Lent

Hey everyone! I decided to give-up Pretzels, Peanut Butter, and Gum for Lent! I eat these things on a regular basis, so this will be hard. Secretly I'm happy to give them up, because I over eat all of them! Here's to Lent, a struggle, with benefits!

I don't partake in Lent, but I want to hear what others are giving up.  So here's a bump for you!

what  the hey is lent?

I'm not Catholic but I see Lent as a great time to challenge myself to improve myself. They say it takes 40 days to develop/break a habit, and this time is as good as any, since so many people are also challenging themselves as well! I stopped chewing my nails because of Lent!

This year I'm going to write every single day for 40 days, and also, abstain from adding salt to any of my food (a bad habit I want to break) and, for an extra little self challenge, not drink. At all. (not that I have a drinking problem at all, I just think it won't hurt me to fast on something.)

I've heard it asked before, and I've always wondered: can you give up lent for lent?

I guess giving up homework wouldn't go over well with my profs.

I'm giving up sweets, junk food, Honey Bunches of Oats cereal, and myspace(maybe)

Thanks for reminding me, I'm not too religious but like to participate.

 A couple years ago I gave up chocolate for the whole time and was proud of myself.  Last year I attempted ice cream, but didn't last too long, lol.

Not sure what to do this year. 

Definitely not beans.

I love farting.

I'm hardcore Catholic so I'm gonna give up Diet Coke which is basically like my DRUG. It's gonna be tough but I know I can do it.

Btw: Just a note to those giving up "all junk food" I tried that last year and that started my binge eating disorder. So ya may want to reconsider that....

For lent I'm giving up chocolate and surfing the web as much as I do.  I will limit myself to this site (obviously, I need to still log my calories) and my blog which I'm using as my weight loss journal but that's it.   I think it's gonna be really tough for me!

 Though, what people forget about Lent is that you actually are allowed to have the thing you gave up every Sunday during Lent.  So, it may be attainable after all.

Ya last year i would binge on every junk food imaginable every sunday. Believe me it's not a very good idea.

That's kinda dumb. Aren't you supposed to be immulating Christ's 40 day fast?

I am Roman Catholic, although I dont practise. 

Lent, in most Christian denominations, is the forty-day liturgical season of fasting and prayer before Easter.  The forty days represent the time Jesus spent in the desert, where, according to the Bible, he endured temptation by Satan.  

Lent lasts from Ash Wednesday until Holy Saturday. The six Sundays in Lent are not counted among the forty days because each Sunday represents a "mini-Easter", a celebration of Jesus' victory over sin and death.

There are traditionally forty days in Lent which are marked by fasting, both from foods and festivities, and by other acts of penance.

Theology lesson finished!!

Hey I am giving up chocolate and margaritas!! So Friday I ate 1.5 a pint of Ben and Jerry's and Sunday I had a 40 oz margarita.  so I kind of shot myself in the foot with the extra2000 cals I had those days!!!

I also have to agree with entersandlady (Metalica is going through my head now).  It is fasting and PRAYER in commeration of Jesus.  I also plan on saying rosaries and praying or reading spiritual books an hour a day.   My son (13) however is just giving up starbursts!!

I teach our parish's CCD program which is like Sunday School on Tuesday nights and the 7th graders in my class actually like Lent.  I think it is because then on Fridays a lot go to fish fry and other things with their families and the tradition for them.

That being said I am PMSing like a mother and won't start until Sat or Sun so I feel sorry for my family that chocolate is not an option!!

I'm giving up chocolate, crisps and biscuits this year... three things I didn't actually have in my house this time last year and was perfectly happy without... for some reason their presence seems to cause problems though.

I think I'm going to give up caffeine (excluding chocolate), but that might be too easy...

one of my roommates is giving up sweets and chips.  I'm not catholic/methodist? but right now I'm planning on giving up peanut butter, and buying alcohol (ppl can buy it for me though lol), and candy, I should give up diet cokes...but I think that might be too hard..I'll think about it

I'm no longer Catholic, but I decided years ago that instead of giving something up for lent, I'd do something positive durning the lenten season.  

In past years, I've cooked meals and taken them to friends who were sick or disabled, put money that I would normally spend on my self into a kitty each day and donated it to a charity at Easter and helped out at a charity clothing drive.

I haven't come up with a good one for this year, and here it is lent.  Any ideas? 

I'm giving up Jesus.

Original Post by clairelaine:

I haven't come up with a good one for this year, and here it is lent.  Any ideas? 

Well, from experience in visiting relatives in a nursing home, visiting people in nursing homes who don't have family or friends nearby is something that is enthusiastically received by both the residents and the nursing home staff.  There may be a service somewhere that can provide a match for nursing homes and/or residents.  Just a thought...