Fasting?

BU Medical Sciences
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Yeah, it's going alright I'd say.
 
I'm fasting too.
The point of fasting is to traing your heart and mind to overcome your bodily desires. No matter how much your throat/stomach screams for water/food, you force it to wait.
This is just one of the points of fasting....

On a side note, this is my first post!!
 
Last month I wasn't doing anything so I woke up at 3 and ate one meal a day for two weeks, does this count haha
 
580805_344869215590508_1308398072_n.jpg
 
Not a Muslimah, just curious -- what are the effects of fasting, physically? Psychologically? The only people I know who fast are big into cleansing "toxins" from their systems with liquid diets and enemas -- ie, the woo fringe.
 
MaenadsDance said:
Not a Muslimah, just curious -- what are the effects of fasting, physically? Psychologically? The only people I know who fast are big into cleansing "toxins" from their systems with liquid diets and enemas -- ie, the woo fringe.
Click to expand...

Well, fasting has a ton of physical/medical benefits. Check out this article, it's a pretty nice summary: http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-6-63841-Fasting-has-psychological-physical-spiritual-benefits

If you're asking how personally I am feeling during a fast, then that is a question a lot of my non-Muslim friends also ask. They don't understand why I have to abstain from drinking water while I am fasting (it is so hot outside!). I guess the 'normal' definition of fasting is to abstain from eating.

Personally, it is really easy because most Muslims condition themselves to fast. People start fasting when their kids (don't worry, most kids don't fast seriously). I remember when I was young, I used to have half-day fasts where sometimes I would not eat or drink anything but sometimes I would drink water. I know I said earlier that Ramadan fasting is not just not eating or drinking. But, can you really argue with a 7 year old who is just enthusiastic enough to follow his elders?

As kids grow up, they learn the real meaning of fasting. Also at that point it becomes mandatory as a Muslim. This is where the spiritual and the real aspect of fasting kicks in. You are not supposed to curse, say bad things, backbite, lie, or say/do/think any negative thing. You are supposed to pray 5 times a day on time. You are not allowed to have immoral intentions or actions. Is this something that Muslims are normally supposed to do that anyways? Yes! But, the idea is that during fasting you are supposed to make a special effort to be careful. If you are not, then what is the point of fasting? At that point you might as well be starving yourself, which would be a more accurate description of your 'fast.'

When you are not eating or drinking anything, you learn self-control since you are abstaining from the basic necessities of life. This generates more self-control and introspection. One pays more attention toward faith, spirituality, Allah (God). Since Muslims are doing this as a community, Ramadan fasting has an added benefit of a sense of community due to gatherings in the mosque and Sehri (pre-dawn meals) and Iftari (breaking of fast at dusk). Additional prayers at night only add to the whole aura of spirituality.

It is a beautiful month. I actually look forward to it every year, even if it moves backwards and never really has a set time due to the lunar calendar. 😉 Hope that helped! Can't believe I wrote this much.
 
This year is crazy tough. Wake up at 3:30am, don't eat/drink until 8:15pm. The first few days weren't too bad, but this week has been killing.
 
I'm not muslim, but I have fasted before. I played battlefield all day though. It was the only way I could take my mind off the hunger for those 3 weeks.
 
Drballer said:
I'm fasting too.
The point of fasting is to traing your heart and mind to overcome your bodily desires. No matter how much your throat/stomach screams for water/food, you force it to wait.
This is just one of the points of fasting....

On a side note, this is my first post!!
Click to expand...

I don't know about that... Fasting is more about putting others before yourself rather than training yourself for deprivation. It's about feeling what poor people feel, hunger. This makes you want to give more in zakat.


Sent from my iPad using SDN Mobile app
 
DrStraggler said:
I don't know about that... Fasting is more about putting others before yourself rather than training yourself for deprivation. It's about feeling what poor people feel, hunger. This makes you want to give more in zakat.


Sent from my iPad using SDN Mobile app
Click to expand...

Zakat means 'charity' if anyone's wondering btw
 
I'm surprised so many people know of this fasting business. It seems kinda rare for the everyday person to know about this. I'm not muslim, but know a few people who do this yearly.
 
KnuxNole said:
I'm surprised so many people know of this fasting business. It seems kinda rare for the everyday person to know about this. I'm not muslim, but know a few people who do this yearly.
Click to expand...

