Back in November, I made two changes to my daily routine. I had just gotten the results from my annual physical. My cholesterol numbers were poor, again. At first I planned to ignore them, again. I was not about to give up cheese and red meats. But then I went back and dug out past blood test results. As I compared them, I realized it was only in the last 3-4 years that my numbers had gotten consistently bad. I decided to make some changes.
First, I committed myself to walking 45 minutes each day. And I would start my day by walking 15 minutes on the treadmill. I hate morning exercise, and I hate treadmills. But the first few minutes of my day were given to sitting on the couch and looking at my messages and feeds on my phone. I figured I could do the same thing while walking on a treadmill. And it was easier to clock the full 45 minutes if I already had 15 minutes under my belt. I’ve always been an active guy but I had figured a couple days at the gym was better than a daily walk. I was wrong.
I also started doing some fasting. And by ‘some fasting’ I mean I would only have coffee, no breakfast, on Wednesdays. And on Fridays I would go without breakfast and lunch. Of course I still enjoyed a big Wisconsin fish fry dinner on Friday nights; you don’t want to go overboard. I was already eating pretty healthy, but Google ‘intermittent fasting’ and you’ll be surprised at all the health benefits. I figured it was worth a shot. And it beat giving up cheese or red meats.
At first I saw no results, other than feeling better. January rolled around and those extra Christmas pounds just melted right off me, without me really having to work for it. I’m not a heavy guy (though I am ‘overweight’ by BMI). But I had watched my weight slowly climb every year. I would occasionally make attempts to diet a little and drop a few pounds, but I’d always lose less than I’d hoped. And as soon as I stopped the extra dieting, the weight would start climbing again.
Intermittent fasting makes a lot of sense when you think about it. You’re going to basically eat what you need to survive… plus a little bit more. And that ‘little bit more’ means you’ll inevitably gain weight. You need to balance the extras with some days of eating less. Do you want to enjoy a big meal on Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, a Birthday, a Baptism Party, a Friday with friends, your anniversary, etc.? Then you also have to fast, and not just for two days during Lent.
![Book cover Eat, Fast, Feast by Jay Richards](/_nuxt/img/RICHARDS_EatFastFeast_3D2-231x300.5887978.png)
Enter the book Eat, Fast, Feast by Jay Richards. He’s spent a lot more time than I have on research and experimentation, and he’s come to the same conclusion. For reasons of both physical and spiritual health, fasting should be a regular part of our weekly and yearly schedules. He backs up his point with a lot of scientific research. He shows you how to fast in a way that won’t leave you feeling light-headed and lethargic. So if you’ve been struggling with the “Covid 19” (gaining 19 pounds since you’ve been quarantined), I suggest daily exercise and a little fasting on Wednesdays and Fridays. And if you have a more serious, long-term problem, get this book. The results might just surprise you.
Peace and Easter joy,
Fr. Joel