The Discipline of Fasting: Taking Back Control as a Modern Dad

There’s a weird kind of peace that comes when you stop letting food run your day. I used to roll out of bed thinking about breakfast before I even wiped the sleep out of my eyes. Not because I was hungry but because it was routine. Comfort. Clockwork.

But I started fasting over 18 months ago and it’s been a shift. Not just in my body, but in my head.

It’s simple: I stop eating at 8PM and don’t eat again until 12PM the next day. Sixteen hours. At first, it felt hard. But that’s kind of the point. Doing something uncomfortable on purpose puts you back in the driver’s seat. You start realising how much of your day is built around comfort and how little that actually serves you as a man, let alone a dad.

During those fasted hours, especially in the morning, my focus is sharp. My energy’s clean. I’m not being pulled in ten different directions by blood sugar dips or cravings. It’s quiet. It’s disciplined. And there’s something in that quiet that reminds me who I actually am.

As a dad, I need that clarity. Because let’s be real life’s loud. Kids are unpredictable, work piles up, and everyone’s always needing something from you. If you don’t have some kind of anchor, you get swept up. Fasting became part of that anchor for me. It taught me to pause before reacting. To say no when I don’t actually need more. To stay sharp when the day gets messy.

Fasting helped me stop reacting like a passenger and start showing up like a leader. Not just at work or in the gym but at home, where it matters most.

Here’s how I started:

• 8PM to 12PM fast (nothing but water, black coffee, or herbal tea)
• First meal: something clean protein, healthy fats, greens.
• No obsessing, no calorie counting. Just presence and consistency.
• Morning walks or workouts help push through the final hours.

Some days I slip. Some days I eat earlier. But it’s not about perfection It’s about showing myself that I can say no to the easy things. That I’m capable of discipline. That I can choose growth over comfort and that matters, especially when I’m raising little humans who are watching my every move.

Next time

I’ll talk about how fasting isn’t just physical it’s also spiritual.