Spiritual Resilience in Fasting
The Orthodox perspective on such a situation is based not so much on physiological needs as on the spiritual battle against temptation. The essence of the fast lies in overcoming bodily desires through an act of will aimed at achieving inner discipline and abstinence. If a strong desire to eat eggs arises during the fast and the person realizes that his true goal is not to satisfy a physical need but to pursue spiritual self-improvement, then this call is most likely a trial that will help strengthen his willpower.As noted in one of the sources:"It is too insignificant for a person, it is too simple – to just refrain from eating something. After all, when we eat eggs or sour cream or buckwheat porridge without butter, our soul gains nothing from it. It gains not from the food, but from the abstinence. Here I open the refrigerator and see a half-eaten piece of sausage, and I really want to eat it, but I cannot – it is a fast. Therefore, I exert self-control and close the refrigerator." (source: link txt)This idea suggests that a key point is the conscious effort to avoid excessive sensory temptations. Moreover, the spiritual benefit of the fast is expressed in the ability to overcome desires and apply willpower not only to food matters but to life in general.
Elsewhere it is emphasized that the true meaning of the fast is not a cosmetic benefit for one’s health, but the training of the soul through the ability to abstain:"And why do we undertake a fast?Not to preserve the waistline or to have better health. The main thing is that we gain something internal through the fast—learning to abstain. Because the one who learns to refrain from tasty things and trains himself in this will more easily control his tongue and his envious eyes..." (source: link txt)Thus, if a strong desire for eggs is experienced as a temporary temptation that you successfully battle with willpower, it most likely represents a trial that helps develop spiritual qualities. However, if such a feeling is accompanied by physical need or weakness, it is worth paying close attention to oneself. In the context of spiritual practice, the crucial point remains the ability to discern the difference between a temporary temptation and a genuine necessity. This requires self-analysis and continuous inner work.