Anyone participating in Lent this year?

I will. Lent has been a good way for me to kick habits in the past. I gave up soft drinks back in high school to help with running during cross country season and I have not gone back to drinking them regularly (I see them more as an occasional treat now, plus the whole burning your throat when you drink it wasn't that appealing).

Last year I gave up chips. I learned that I should have probably given up going to Mexican restaurants with it because they always serve chips as a starter. I went to one during Lent last year with my manager, she asked me if I had given anything up as I was stuffing a chip into my mouth. Oops.

I need to figure out what I want to give up this year. I'm thinking StarCrunch because my fiancé keeps buying them and I keep eating them. I think I might include cookies in with that.

I'm giving up bread - it disagrees with me anyway I get all bloated so it's probably a good idea.
I'm also cutting the deserts down to two special ones once a week instead of filling up my calories each day with deserts I don't really enjoy

Seriously, people look on a religious thing as a diet aid?

Eugh.

is that when you lend someone something and they lend something back to you?



*kidding*

As children in my family, we were encouraged not to give up something (none of us were very good at abstinence), but we were encouraged to take up a good habit. I suppose where it fell down as children was it was rarely measurable. It was generally something like be nicer to your sister. As an adult I still think it is better to phrase things like instead of giving up something to take up a healthy habit. But I suppose when setting targets for myself I try to phrase them in a positive manner, take up healthy eating as opposed to give up unhealthy eating.

Not planning on doing anything, and if I was it wouldn't be health related. I'm already fully committed to changing my health and don't require Lent to encourage me to do so - not that I'm always perfect . I'll probably fast on Good Friday and Ash Wednesday - for us that just means no meat and no snacks - don't eat to excess.

We are fairly devout Catholics and we will do all of the obligatory penances: fasting, prayer,and almsgiving. Ash Wednesday and Good Friday fasts are a given, along with meatless Fridays, and our voluntary penances. "What are you giving up this year?" is a common topic in our house right now.

I always look forward to lent. In my mind the practice of giving something up for lent is a spiritual practice, specifically designed to deprive us of some lesser good so that we may focus on the greater Good.

In the past I have made the mistake of being to aggressive in my penances. I have struggled with how to "fast" when I have already been in a calorie deficit -- wasn't I already "fasting"? Last year I gave up all eating after dinner and I was a cantankerous wreck by Easter. It didn't work the way I intended - it had almost the opposite effect of making me focus on the penance instead of God. And after the Vigil mass I stuffed myself.

This year I plan to give up handheld electronic entertainment: no Jetpack Joyride, Plants vs Zombies, Twitter, Facebook, etc. Instead I will read actual books with my free time, including some spiritual reading. I may add in a minor diet-based penance: maybe I'll give up snacks one day a week or something like that.

I'm not Catholic but am Christian and marking Lent has been part of my tradition.

I might try "Buy Nothing New". I've done that once before. It really makes me realize how consumer focused we are.

I also do a daily study/reflection.

Or tongue in cheek-I could always give up smoking, chocolate or sex. Chocolate gives me migranes. I haven't eaten it for over 40 years. I'm asthmatic and have never smoked-and sex -well not in a committed relationship.

I don't give up food for Lent anymore, since for me it does tend to become a diet rather than a chance to reflect and repent. I usually give up facebook and limit my screen time.

I actually used Lent last year to kick start my road to fitness. I gave up soda, chocolate, pork, and beef. All chosen to make me think more about what I was consuming and to force better choices.

I didn't count calories during Lent, but I went straight from Easter to Fitbit / MFP, which I think made the transition much smoother than it may have been otherwise.

I'm planning on using this Lent to step up my game as I'm currently on a 4-month plateau.

Best of luck to all observing the Lenten season!

I give up being a catholic for lent.

I'm not catholic, but I am Christian, and like the reasoning behind it, so I typically do give something up.

Last year I gave up soda, and was actually pretty successful at it.

This year I'm thinking either chocolate (one of my biggest weaknesses), or maybe all fast food / coffee and then try to do something good with the money I would've spent on it.

Are all the sarcastic caustic comments from non religious people necessary? Theres a thousand other threads to comment on.... it doesnt have to be here if you're only interested in being a douche, just dont comment! Trolls.

It's obvious that this thread strikes a deep nerve with some people--why? I ask. Putting up with their comments and reflecting on why they need to do this is part of MY Lenten pennance.

Nope kinda like a New years resolution

---

never stick to it. Why bother?

Why bother? If you are a practicing Christian you want to prepare yourself for Easter, which celebrates the Resurrection of Christ. Easter is the greatest holy day of the Christian year.

Christians prepare by fasting & abstaining from meat on Ash Wednesday & Good Friday, and abstaining from meat on all Fridays. They participate in Lenten prayers and services, do penance, and almsgiving (donating money & goods to the poor) and do other works of charity, and other acts of self-discipline. :flowerforyou:

Seriously, people look on a religious thing as a diet aid?

Eugh.

I will be giving up chocolate for Lent - have done this for several years , ie well before I started on my weight loss journey 12 months ago.
I eat chocolate fairly often and fit it into my calories and have met my weight loss goal - giving it up is not a diet aid for me, it is about a small sacrifice of giving up something I enjoy, teaches me not to take luxuries for granted and to practice some self control in a measured way.

I gave up tea and coffee a few years ago which was brutal! This year I'll do something which will tie-in with losing a bit of weight. Maybe sweets and chocolate.