Arrrrrrrgh!!!! Milk EVERYWHERE!!!

Light of the East

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If you eat something with milk or eggs you are not fasting.

Thank you. Did you read the rest of the posts in the thread. My whole concern was about trace amounts of milk or eggs in the food, not about trying to find excuses to have a scrambled egg sandwich in the morning.

While I appreciate your feedback, I get the sense that your approach is in line with a very strict type of fundamentalism which I am trying to balance out of my life.
 
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Lukaris

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Personally I do ok with the vegetarian aspect of the fast but less so with the vegan. Still, I find something necessary to sacrifice on the vegan aspect. What I make sure I fast from is milk & cheese at least in giving up sliced cheese, milk & cereal, grilled cheese sandwiches etc. These are things I like & use often for necessities not gourmet living. Although I will try to be as vegan as possible, occasionally I might grab a slice of pizza if I am stuck for time & options during lunch on a work day.

I am not trying to encourage being lax or strict conformity but think we make an effort. Of course, I am speaking in general; people with health concerns have specific circumstances to deal with out of the scope of my banter here.
 
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Melily

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Personally I do ok with the vegetarian aspect of the fast but less so with the vegan. Still, I find something necessary to sacrifice on the vegan aspect. What I make sure I fast from is milk & cheese at least in giving up sliced cheese, milk & cereal, grilled cheese sandwiches etc. These are things I like & use often for necessities not gourmet living. Although I will try to be as vegan as possible, occasionally I might grab a slice of pizza if I am stuck for time & options during lunch on a work day.

I am not trying to encourage being lax or strict conformity but think we make an effort. Of course, I am speaking in general; people with health concerns have specific circumstances to deal with out of the scope of my banter here.
I met with my priest due to my already extensive dietary restrictions from celiac and other health issues and he helped me figure out how I could handle my first lent. I received his blessing to volunteer and eat more simply.
 
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SalemsConcordance

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This is a great thread, thanks all. Tips on the struggle portion of fasting when intentionally breaking the fast?

I'm having trouble with "healthy" struggling and my catechical legalistic mindset. My priest has in the past had a bit of difficulty with identifying with my edge-of-OCD behaviors.

I was advised to not sweat too much as to whether something off the shelf has a bit of oil in it, or even traces of dairy or whatnot. As a single, working person it is not practical to follow the fast completely when it comes to things like that.

It’s a balance. We shouldn’t just skip it - but we shouldn’t obsess either. I’m not saying you are doing that - just giving some cautionary advice based on my experiences.

Don't go to silly or unreasonable lengths: focus on the idea of limiting yourself in things that you want, and that goes double for temptations. If you accidentally or unavoidably eat something that has a little bit of meat, acknowledge that you missed the mark, but don't blow it up into an irrevocable tragedy.

It seems when I can catch myself on autopilot, I can see that as a "good" struggle against breaking the fast, or choosing best-case option when circumstances don't allow for fully fasting.

However, what does one do when falling into anger and resentment over fasting itself? At that point, my anger and resentment likely isn't a positive outcome of maintaining the fast, but then its easy for me to fall into sadness of breaking the fast.

What do inquirers do in general for fasting who aren't under the guidance of a priest, much less a spiritual father? This seems related to doing your own prayer rule and the dangers therein.
 
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Melily

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What do inquirers do in general for fasting who aren't under the guidance of a priest, much less a spiritual father? This seems related to doing your own prayer rule and the dangers therein.
You could consider me in between inquirer and catechumen.
I tried fasting for a couple months on Wednesdays and Fridays before speaking with the priest where I have been attending. It was the person who introduced me to orthodoxy that recommended I do so because it obviously wasn’t going well. The priest and I had a 45 minute meeting where I explained how I eat to help manage my health situation. He had great insight and understanding and reminded me that Our Lord Jesus Christ said his yoke is easy and his burden light. I honestly don’t think I would have been successful in coming up with a suitable plan for getting through Great Lent on my own and I would have felt like I was doing something wrong without his blessing. My two orthodox friends basically told me similar things but his authority carried a lot more weight in giving me peace with the fact that my fast will look a bit different than the norm. It makes sense to me (as a medical worker) that certain people due to their health circumstances may need to speak with a priest before going all in for a prolonged fast. That was the main reason I experimented on Wednesdays and Fridays well before Great Lent to see what I could manage before taking up my priests time.
 
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Melily

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I literally just read this after replying about my experience as a inquirer/catechumen!
 
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ArmyMatt

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Lawrence87

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try not to walk away from the table full.

This is going to be my struggle during Lent. I can barely even walk away from the shop without a pointless snack...

I've often struggled with diets before because my mindset always goes to 'what can I do to indulge myself, but still keep the rules?' I am hoping that including prayer and attending regular services will help me to overcome some of my weird food issues!
 
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SamanthaAnastasia

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try not to walk away from the table full.
I try to do this because as an American who grew up with oversized portion sizes, it helps me not overeat :sad:
 
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