Food cravings during the great Fast

[Anhelyna]

ARGH - hitting earlier than before

I want CHEESE

 

[ArmyMatt]

I am not there yet. it usually hits me close to week 4 or 5.

 

[Anhelyna]

It's hit me much earlier than usual I can't really see why .
My poor GodPapa is longing for some milk in his coffee

 

[ArmyMatt]

It's hit me much earlier than usual I can't really see why .

quite the podvig

 

[FenderTL5]

The only time that I crave a Krystal/White Castle burger is during Lent or the Nativity fast(s).

 

[rusmeister]

I’m just trying to stay alive. No spiritual father, no close friends nearby, a family and children that leans leftist (in spite of all my efforts) and a very mercurial relationship with my wife, my mother (my chief confidante in life) gone and buried in a Muslim grave, a refugee in yet another foreign land on temporary rights only, trying to support not only immediate family including mother-in-law, but pay rent for my older daughter in Germany who can’t support herself yet (heck, SHE’s a student in another foreign land), just had a major source of income cut off thanks to “sanctions” (which pretend to target the rich and powerful, but actually leave them mostly untouched while screwing over ordinary folks). Facing a doubling of the rent for the summer months and don’t know how I am going to pay it. If I can say “no” to little things here and there, that’s about as much fasting as I can do.
On the flip side, I got to Confession for the second time since my arrival six months ago, when the stars are aligned amd I can get to the church when the English-speaking priest serves on Saturday evenings. The rain has finally stopped and it’s sunny, if cool. It’s been a struggle to fast for years, and now I just do the what very little I can, and try not to feel guilty about it.

 

[truefiction1]

I’m just trying to stay alive. No spiritual father, no close friends nearby, a family and children that leans leftist (in spite of all my efforts) and a very mercurial relationship with my wife, my mother (my chief confidante in life) gone and buried in a Muslim grave, a refugee in yet another foreign land on temporary rights only, trying to support not only immediate family including mother-in-law, but pay rent for my older daughter in Germany who can’t support herself yet (heck, SHE’s a student in another foreign land), just had a major source of income cut off thanks to “sanctions” (which pretend to target the rich and powerful, but actually leave them mostly untouched while screwing over ordinary folks). Facing a doubling of the rent for the summer months and don’t know how I am going to pay it. If I can say “no” to little things here and there, that’s about as much fasting as I can do.
On the flip side, I got to Confession for the second time since my arrival six months ago, when the stars are aligned amd I can get to the church when the English-speaking priest serves on Saturday evenings. The rain has finally stopped and it’s sunny, if cool. It’s been a struggle to fast for years, and now I just do the what very little I can, and try not to feel guilty about it.

I'm sorry to hear of your personal and financial hardships. Lord have mercy.

 

[ArmyMatt]

I’m just trying to stay alive. No spiritual father, no close friends nearby, a family and children that leans leftist (in spite of all my efforts) and a very mercurial relationship with my wife, my mother (my chief confidante in life) gone and buried in a Muslim grave, a refugee in yet another foreign land on temporary rights only, trying to support not only immediate family including mother-in-law, but pay rent for my older daughter in Germany who can’t support herself yet (heck, SHE’s a student in another foreign land), just had a major source of income cut off thanks to “sanctions” (which pretend to target the rich and powerful, but actually leave them mostly untouched while screwing over ordinary folks). Facing a doubling of the rent for the summer months and don’t know how I am going to pay it. If I can say “no” to little things here and there, that’s about as much fasting as I can do.
On the flip side, I got to Confession for the second time since my arrival six months ago, when the stars are aligned amd I can get to the church when the English-speaking priest serves on Saturday evenings. The rain has finally stopped and it’s sunny, if cool. It’s been a struggle to fast for years, and now I just do the what very little I can, and try not to feel guilty about it.

continued prayers for you, rus!

