Fasting is an amazing experience that I believe everyone should practice regularly. The benefits of fasting are unmatched as we will discuss later on.
But overall fasting is an experience that if you have once you will want to have it again, in fact always.
But the truth is fasting is not easy. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it. It requires a great level of discipline, dedication, commitment, and focus that very few people have.
Today we are going to talk about one of the common side effects of fasting which is hunger. Whether you are fasting for an entire day or a week of just a few hours you will experience hunger and we know what you need to do about it.
Let us talk about how you can fast effectively without focusing on your grumbling stomach.
But before we get right into how to overcome hunger when fasting let’s highlight the benefits of fasting.
The benefits of fasting
- It allows you to focus on praying intentionally
- You can read the bible purposefully as you seek God
- You get to worship and praise God in spirit and truth for a dedicated period
- Fasting allows you to switch off from the busyness of daily life
- Fasting cleans your body of toxins and harmful fats
- You lose weight and fat
- Fasting helps you focus on what is important in your life
- It also helps you plan your life and seek your purpose in life
Now that we have listed some benefits of fasting let us talk about why you feel hungry during a fast
Why am I extremely hungry while fasting?
You are hungry because your body is fighting back against the lack of food. Your body has gotten used to a routine where you eat food at specific times of the day so when that time comes your body prepares to receive food and when it does not receive food, it complains.
That is why you will feel hungry.
Your body starts to launch a protest and complain because it is not receiving what it is used to. So, while fasting, your body will complain but it will not collapse.
Whether you have a small intestine or a big one you will feel hungry during a fast. You may think that hunger is extreme because you are fasting but that is not always true.
The most important part of intermittent fasting is to know that you feel hungry but to also know how to overcome hunger when fasting which we will discuss later on.
Is it OK to be hungry while fasting?
Absolutely yes, it is ok, and it is normal. Do not feel bad about it and do not feel guilty for feeling hungry.
You are not any worse or less disciplined than the next person just because you are feeling hungry during a fast. Do not beat yourself up for feeling hungry.
If anything, not being hungry while fasting would be strange and not normal. Remember that the body needs vitamins and energy to keep living and all of that comes from food so when it does not receive that it will complain and that complaining is translated as hunger.
My suggestion is to always start by fasting for a few hours before you start fasting for many days at once. As you get used to fasting, your body will understand it too and the hunger cues will be reduced.
Here are some things to do on how to overcome hunger when fasting. Although you may not try all of them, try some of them.
How to overcome hunger when fasting
1. Remind yourself of your reason for fasting.
If you want to overcome hunger pangs you need to keep your goal in sight. The best way to do this is to write it down and paste it somewhere where you can see it clearly for the duration of your fasting.
Do not lose sight of why you are not eating food. Whether it’s intermittent fasting for weight loss, fat loss, work, your family and life situations, or for prayer and being closer to God. Whatever the reason is, keep it within sight.
As the old saying goes, out of sight, out of mind. So, you have to keep that vision very clear.
If you are praying for something specific write it down and keep it in mind. This will help you refocus.
This is the first step on how to overcome hunger when fasting because the WHY helps you to stay disciplined when things become tough. Without a WHY you can easily take a detour or be distracted while fasting and end up quitting.
So clearly define your WHY.
2. Stay away from food courts, restaurants, and shopping centers.
It is never a good idea to decide to do grocery shopping while you are fasting. So, if at all possible, stay away from shopping centers and food courts.
If you have to meet friends, try to stay away from restaurants. You may think you will be fine with just drinking water or tea, but seeing your friends eating will make you hungry.
Even just the smell of food will make you hungry. So, avoid spaces where food is prevalent. Find other activities to do that do not involve food.
The point is that it may be difficult to fast if you have to take your kids to a food festival or attend a wedding than if you were just having a chilled day at home alone or with family.
Remember, out of sight, out of mind.
My main aim here is to set you up for a successful fast. Being around food makes you feel like you are feeling true hunger even when you are not. So, staying away from such spaces is a simple way on how to overcome hunger when fasting.
3. Switch off social media and food channels.
It’s important that when you are fasting you stay away from anything that will remind you of food. Avoid any hunger triggers like social media and watching food channels.
If you are watching food channels you are likely to feel hungry. Even if you have just eaten, just seeing videos about food can make you feel hungry.
Watching food channels amplifies the feelings of hunger and makes your stomach grumbling worse. That is why you need to avoid watching food channels for the entire length of your fast.
So instead of looking at pictures of delicious food and fantasizing about food rather focus on other things.
I know it sounds simple, but it is very difficult because most of us are addicted to social media, and we do not even know it. So, we could face withdrawal symptoms that may be challenging.
Social media has a massive influence on who we are and what we do so during this fasting period so clear your mind and focus on God and the bible.
Avoid distractions.
Avoiding any triggers is one of the best things that you can do for yourself if you plan on achieving your fasting goal. Remember all the benefits of fasting that we discussed above, and you will realize how important it is to stay away from anything that will distract you.
4. Remember that your body is undergoing resistance.
Do not strain your body.
When you are fasting your energy levels will likely be low, so it’s important for you to not put your body through a lot of stress.
Try to reduce the amount and duration of physical activity that you do. Although it is a good idea to still keep active do not overdo it because your body has limited energy.
For those engaged in longer fasts, you must listen to your body. If you are pushing it beyond its limits, it may shut down in an attempt to preserve itself.
However, if you are doing shorter fasting periods, you can do strenuous exercises but be careful. The key is to keep hydrated while engaging in physical activities. Drink enough fluids to curb the hunger wave before and after physical activities.
Some great fluids are black tea, bone broth, and even pure water. The point is to drink as many liquids as possible.
Also, have enough sleep. Because you are fasting you need to allow your body to rest.
