I had an internal debate going on this morning. I planned to fast, but I woke up so hungry my stomach hurt. I am such a creature of habit, so I assumed that if I fasted today, it would look like the other (2) days I fasted. The other two days I didn't eat until I was hungry, and I didn't get hungry until around 2pm. I was worried that if I ate breakfast, I would use too many calories and not make it through the day. I decided to go with it and listen to my body.
Breakfast: I ate two fried eggs on dry toast with green sauce (plus my usual coffee w/ almond creamer). Boom…300 calories-gone before 9am.
After I finished eating, I was reading my devotional and part of my reading was in Luke 4: The Temptation of Jesus. And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread." And Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone.'" Luke 4:1-4
So, I'm thinking this was no accident. I was encouraged as I thought about fasting for 40 days as opposed to 1 day. It seemed more doable. It was also a great reminder that, although one reason I am doing this is for a healthier lifestyle, I began to consider fasting in the New Year as a regular part of my week for spiritual reasons. It's about more than food and the physical. It's also about focus, perspective, clarity and discipline to overcome temptation by the Lord's strength. I'm incredibly thankful God provided reassurance through His Word in the exact moment I needed it.
I took a tuna/crackers pack to work (220 calories) and hoped for the best, knowing if I didn't make it fasting today I could always try again tomorrow. That's one of the things I love about this method: flexibility. I drank my lemon water consistently throughout the day. I even carried it with me into sessions, of course offering a water to my clients as well. It was like a visual aid…we are talking about goal-setting this time of year and I can share that one of my goals is to drink enough water each day.
Lunch/Snack: I ate my tuna and crackers about 3pm and felt like I might make it the rest of the day, knowing my calories were spent.
Dinner: I made the fam grilled cheese sandwiches, chicken noodle soup and an apple for dinner on this cold, windy day. Then, while they ate, I did the dishes to keep myself occupied.
I met a friend at Starbucks after the kids were in bed. I was tempted to order a sweet, hot drink to warm me up but was able to stick to a green tea…still hot but not sweet. I'm thankful I made it through today but also thankful it's over.
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