"Say NO to indulgences" challenge

efcdcdb

OK - I don't know if this will appeal to anyone, but here's what I was thinking. As most of you know, many Catholics give up certain food items during Lent (Ash Wednesday March 9 - Easter Sunday April 24). I was thinking of giving up ice cream (in my efforts to be a "good" Catholic, I do other things besides giving up food items, but that's neither here nor there).

But I have been on such a plateau lately. I was thinking about it yesterday, and I think what has happened is that since I am close to my goal, I have unconsciously slipped into maintenance mode - feeling like I can have a special treat occasionally (birthday cake at work, a dark microbrew beer instead of a light beer, etc). So, I decided that for Lent, in addition to giving up ice cream, I am going to make a special effort to sacrifice by saying NO to indulgences. My thought is if I can finally lose the last five pounds over these next six weeks, then I can actually BE in maintenance mode. :laugh:

So I am going to start this challenge and hope that others will join me. What I plan to do is visit this thread every day, at the end of the day, and list all of the indulgences that I have said NO to. I am hoping that extra accountability, and desire to "brag" about food temptations I have passed up, will be the extra incentive that I need. We will all have to define our "indulgences", as we go. For example, if you are a fast food eater, pass it up and make an alternative choice. Or at least find the most healthy choice, not just a marginal one like getting a small french fry instead of a large one. If you are occasionally tempted with goodies at work, pass them up. If you have special events, where you would usually say "the heck with it", instead tell yourself that just for this six week period, you are going to use restraint and eat nothing but the veggies without dip (or whatever..I think you get the idea).

One final thing...it is my challenge, so I can make the rules. :huh: I am going on vacation the week BEFORE Easter, so I am going to start a week early and end a week early. That means I start Wednesday 3/2 and end on Friday 4/22. For anyone who joins, you can follow the Lenten calendar or choose your own dates. This is NOT a religious challenge...it's just that was how I came up with the idea, so if you're interested, feel free to join because of the common interests we all share.

daybyday

I'm in....I am saying NO to indulges (or at the very least trying my very best)!! Thanks for starting this challenge!!

DanL66712

I am mildly concerned that saying no to indulgences will lead to a massive splurge at the end...

chrissym78

I would say I'm in but 2 of my 3 kids have April birthday and saying no to cake twice would be HARD! LOL!! I'm gonna say I'll say no to indulgences for the month of March. Great idea!

efcdcdb

P.S. - I kind of think this is a "positive" challenge because you will be reporting all of the indulgences that you passed up - meaning even if you don't have anything to report for a day or two, the next time you pass up an indulgence you will have SUCCESS to report!! I think this will help some of us better than a challenge to DO something, where if you don't do it, you've kind of lost the challenge, and it is easy to let it fall by the wayside. That should make it easier for anyone who falls off the wagon to GET RIGHT BACK ON!! :bigsmile:

efcdcdb

Hmmm - looks like not too many people find this challenge too appealing. :laugh: That's OK - I'm still going to do it, and may we'll get a few more to join us. If anyone has questions or ideas, just let me know.

daybyday

The indulgence I'm choosing is sweets. Today I passed up chocolate and donuts at work. At the grocery store I had to walk through the cookie aisle as I needed something else there and passed up those. So far so good!!

efcdcdb

Yay! That's the spirit! I'm not starting until Wednesday - I have to finish my mint chocolate chip ice cream :bigsmile:

blissfulself

i think its a great challenge! and i'm going to start now...i usually have a diet coke on the way to school, but i'm really trying to avoid pop altogether (i drink a cup of coffee in the morning though) because its not helping me on my weight loss at all. I also said no to honey mustard today (90 calories in 2 tbsp) and instead said yes to ketchup (15 calories in 2 tbsp) even though i like honey mustard a lot more.

MissMay

I have to finish my mint chocolate chip ice cream :bigsmile:

Hmmm I was thinking of joining until I read that.:noway:

daybyday

Well, I gave in to a small piece of pie grrrrr. It was better than yesterday when I had pie, a cookie and a half of a candy bar!! Better day tomorrow!!

efcdcdb

Well, I officially start this challenge. I wish we had a few more participants, but it is hard to get a thread noticed once it drops down in the "pecking order". :grumble:

frogmama

Not one hershey kiss or glazed pecan today!:happy:

efcdcdb

Not one hershey kiss or glazed pecan today!:happy:

@frogmama - very good! although it looks like you went to Applebee's and the movies. :laugh:

Today, I didn't eat cereal out of the box at work, which is a bad habit I have started to develop. I did have my ice cream BUT that's because there was one last serving of mint chocolate chip and no one else will eat it (and I was raised not to waste food - LOL!). So now, there will be no more ice cream for me until my six week challenge is over.

daybyday

Okay, I'm not perfect but who is!! Yesterday I had 2 "fun size" chocolate bars and that last piece of coconut cream pie (from Denny's) because I don't like to waste food either. At least I'm honest LOL. Work has been stressful, blah blah blah. I know that's not a good excuse but that's the way it is!! There's not much temptation in my house right now so hopefully I will do better!! Good thing I'm not Catholic and actually HAVE to give up something!!

frogmama

Not one hershey kiss or glazed pecan today!:happy:

@frogmama - very good! although it looks like you went to Applebee's and the movies. :laugh:

Today, I didn't eat cereal out of the box at work, which is a bad habit I have started to develop. I did have my ice cream BUT that's because there was one last serving of mint chocolate chip and no one else will eat it (and I was raised not to waste food - LOL!). So now, there will be no more ice cream for me until my six week challenge is over.

No not applebees and a movie-- bookclub at French Pub. That was as close as I could come to logging the right foods. But, even though I ate some of those things, I didn't have any wine, and I did limit the quantities.

efcdcdb

@daybyday - I hear you about the work stress. Ugh! My job is going to be very stressful for awhile since the bank I work for is acquiring another bank. The department that I manage is significantly impacted, and although we are already buried with work for it, things aren't expected to settle down until well into September. That's why I want to try to get rid of these last 5 (or so) pounds, so I can be in maintenance mode through the summer. That's way I am using the Lent thing as a "hammer" to make me stick with it. :huh:

@frogmama - OK then I guess that wasn't so bad. And good for you, to avoid the nuts and chocolate.

frogmama

No glazed pecans and no hershey kisses! I think you are going to get tired of seeing the same thing every day, but I'm hoping this keeps me going!

daybyday

I did not have any pie today. I did have 3 Hershey's kisses. I missed one day of exercise this week to go get my blood drawn for the Health Fair. I thought it was more important since it's WAY cheaper to have it drawn there!!

efcdcdb

OK - this report is for yesterday. I didn't really have any opportunity to "say no" to anything, other than my ice cream at night. My hubbie bought Blueberry Cheesecake (I am not a blueberry fan) and Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup (which is one of my favorites), but I said NO, and I had a sugar free Swiss Miss hot chocolate and english muffin instead. Actually, the calories were about the same as what I log for the ice cream, but I'll admit - my ice cream servings were probably bigger than I was logging. :laugh:

@frogmama - the nuts probably aren't a bad thing, but it is probably good to say NO to the chocolate.

@daybyday - you are doing great with all of your exercise....foregoing it on one day isn't a big deal, at least I don't think so.

frogmama

efcdcdb- So what will you do with all of the peanut butter ice cream?

No to the hershey kisses, glazed pecans, and the junior mints that were calling my name!


I know the nuts aren't bad but the glazed ones probably are!