How to Fast as a Catholic
Catholicism has encouraged fasting as an expression of piety and repentance since its earliest centuries, drawing upon the example of Jesus' 40 days of fasting in the desert. The definition of fasting, and the circumstances under which it is obligatory, has undergone several revisions over the centuries. While in the Middle Ages there were dozens of days in the liturgical calendar when fasting or abstaining from meat was mandatory for Catholics, contemporary guidelines are much less strict.
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Instructions
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What Counts as Fasting
Under present Canon Law, fasting is understood to mean the consumption of less food in a day than normal. The Church allows one full meal in a fasting day. One or two small additional meals are allowed in a fasting day as long as the two smaller meals together are less in quantity than the main meal.
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Abstinence
True fasting is not commonly required for Catholics, but they are required to practice abstinence on Fridays that are not feast days. Rather than sex, this form of abstinence refers to the consumption of meat. Meat, in this context, refers to the flesh of mammals or fowl. Fish, reptile meat and milk are acceptable food on days when abstinence is required.
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Requirements for Catholics to Practice Fasting and Abstinence
Fasting is obligatory for Catholics on two occasions during Lent: Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Individuals younger than 18 or older than 59, or who have special medical considerations such as illness or pregnancy, are not required to fast on these days. Abstinence is required on all Fridays for individuals 14 or older. However, under the authority of local bishops some regions (including the U.S.) allow for abstinence to be replaced with acts of charity or piety on Fridays outside of Lent.
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Fasting as an Act of Piety
The Catholic Church encourages its members to make acts of piety beyond what is required by Canon Law. Some Catholics impose the typical requirements of fasting more frequently than is mandated, or they impose a more stringent definition of fasting. A popular variant observed for centuries has been fasting on a diet of bread and water. However, fasting is discouraged if it is elevated to the level of self-harm, even if it is done for pious reasons. Catholics should not feel spiritually compelled to endanger their health.
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