Anyone participating in Lent this year?

yep

I'm not religious at all but I like the challenge of giving things up for a while and this is a good a time as any to do it.
A couple of years ago I gave up chocolate and sweets, I think I'd like to do that again.

I'm the same -I'm not religious,but enjoy the personal challenge. I've done chocolate and alcohol for the last 3 years. Alcohol is good and I like not feeling like I have to drink even though I don't drink that much anyway. Chocolate is much more of a challenge!! I also have given up unnecessary spending, which saves a fortune, but is open to interpretation as to what is unnecessary!
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Why on EARTH would you give up chocolate, unless you're a masochist???????????????????????????]

Haha! Chocolate is tough! Last year I said I wasn't doing it again as it was too hard! I was suggesting to my daughters that they give up sweets or biscuits - one said she'd rather give up vegetables or school .........:noway:

I will be doing alcohol again - chocolate is still only a maybe!

I am Episcopalian. This year I am giving up diet Coke and going meatless on Wednesday in addition to Fridays. I haven't decided what, if anything, I am going to take on yet.

abstaining from excuses this Lent (and beyond).

Definitely a challenge. I am a Christian and do take it seriously, but have not even been recording properly the past few months. I am going to give up bread and sweets , killing me anyway ,and I am a total addict to diet coke, I am sure I drink almost a 2 l every day. Good time to get control of myself!!

I'm Nazarene, which is pretty close to Methodist. Two years ago for Lent, I did the Daniel Fast - vegan plus no added oils, sweetners, sodas, or yeast. I did my daily Bible study and felt closer to God and my body responded in kind. I was able to stop taking medications that I had taken for over a decade. I felt great, lost weight, and continued with being vegan. A few months after, I discovered this site. After Lent, though, I added the oils, sodas, breads and sweets back in. Here it is, 2 years later and I'm at the same weight as when I began on mfp. This year, I am recommitting myself to eating only whole, unprocessed foods and my daily Bible study.


"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13 (NKJV)

Although I'm not baptised, I've been giving up things for lent these past couple of years, I found this to be a good test of self-control, really.
I'll give up alcohol and coffee this lent. I'm invited to a wedding on 7th/8th March, so I will have a couple of glasses then, I will just make it up and not drink over Easter!

I am not a Catholic but will participate in Lent this year. I am going to give up all junk food and only have it on Special Occasions ( small amounts ). That means none of the following all sweets, take away, pizza, chips, crisps, biscuits, cakes etc.

I'm doing it as I do every year. This year I think I am giving up meat for the 40 days. Last year I gave up my coffee..

I've given up so many things over the years. This year I think I'll add something: daily yoga practice (every single day!). I'll even try to add meditation to my yoga, which I don't know if I'm good at or not. But daily meditation sounds like a nice thing for Lent.

I'm not Catholic and was only Episcopal for several years for school. I'm closest to the Greeks here, but man their Lent is too hard! Y'all go with your tough selves I don't think I could give up so much.

I usually do something positive for Lent, like spend more time meditating or doing devotional reading. I'm an Episcopalian, and we tend to enjoy the good things in life, rather than give up for the sake of giving up. In the past, when I have given things up, there has been a give back component, for instance, giving up shopping for pleasure and then giving extra money to charity. Also, if I give up eating something unhealthy, then aren't I just giving up something I shouldn't be having anyway, so who am I doing it for, me or God?

Every year one of the places I contribute to sends a book of Lenten daily practices, and it does suggest fasting for all or part of certain days. I might try giving up the evening meal on those days. I can't not eat during the day; I teach and start my day as early as 6:00 AM, and I just can't go without food or I'd be dead on my feet.

I am old-calendar Greek Orthodox, and Great Lent is a very serious fast for us--no meat, fish, eggs or dairy from March 1 ("Clean Monday") till Easter ("Pascha"'). It's quite a challenge--mostly a Vegan diet, though shellfish are allowed. I've been doing it (more or less) for years--I always found it an interesting cooking challenge. I used to lose weight during Lent (usually about 5-7 pounds) till I stopped taking it seriously & started ignoring the restrictions on wine & olive oil (allowed only on weekends). This year I am going to try to really keep the fast, and I'd also like to try giving up wine entirely, with the intent of eating this healthy diet and getting free of the alcohol calories while I'm at it. I need to quit drinking, so I will use Lent as a kick-start.

Of course we are supposed to fast from other stuff, too--judgemental thoughts, laziness, unkindness, self-indulgence, etc. We'll see how it goes.

I'm Antiochian and I understand. We are vegan about 40% of the year. Lord have mercy!

3 years ago my mother called me and complained about my not giving up anything for Lent in years (I was 43 at the time). I had just finished walking on the treadmill at the hotel where I was staying overnight for business, and my mother's phone call left me brooding. I told myself "I'll show her...I'll give up 3 things...pizza, hoagies, and cheese".

Over the 6+ weeks of Lent, I lost nearly 10 pounds by just avoiding these foods. After Easter concluded, I decided it was time to give a weight loss and exercise regimen a legitimate shot. Over the period of the next 15 months, I lost an additional 55 pounds.

I have gained some of this weight back, but never stopped exercising or logging on MFP. I am as good as shape at age 45 (46 next month) as I when I was in my 20s. I've currently logged on MFP over 1000 consecutive days, and I still thank my Mom for getting on my case that particular Fat Tuesday (no pun intended) in 2011. Ironically, she didn't give anything up herself for Lent in 2011 - lol.

In conclusion, I have already started my first food as of this past Saturday - no Pizza until after April 20. I am going to also give up the hoagies, as I had done in 2011. I'm trying to increase my daily protein number so I will be eating some cheese. In addition, the monster fish sandwiches in Pittsburgh and western PA during Lent are something I look forward to each season.

Good luck everybody!!! :happy:

I take Lent very seriously and at the same time I hope to lose some weight. Last year I gave up pork and beef and lost a lot of weight. In fact I still dont eat beef or pork. I discovered MFP around the lenten season and lost even more weight by counting calories. Tomorrow is the first day of lent and I will participating!!!!

Yes I understand what you are saying Rose - which is why I also do Lenten studies which could be seen as adding something rather than giving up something - or could be seen as giving up some spare time.

I do also give up chocolate - I don't see chocolate itself as a spiritual thing that keeps me from God but I do see the spiritual benefits of excercising self control and of focussing on the luxuries like this That I have in my privileged first world life and learning to appreciate them and not take them for granted.