seen one.
I'll be interested to see what swings that for you.
 
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