Lent

i know it doesnt start until the 25th feb but i was wondering if anyone else was thinking of giving something up?

i drink a lot of tea with milk and sweetener and im sure the amount i drink isnt good for me. plus, all that milk has a lot of calories. 150 in a cup of whole milk!

so thats me. no milk from ash wednesday to easter. anyone else up for it?

I'm already getting a head start on it! Cutting out refined sugar. No chocolate for a loooong time! (Tho I may make an exception on Shrove Tuesday of course!)

If I do well with cutting out refined sugar from now until lent starts, I might also go for giving up artificial sweeteners as well (I tried to do both at once, but that was too hard!)

I'm thinking about doing something rather than giving up something as my diet is pretty okay (not boasting, just have already given up most 'bad' things, and want to keep the few treats I have left! LOL!)- was thinking about doing the 'Couch to 5k' programme, I know its a 9wk programme though, but if I stuck to it through Lent then I'm sure I'd see it through to the end? Right?

definitely! doing something rather than giving something up sounds like a good idea. i might try that as well......

irishmum, i <3 ireland. whereabouts are you from?

im scottish btw :)

just out of curiosity - what happens after easter?

Since I don't consume a lot of sugar I will be giving up meat this year. After Easter you go back to eating the way you did before Lent, or you can continue on your Fast. In 2008 I continued on my fast until September 2008. Lost a huge amount of weight thru not eating meat, and exercise. So I am surely for that effact again.  

After lent you go back to the why you were, but hopefully you will have learned something from giving up.  traditionally (at least in the catholic churches I have attended) you should give up something or strive to increase something that is faith related in nature.  it is supposed to represent the 40 days that Christ spent in the dessert.  We never had to give up meat on Fridays because my mother always insisted on no meat fridays.

Anyway, my family is working toward something rather than giving up something.  We will be attending Mass each sunday (we tend to get lax, because I like to sleep in, good thing our new parish has 11:00 am mass.) and also doing a community/church project.  We haven't decided what we will be doing yet.  Items on the agenda are - the food bank, Meals on Wheels, the pet shelter. 

Hmmm...lent is coming, huh?  I need to give up something food-related for sure.  Late night snacking.  No eating after 8:00pm, unless it's like carrots or something (as it is typically pizza, cookies, etc.)  Ahh this is going to be a tough one for me--my boyfriend always eats late at night and I get trapped too!  I also need to go to church more...I will make it there every Sunday of Lent!

I will avoid meat.

havent decided on fish and eggs.I wnat to but a little hesitant as cooking wud be more difficult

I will surely give up something that I have difficulty saying no too (fries, cheese...). Lent is supposed to make us grow spiritually, so I will choose based on that. Plus adding something, like going to adoration, not missing mass during lent or charitable work.

A lenten sacrifice is suppose to be something that will be difficult for you to give up. Not something that you think you eat/drink too much of. Calories shouldn't play a part in your decision one way or the other because it's not about cutting calories, it's about making a sacrifice of something you care about. That said, I'm not Catholic and my church has never observed Lent. Some of the church went on a religious fast in January, but I didn't.

Original Post by louised1991:

definitely! doing something rather than giving something up sounds like a good idea. i might try that as well......

irishmum, i <3 ireland. whereabouts are you from?

im scottish btw :)

 Armagh. We're snowed in at the minute!

Pgeorgian- Since I won't have finished the Couch to 5k during Lent, I'm hoping it'll kick start some kind of motivation to keep me exercising so I can get rid of this excess weight at last!

Kajikit- I know it should be a 'sacrifice' of some sort- but it is in a way- I'm sacrificing my lazy/relaxing time with my family to get out there and get my body into the kind of shape it should be! LOL!

Plus- I will try to take the kids to Mass during Lent as well...

Kajikit - giving up tea will definitely be a sacrifice ill have you know! i drink like five cups a day, and last week i didnt have one in the morning, and i swear i was having withdrawl symptoms!

im not really religious so i doubt ill go to mass but maybe ill ask my granny to say a prayer for me. god seems to listen to her :)

Fair enough! Giving up caffeine is no fun, and even though tea has very small amounts in it, it adds up. It just sounded a bit like you were saying 'milk has too many calories so I'll use Lent as an excuse to cut it out.' Like our minister said about the fast, it's NOT something to do because you want to cut calories or get thin, it's something to do because you want to get closer to God and develop your faith. I don't actually see any point in someone non-religious observing Lent at all because what are you going to get out of it?, but if you want to do it go right ahead.

im not against religion or anything, i just dont happen to have one! what am i going to get out of it? pride in myself and in the fact that ive managed to go forty days without tea!

louised1991- ummm why dont you just switch to fat free milk? i dont get it.

i havent yet decided what to sacrifice

Original Post by irishmum:

I'm thinking about doing something rather than giving up something . . . was thinking about doing the 'Couch to 5k' programme

if i'd written this, i'd be giving up my self indulgent laziness, my shyness about being seen outside in excersize gear, and my resistance to living in my flesh--aka the temple of the lord--

this thread poses a good question. i have a few more weeks to meditate on it yet, yes? 

"sacrifice" root of the word "to make sacred"

Good timing -  my husband and I were just talking about this at lunch today.  I haven't decided what to give up yet.  I thought about caffeine, refined sugar and meat - but I've done those before without a problem.  One year my friend gave up elevators - which was tough for her considering she lived of the 7th floor of a building at the time - but that wouldn't be very challenging for me.  I want something that will really challenge me, but can't come up with anything.  I will be checking back to see what others have come up with :)

Original Post by youhearttme:

louised1991- ummm why dont you just switch to fat free milk? i dont get it.

i havent yet decided what to sacrifice

 BECAUSE I HATE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm giving up sweets.  I love them way too much that it's really all or nothing.  Lent is a great opportunity be disciplined and learn that I really don't need them and the less I eat sweet, the less I crave them. I will probably be making exceptions for special celebrations, such as my birthday.