I think it has partly to do with the media attention that Ramadan gets every year plus the fact it is occurring in the hottest months of the year. On top of it, Olympics might have something to do with it too. There are news articles on Muslim Olympics runners who refuse to let go of their fast!
Or I might be totally off and people are just well-informed and curious 🙂
 
I'm fasting as well.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN App
 
serendipity007 said:
Well, fasting has a ton of physical/medical benefits. Check out this article, it's a pretty nice summary: http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-6-63841-Fasting-has-psychological-physical-spiritual-benefits

If you're asking how personally I am feeling during a fast, then that is a question a lot of my non-Muslim friends also ask. They don't understand why I have to abstain from drinking water while I am fasting (it is so hot outside!). I guess the 'normal' definition of fasting is to abstain from eating.

Personally, it is really easy because most Muslims condition themselves to fast. People start fasting when their kids (don't worry, most kids don't fast seriously). I remember when I was young, I used to have half-day fasts where sometimes I would not eat or drink anything but sometimes I would drink water. I know I said earlier that Ramadan fasting is not just not eating or drinking. But, can you really argue with a 7 year old who is just enthusiastic enough to follow his elders?

As kids grow up, they learn the real meaning of fasting. Also at that point it becomes mandatory as a Muslim. This is where the spiritual and the real aspect of fasting kicks in. You are not supposed to curse, say bad things, backbite, lie, or say/do/think any negative thing. You are supposed to pray 5 times a day on time. You are not allowed to have immoral intentions or actions. Is this something that Muslims are normally supposed to do that anyways? Yes! But, the idea is that during fasting you are supposed to make a special effort to be careful. If you are not, then what is the point of fasting? At that point you might as well be starving yourself, which would be a more accurate description of your 'fast.'

When you are not eating or drinking anything, you learn self-control since you are abstaining from the basic necessities of life. This generates more self-control and introspection. One pays more attention toward faith, spirituality, Allah (God). Since Muslims are doing this as a community, Ramadan fasting has an added benefit of a sense of community due to gatherings in the mosque and Sehri (pre-dawn meals) and Iftari (breaking of fast at dusk). Additional prayers at night only add to the whole aura of spirituality.

It is a beautiful month. I actually look forward to it every year, even if it moves backwards and never really has a set time due to the lunar calendar. 😉 Hope that helped! Can't believe I wrote this much.
Click to expand...

great description about Ramadan! It is really much easier than must people think, and I find that summer classes, volunteering, and working helped me keep my mind off it. most people look forward to Ramadan every year, and also Eid, which is our holiday and the humongous celebration at the end of the month😀 growing up in Dearborn, Michigan we used to get school days off because the Muslim population is so large there👍
 
When I was a Muslim, I did fast. It can be difficult at times, but usually it was a lot more bearable during school. Having the school work kept my mind off of things vs. just sitting around.
 
Your brain runs on glucose, do you not feel this will dramatically impede all functions of your brain?
 
I've done it in the past, though mine lean towards eating nothing at all for a week to ten days (though I do allow myself water and the occasional diet soda to keep from joining the misery of caffeine withdrawl into the process). I've found it's a great mental break from the daily grind and does wonders for helping to 'reset' my life when things are getting a little too crazy (which, given the controlled chaos I normally thrive in on a daily basis, is saying a LOT). I do it once every few years and it brings a certain strange clarity to my life when I need it most.
 
DrStraggler said:
I don't know about that... Fasting is more about putting others before yourself rather than training yourself for deprivation. It's about feeling what poor people feel, hunger. This makes you want to give more in zakat.


Sent from my iPad using SDN Mobile app
Click to expand...


Yeah that's what I always thought too. Especially since if you can't fast or make up the fast you're supposed to feed the poor instead.

Honestly though the food isn't that hard. You just forget about being hungry after a while. It's the water. Oh my God...the water...
 
Last edited:
xoxx said:
Your brain runs on glucose, do you not feel this will dramatically impede all functions of your brain?
Click to expand...

Unless you have less than 1% body fat, your body has socked away more than enough fuel to keep your brain going for more than a single day. It's the hydration that's the only real hurdle.
 
serendipity007 said:
Well, fasting has a ton of physical/medical benefits. Check out this article, it's a pretty nice summary: http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-6-63841-Fasting-has-psychological-physical-spiritual-benefits

If you're asking how personally I am feeling during a fast, then that is a question a lot of my non-Muslim friends also ask. They don't understand why I have to abstain from drinking water while I am fasting (it is so hot outside!). I guess the 'normal' definition of fasting is to abstain from eating.

Personally, it is really easy because most Muslims condition themselves to fast. People start fasting when their kids (don't worry, most kids don't fast seriously). I remember when I was young, I used to have half-day fasts where sometimes I would not eat or drink anything but sometimes I would drink water. I know I said earlier that Ramadan fasting is not just not eating or drinking. But, can you really argue with a 7 year old who is just enthusiastic enough to follow his elders?

