Lent - Do you give up something?

tmccutcheon · March 2011

So today is Fat Tuesday and like every other Lenten season I try to give up something (or improve something in my life). My struggles with weight fluctuations (and current plateau) always seem to occur when I drink wine and beer. So this lent my wife and I have decided to eliminate alcohol. I am hopeful that this little change will result in positive changes in my weight loss journey. Does anyone else give up something for lent?

dekarlo08 · March 2011

I try to give up something that is truely a challenge. This year I decided that instead of just not eating meat on Friday I would not eat it at all. I'm going to have a big ole BBQ after Easter. lol

311Phil · March 2011

I don't...

tigger2009 · March 2011

I think giving up alcohol is a good one. However, for me I am Irish and with St. Paddy's day coming up and we are having a party this Saturday it kind of would not work for me. Unless I wait until after the party! Seriously I have been thinking about giving up something besides chocolate. Maybe I will give up Meat entirely too like other person who posted.

crystaltrejo · March 2011

Man this is hard....I don't drink soda, maybe one a week as a treat, I only have one cup of coffee a day, much needed with a 5am start to my day, I don't eat candy or sweets, rarely if never drink alcohol, and I watch my diet very very carefully, this year it will be hard to find something to give up. Can anyone help me think of something?

anna_b1 · March 2011

I'm going to "take-up" something instead. During Lent, I plan to work out at least 30 minutes each day of the week! This won't be easy because I generally don't enjoy exercising.

fitterpam · March 2011

Yup - last year I gave up soda and it was only last November that I started drinking them again, but now it's maybe once a week at most. This year, I'm working on white sugar and white flour.......YIKES! Wish me luck!

carolyne2 · March 2011

I'm giving up talking to hubby, bliss - and for him lol.

I'm not giving anything in the food line up this year as eating healthy is enough without giving any of it up.

zcosborne86 · March 2011

Hey guys!

I've decided to give up most of my weekly carbs for lent. I plan on limiting my intake to around 50gms a day. It's going to be hard as I'm addicted to bread, pasta, rice and 'empty carbs'. I did consider giving up booze and chocolate but since starting my healthy living plan, these things have gone out the window anyway!

It would be great to hear what everyone else plans on giving up.

Good luck all!

jaylu · March 2011

i am going to this year - im going off sweets, chocolate, cupcakes, crisps, junk food in general really. and i know that being on this site i should have tried to give them up anyway but i always try to eat the junk food within my daily cal limits BUT its time to change gear and i think i'll feel a lot better and fitter if i cut the processed over sugared snacks from the diet!

you will notice a huge different giving up alcohol by the way - you do know there around 200 cals in a bottle of beer if you norm drank a beer a night and cut that out that 1400 cals a week away! thats amazing!

so good luck with lent this year - i know im going to find this so hard because i forgot to mention... i make cakes! for birthdays, welcome home parties, etc! at least once a week i'm putting together some sweet treat for someone! this week its twice! a carrot cake on thursday and orange and lemon cupcakes on friday eek!

dekarlo08 · March 2011

@crystaltrejo~ I don't know how hectic your life is, but have you thought about giving up something like time? By that I mean volunteering somewhere. That's on my list for next year.

Macacadopai · March 2011

I haven't had a sip of alcohol since 12 of February, and every time I go out for dinner or to a party I remind myself that "Alcohol slows down fat metabolism. As little as two drinks can slow down fat metabolism by 75 %. In addition alcohol causes dehydration. Dehydration causes your body to lose water and interfere with fat metabolism. Therefore keeping off from alcohol is a very effective way to ensure a high fat metabolism."

catcrazy · March 2011

If you dont want to give up anything or cant think of things why not DO something for lent instead of DON'T doing. Put money in a jar each time you eat something you really shouldnt have/ go over calories/fat/carbs etc or each time you swear and then hand it in to a charity at the end or dig out those clothes that no longer fit and donate to a charity.

WomanofWorth · March 2011

I going to take up getting to the gym 3xs a week during lent since I have a Y membership and haven't used it yet. I need to kick up my routine anyway and I think the advice might help me to lose weight, get fitter a bit faster and learn proper form to prevent injury (can only learn so much of that from a DVD.

rebawagner · March 2011

giving up my scale! I obsess and weigh daily... it will be good (and hard) for me to take a break!

FemininGuns · March 2011

Wow... not sure what I would give up.... I don't drink, I exercise everyday and I don't smoke (obviously!)... I don't eat chocolate or sweets, I have low carbs already... I guess my lent can be taking the stairs at work instead of the elevator... Ya, I ALWAYS avoid the stairs... But will do that for 40 days (ps - that's 5 flights of stairs to get to my office).

openskybeach · March 2011

Its a wonderful to give up something for Lent for our Lord. I love soda unfortunately and have given that up before and yes the benefits were great. BUT remember Lent is not all or only about giving up but you can also do a small thing each day such as spend your first 15 minutes of the day thanking God for the gift of life and offering your day to Him, or you could go to confession at least once during the Season of Lent, or read at some Scripture each day, OR make it a habit to stop at least five times a day, raise your heart and mind to God, and say a short prayer such as “Jesus, I love you,” or “Lord, I offer it up for you.”

These are things I found just by google-ing "Lent". Last year I had this cool calendar of sorts where it had you specific thing to accomplish for the day. If I come across it again I will repost. But that was really cool. So just an idea if you cant think of something to "give up"