When you remember that your body is fighting and undergoing resistance you will not put it under more stress and more pressure.
Be gentle and be kind, you have one body so take care of it as best as you can.
5. Focus on reading the bible.
One of the main points of fasting is to grow closer to God and His presence. Fasting allows you to pause on life and focus on what really matters which is your relationship with God.
So, as you fast take the time to read the bible. Study it for all the hours of the day or night when you are fasting. Meditate on it and focus on hearing God speak to you.
The only way you will know what God wants is to read his word and allow it to change you. So, reading the bible fully focused during fasting is an excellent way on how to overcome hunger when fasting.
When you are truly immersing yourself in the word and feeding on it you will be surprised how your mind shifts from wanting food to seeking God earnestly.
Your physical body dies, and your spiritual body is revived and energized. You will begin to feel better and at peace just by reading the word of God and spending time in his presence.
This is one of the most important things to do on this journey of how to overcome hunger when fasting.
6. Focus on Prayer and Praise during Fasting.
Having food cravings while fasting is inevitable but you do not have to focus on how hungry you are. The fasting practice requires you to be able to focus on more important things than food.
You need to be able to avoid the physical need to eat for a period of time.
That’s why it’s important to focus on praying fervently and praising and worshipping God.
During the hours of the day when you fasting take time to worship God. Praise Him for all the things He has done in your life and for the things He is still going to do in your life.
Worship him for who he is as God Almighty. Worship Him in truth and Spirit with everything that you have.
As you read the bible, pray and praise as well.
Doing this while faster allows you to focus on the right reasons for fasting. Fasting is not worth it if you will spend all your time worried about food and looking forward to the end of the fast instead of seeking God and his Kingdom during this time.
As the bible says, seek first the Kingdom and everything else will be added unto you. So, while fasting choose to seek God and focus on that.
7. Drink a lot of liquids.
Although this is not listed as the first item it is the most important. Because you are depriving your body of food you could become dehydrated so you need to keep hydrated.
Drinking liquids helps you replenish the energy levels that will be very low because you are not eating.
So part of your intermittent fasting plan should include taking liquids. Either drink water or non-acidic juices that will help in cleaning your body. Those juices could be apple juice or cranberry juice. You could even drink black coffee or green tea as great alternatives to juice.
Drinking juice helps get your blood sugar levels up for the fast days or fasting periods when you have zero to limited food intake.
If you are doing a fast and still need to go to work and do all your daily tasks you are going to need the energy to do those tasks.
A great way to reduce hunger pangs is to drink water during the period when you would usually have a meal. This is because you will likely feel the most hunger pangs when it’s breakfast or lunchtime.
After all, your body is programmed to process food at that time.
So, in preparation for the food your digestive system is expecting, it may release some acids that will make you feel really hungry. If you drink liquids your body will settle down.
So, the main idea is to drink liquids during your normal eating window, be it breakfast, lunch, or supper.
Either way, drinking plenty of water helps you cleanse your body and wash out all the toxins in your body to keep the energy going.
No matter what happens never skip this step on how to overcome hunger when fasting. It is important and determines your success or failure. It also keeps your body alive and helps it cope with fasting.
8. Be a busy bee, and an idle mind is the devil’s playground.
One of the best ways to overcome hunger when fasting is to occupy your mind and hand with productive things.
Avoid being idle and lazing around while you fast. Start organizing your personal space, work on those household chores, or read a book. Start on that gardening you have been postponing or the woodwork you never had time to do.
Do anything that your hands find to do. This will distract you from the hunger that you could be feeling.
Irrespective of the time of day, find something to do and this will make you feel less hungry than just sitting and waiting for your fasting time to be over.
Because you might not be reading the bible, praying, and worshipping the whole day this step will help you find other things to do that you enjoy. So, on this journey of how to overcome hunger when fasting this step is very important.
9. Invite close friends and family to join you for a fast
Because fasting is hard you need someone to keep you accountable. You need a fasting buddy or partner who will walk this journey with you regularly.
If you are comfortable you can share your reasons for fasting and your goals for fasting with this person so that they encourage you and motivate you when the going gets tough.
Like all other things in life, you do not have to do it alone.
Ask your partner, church member, friends, or family to fast with you. If the people at church are fasting, join them as well and you will realize that things are better with others involved.
No man is an island.
If the people around you do not understand fasting, then find an online group of people who fast and join them. With the ease of technology, the world is one big village so use that to your advantage.
What if the hunger pangs are really bad during fasting?
If you are trying out fasting for the first time you are likely to feel like you are dying because of the hunger pangs but hear me out.
You are not dying.
You are capable of going a day and even three days without food.
That means no matter how loud or how often your stomach complains you are still fine.
However, if you are really struggling, I suggest that the best option for you is to nibble on something small that has healthy fats like whole grains. Remember you are not eating to satisfy hunger, but you are eating to regain the energy you need to pray and focus on reading the bible and worshipping.
It does not help that you fast but are so weak that you cannot pray, read the bible, or worship. The aim of fasting is to be closer to God and spend time in his presence. Now you cannot do that if you are extremely weak.
For those who struggle with low blood sugar, I would suggest that before you start your fast your last meal should be a healthy meal. Eat fiber-rich foods before the fast starts.
Eating healthy meals before a fast allows your body to keep up with the energy during the fast state. Eat food that has vital nutrients with fewer calories.
You can also eat dairy products and food that have enough protein before starting a fast so that you are prepared for a fast.
So, the key is to prepare for your fasts before you fast.
In conclusion
Fasting is a great practice that everyone should try once in a while. Whether it’s for religious reasons or otherwise, fasting is something we should be doing often.
It may be hard at first but some of these tips on how to overcome hunger when fasting will help you have a successful fast.