As kids grow up, they learn the real meaning of fasting. Also at that point it becomes mandatory as a Muslim. This is where the spiritual and the real aspect of fasting kicks in. You are not supposed to curse, say bad things, backbite, lie, or say/do/think any negative thing. You are supposed to pray 5 times a day on time. You are not allowed to have immoral intentions or actions. Is this something that Muslims are normally supposed to do that anyways? Yes! But, the idea is that during fasting you are supposed to make a special effort to be careful. If you are not, then what is the point of fasting? At that point you might as well be starving yourself, which would be a more accurate description of your 'fast.'

When you are not eating or drinking anything, you learn self-control since you are abstaining from the basic necessities of life. This generates more self-control and introspection. One pays more attention toward faith, spirituality, Allah (God). Since Muslims are doing this as a community, Ramadan fasting has an added benefit of a sense of community due to gatherings in the mosque and Sehri (pre-dawn meals) and Iftari (breaking of fast at dusk). Additional prayers at night only add to the whole aura of spirituality.

It is a beautiful month. I actually look forward to it every year, even if it moves backwards and never really has a set time due to the lunar calendar. 😉 Hope that helped! Can't believe I wrote this much.
Click to expand...

Thank you for that lovely reply. You make it sound just wonderful. I grew up in a very Catholic part of the country, and knew people who did similar things (though to a lesser extent) for Lent, but at that time I was too immature and anti-religious to really inquire about it.
 
SeminoleVesicle said:
Respect for med students that do this.
Click to expand...
I'm sure many do!

Wow. I'm surprised there are so many Muslims on here. Also surprised at how many people even know what it is.:laugh: These past two days have been rough with a BAD headache and since I can't take aspirin or tynenol I have to wait till' Iftar.:scared:
 
Yep, fasting as well. I get thirsty, but it feels good to not be constantly stuffing my mouth 24/7 as I usually do 😀 .



And the holiness of the month is great too.
 
I'm fasting.

Who's fasting and working out?

And who's been going to taraweeh, as well?
 
AM90 said:
I'm fasting.

Who's fasting and working out?

And who's been going to taraweeh, as well?
Click to expand...

I try to work out at night, and I can't usually find the time to go to taraweeh (hard to do with classes, mcat prep, and work at the hospital). Kudos to anyone who can manage that though!
 
MaenadsDance said:
Thank you for that lovely reply. You make it sound just wonderful. I grew up in a very Catholic part of the country, and knew people who did similar things (though to a lesser extent) for Lent, but at that time I was too immature and anti-religious to really inquire about it.
Click to expand...

Not a problem! Over the past few years I have made many non-Muslim friends who did not know anything about Muslims until they met me. Usually all it takes is to talk and you will be surprised by what you learn 😉
 
Trying to fast here. I haven't been fasting my entire life so getting used to it now while doing research. Working def helps me not feel the hunger though.
 
WOW ! I am really shocked that this thread hasn't turned into something where random trolls are bashing fasting and mocking muslims. Good luck to everyone, just make sure not to go mad during iftar 😀 most muslims gain weight during ramadan.
 
xoxx said:
Your brain runs on glucose, do you not feel this will dramatically impede all functions of your brain?
Click to expand...

Well, I'll be honest. Some might disagree, but I find that it significantly reduces the amount of concentration you can have. Last summer I tried studying for MCAT and fasting... It totally didn't work. Maybe it was the reduction in energy, maybe the hunger was a distraction. I ended up sleeping during the day and studying at night for a month. That's really cheating but I'm thinking of redoing those days when the days are shorter sometime. I learned my lesson in high school when I took the SAT while fasting.
 
Galatasaray said:
Well, I'll be honest. Some might disagree, but I find that it significantly reduces the amount of concentration you can have. Last summer I tried studying for MCAT and fasting... It totally didn't work. Maybe it was the reduction in energy, maybe the hunger was a distraction. I ended up sleeping during the day and studying at night for a month. That's really cheating but I'm thinking of redoing those days when the days are shorter sometime. I learned my lesson in high school when I took the SAT while fasting.
Click to expand...

😱

I applaud your faith that you go as far as considering redoing days in which you slept during the day.

I actually feel bad now as that's what I do--I sleep in till like 12 and go to sleep at like 3 AM.

👍👍
 
My bff is muslim and he's been diligently studying and taking mcat prac tests while fasting. His dedication is awesome. I'm Jewish and I observed a fast last week that began saturday night at 8:15 and ended sunday night at 9:15 so I know what its like. Personal growth= worth the effort.
 
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