I've been fasting during this nativity fast but I must be honest I really feel like I'm not benefiting from it because I'm just substituting non fasting meals with fasting ingredients. When I spoke to somebody about this, they said you are regulating what comes out of your mouth not in it and that food is just to struggle against temptation. Couldn't you do that without abstaining from certain foods?
Comments
There are many steps to fasting. Speak to your father of confession about your fasting habits. If you feel that fasting is too easy for you using substitutes, he might tell you to cut some of them or all of them. Or he may to fast strictly until a certain hour. There are many ways to grow in fasting but the real intent of growth in fasting is to lead you to grow with Christ and helping others. Isaiah 58 speaks of true fasting. Take the time to read it and find a way to fast with this objective in mind.