Anthony, an early church leader known as one of the desert fathers, lived on only bread and water for decades (bread then was substantially more nutritious than what is available today). But we are not trying to become desert hermits. Few people will read this chapter and then take fasting to excess. Our excess is to eat too much and fast too little. Fasting as a way of life is not the goal of this discipline. We need to know when to fast, and for what. Fasting for the sake of fasting