 

[prodromos]

I’m just trying to stay alive. No spiritual father, no close friends nearby, a family and children that leans leftist (in spite of all my efforts) and a very mercurial relationship with my wife, my mother (my chief confidante in life) gone and buried in a Muslim grave, a refugee in yet another foreign land on temporary rights only, trying to support not only immediate family including mother-in-law, but pay rent for my older daughter in Germany who can’t support herself yet (heck, SHE’s a student in another foreign land), just had a major source of income cut off thanks to “sanctions” (which pretend to target the rich and powerful, but actually leave them mostly untouched while screwing over ordinary folks). Facing a doubling of the rent for the summer months and don’t know how I am going to pay it. If I can say “no” to little things here and there, that’s about as much fasting as I can do.
On the flip side, I got to Confession for the second time since my arrival six months ago, when the stars are aligned amd I can get to the church when the English-speaking priest serves on Saturday evenings. The rain has finally stopped and it’s sunny, if cool. It’s been a struggle to fast for years, and now I just do the what very little I can, and try not to feel guilty about it.

Lord have mercy!

 

[gzt]

I have had to be off of dairy for a while for medical reasons, so the cheese craving has died, and I've been largely vegetarian for years, but for some reason, during Lent, going by some of the worst and most disgusting dives imaginable, I suddenly think of how nice it would be to have some horribly greasy burger or sausage...

 

[ArmyMatt]

for some reason, during Lent, going by some of the worst and most disgusting dives imaginable, I suddenly think of how nice it would be to have some horribly greasy burger or sausage...

that’s like me when Burger King starts smelling good.

 

[gzt]

that’s like me when Burger King starts smelling good.

At least BK has the Impossible Whopper! Pretty much the only burger joint where there's something Lenten.

 

[ArmyMatt]

At least BK has the Impossible Whopper! Pretty much the only burger joint where there's something Lenten.

indeed, if you don’t mind they at least were made on the same grills as the regular burgers. Fr Eric Tosi was not happy when he overheard that.

 

[FenderTL5]

indeed, if you don’t mind they at least were made on the same grills as the regular burgers. Fr Eric Tosi was not happy when he overheard that.

yeah, my son the vegetarian was off-put by that also. otoh, my first priest told me that if I'm reading the fine print I'm doing it wrong.

I'm looking forward to trying the Chick-fil-A plant based sandwich, even if it's not avaiable until after Lent

 

[ArmyMatt]

yeah, my son the vegetarian was off-put by that also. otoh, my first priest told me that if I'm reading the fine print I'm doing it wrong.

yeah, Fr Eric just happened to overhear it, he wasn’t being a Pharisee about it.

 

[FenderTL5]

yeah, Fr Eric just happened to overhear it, he wasn’t being a Pharisee about it.

I didn't mean to imply that he was.
One of the things I struggle with is keeping the spirit and intent of the fast in balance with the letter of the fast. It's easy to lose sight of the purpose.

 

[ArmyMatt]

I didn't mean to imply that he was.
One of the things I struggle with is keeping the spirit and intent of the fast in balance with the letter of the fast. It's easy to lose sight of the purpose.

you’re good. I was just trying to be clear.

 

[prodromos]

Meat substitutes don't sit well with me. They are not inexpensive and require a lot of processing to produce. They don't feel to me as though they fit the spirit of the fast.

 

[FenderTL5]

Meat substitutes don't sit well with me. They are not inexpensive and require a lot of processing to produce. They don't feel to me as though they fit the spirit of the fast.

I agree for the most part. Most of the time I prefer a simple vegetable anyway. I don't really care for the substitutes much.

Which is why I want to look at the Chick-Fil-A offering, it's cauliflower and makes no pretense at being meat.
Whether or not it costs twice the regular sandwich is still to be learned.

however, as an example, a vendor took some of us to lunch the first week of Lent.. to a burger place. How do you address that?
Order the "vegan burger" trying to not draw attention to yourself or get a regular burger and repent later.. i don't know. I've done both at various times.

 

[ArmyMatt]

They don't feel to me as though they fit the spirit of the fast.

Fr Schmemann was big on that point