Modern Church law prescribes abstinence from meat on Fridays during Lent and Ash Wednesday and also fasting on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday; fasting being defined as one main meal and two smaller meals. That's a fairly relaxed form of fasting, IMHO. However, in addition, penitents often voluntarily forsake some other pleasure for the entire duration of Lent which is a little over 6 weeks.
Thank you so much for this descriptive answer! And yeah, the fasting requirements for Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are not very difficult. ( I always have trouble calling it Good Friday even though, of course, I understand the implication, as most do. I wish it were called something else. )