New, too.

Been fasting 5 yrs.

Try 2 days/wk., non-consecutive + 4 consecutive, ea. month.

Varrying level of success; feeding kids sometimes eviscerates my willpower. Sometimes, it's other general stress.

Agree that willpower is the main driver.

I use coffee and a variety of top shelf loose leaf tea (mostly regular caffeinated, but occasional coca leaf).

Open to idea that flavors make my fasting more difficult, but I'm a skeptic; I've seen no evidence for this.

Caffeine has been my helper for every 4 day fast and nearly all 1-2-or-3-day fasts.

RHL,

Welcome to the forum. If you want to fast for a long time, start slow with two days, four days, five days, etc.

You can read many of my messages about food and people who have relationship with food. Most of people who think of food all the time are replacing one or more emotional response with food. So simply you can do this.....

Every time you think of food or are drawn to food, stop, count to 3 and ask why am I thinking of eating now, am I feeling sad, hurt, or missing someone, am I about to eat mindlessly? Then walk away. If hungry, eat raw fruit or vegetable mono meal.

Try this again and again and you will succeed.

BTW, never drink anything but water when fasting. Caffeine is very enervating even when you are not fasting. Coffee, tea and sodas are dehydrating and worse thing you can do when fasting.

Best wishes.

Archus