A traditional fast would be to abstain from meat and also only eat 1 full meal per day, with 2 additional smaller meals that do not equate to the 1 full meal per day. Eating between meals is not usually allowed either, so no snacking, just the 1 meal and maybe 2 smaller meals. Drinking any kind of beverage with calories or flavor (milk, soda, flavored water, etc.) is only allowed during your meals, but water at any time is allowed.
Side note, don't eat 1 giant meal, bigger than you would normally eat, to then have the 2 smaller meals be "normal" sized meals. People try to cheat with fasting that way and that's not how it works. Fasting means you WILL feel hungrier than usual, and that's the point.
Even that tiny bit of discomfort ("suffering") we might feel when we're hungry from the fasting can be offered up to God. It also helps us to detach more from the comforts of this world.
A traditional fast would be to abstain from meat and also only eat 1 full meal per day, with 2 additional smaller meals that do not equate to the 1 full meal per day. Eating between meals is not usually allowed either, so no snacking, just the 1 meal and maybe 2 smaller meals. Drinking any kind of beverage with calories or flavor (milk, soda, flavored water, etc.) is only allowed during your meals, but water at any time is allowed.
Side note, don't eat 1 giant meal, bigger than you would normally eat, to then have the 2 smaller meals be "normal" sized meals. People try to cheat with fasting that way and that's not how it works. Fasting means you WILL feel hungrier than usual, and that's the point.
Even that tiny bit of discomfort ("suffering") we might feel when we're hungry from the fasting can be offered up to God. It also helps us to detach more from the comforts of this world.