Lent is this Wednesday March 5th

Options
2

Replies

  • sullrico18
    sullrico18 Posts: 261 Member
    Options
    Facebook and fast food! Trying to better my mental health and physical health. :-)
  • LKW59
    LKW59 Posts: 28
    Options
    I am not even sure what Lent is

    I think it's a catholic thing? My mom goes to church on ask Wednesday but she doesn't give up anything for lent. She's Lutheran
  • fitgirlandfoodie
    fitgirlandfoodie Posts: 1,014 Member
    Options
    I'm going veggy for Lent. It's been a few years since I've done it but looking forward to it now. I wrote a blog a yesterday about the excessive consumption of food in today's developed world and it made me think about the benefits of fasting. By that I mean, bringing home the reality of other's daily lives and a physical cleanse (and no I don't go in for detox''s or clenses in the fitness business sense)
    Maybe it's because I've been more reading into historical religious fasting or because I remember it from my youth..but I'm willing to give it a go..It can't be bad to give myself a challenge of my will
  • Denjo060
    Denjo060 Posts: 1,008
    Options
    I am giving up hard liquor (not wine though) I drink to damn much hard liquor on the weekends so thats gotta go. I am hoping to see a good weight loss in the 40 days. If I do lose i will continue with no hard liquor
  • loves86
    loves86 Posts: 88 Member
    Options
    I am giving up alcohol, smoking (I really only smoke when I drink, so those kinda go hand in hand) and fast food
  • da1128
    da1128 Posts: 212 Member
    Options
    My husband used to give up booze and sweets religiously for Lent, and in the process, he would always lose 30+ pounds. After you reach a certain age, at least in Catholicism, you are exempt from having to 'give up' anything. Needless to say, the hubs no longer loses those 30 pounds, but he does cut down and drops at least 10.

    I am an irreverent Catholic and admittedly, a cheater. I ALWAYS give up venison. Never mind that I've never eaten it in my entire life.....and I never will. Dine on Bambi? Oh, hell to the NO!

    So yes, I am a lousy, no good cheater, giving up something that I would never eat anyway. Rather comparative to giving up Cannibalism, I daresay.

    Of course, this no doubt earns me another punch on my ticket to hell and since I'm not getting any younger, that ticket has fast become filled with punches.

    Therefore, I must attempt to redeem myself and give up something I truly like. The answer came to me just this morning on angel wings. (Well, it was actually a white paper bakery bag with one cream filled Paczi and one Strawberry filled Paczi tucked inside, but if you squinted, that white bag 'did' resemble angel wings when nicely folded.)

    I ate the cream filled delight. Decadent, rich, and oh so good, but one was more than enough. (Hubs ate the Strawberry one.)

    Hence, I am ready to give up something I really like. Paczis. Not another one shall cross my lips during Lent. In fact, I will not eat another one until this day next year.

    Yeah, yeah....what a cop out. I KNOW! I'm still a cheater. :bigsmile:
  • PhearlessPhreaks
    PhearlessPhreaks Posts: 890 Member
    Options
    I am not even sure what Lent is

    I think it's a catholic thing? My mom goes to church on ask Wednesday but she doesn't give up anything for lent. She's Lutheran

    It's Christian, although not all Christians recognize or 'celebrate' Lent in the same manner. Lent in the liturgical calendar represents the forty days Jesus spent in the desert. It is the season of pennance and contemplation before the celebration of Easter, and like Jesus' experience in the desert, it is a time to pull away from the pleasures of the material world; to pull back from the excesses of life in favor of reflection and prayer. Catholics and Episcopalians traditionally 'give up' something during this time, although giving up something material or tangible isn't strictly necessary- it's just what people first think of. One can 'give up' all sorts of things- last year, I make a conscious decision not to let bad/stupid/selfish (whatever you want to call it) drivers on the road get to me. It was hard, as my nature lends itself to honking the horn and flipping the bird... it was a challenge, which is exactly what Lent asks of us. And the whole no meat thing- it used to be for all of Lent, but now it's only on Ash Wednesday and Friday. I don't know about the myriad denominations within Christianity, but I do know the Catholic and Anglican churches typically advocate fasting on Fridays during Lent.

    (There is one caveat: Sunday is not beholden to Lenten fastings, as every Sunday throughout the year is representative of Easter Sunday)
  • _errata_
    _errata_ Posts: 1,653 Member
    Options
    http://lmgtfy.com/?q=lent
  • MA_B
    MA_B Posts: 156 Member
    Options
    Lent is the 40 days in the church's year leading up to Easter when the church remembers the days that Jesus spent in the wilderness before starting out on his ministry. The giving up idea seems to stem from the fact that the wilderness meant that he had to give up the normal everyday things; he was hungry, alone and having to take in the enormity of what he was about to do - hence the 3 temptations he faced. So Christians are encouraged to use this time to 'give up' something they will miss.

    The other side of the coin is that Christians take a look at their life, so prayer and studying in inter-church Lent groups can renew a commitment to their own ministry.

    Giving up material things, favourite foods, drinks etc, or 'timewasting' hobbies (egTV or fb) etc and replacing them with spiritually beneficial things is seen as being one way to 'do' Lent.

    It also helps that it is a time-limited, helpful time of year ( at least in the N hemisphere when summer is approaching) to give up chocolate, alcohol etc which gives 40 days of abstinence - helpful in any pre-summer holiday weight loss campaign - whether it is related to any church's year or not! 40 days to Easter eggs (chocolate of course!). This is why it is such a popular time to start any 'giving up' campaign, for all - not just Christians!

    Happy Shrove Tuesday everyone - hope you enjoyed your pancakes! And if you are giving something extra up for Lent - it is only 40 days - all the best with that!
  • _Tink_
    _Tink_ Posts: 3,845 Member
    Options
    I gave up alcohol and caffeine for the entire year last year. Good enough for me.
  • JoanneC1216
    JoanneC1216 Posts: 166
    Options
    What I've decided to do for Lent (beginning today), instead of giving up something, I am going add something. For 40 days, when I get home from work, I will walk on my treadmill for at least 15 min. This will be including my workout in the morning.

    For those of you who do not know what Lent is: http://christianity.about.com/od/holidaytips/qt/whatislent.htm

    I am not a practicing Catholic but I enjoy observing Lent because for some wacky reason, it keeps me honest.

    Good luck to all of you!
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 8,996 Member
    Options
    am giving up chocolate again this year, have done that for last couple of years.
  • Sinisterly
    Sinisterly Posts: 10,913 Member
    Options
    I'm aiming to give up about 2,500 calories today.

    That's all I'm willing to give up. Why? I'm eating all the food, that's why.
  • lisaabenjamin
    lisaabenjamin Posts: 665 Member
    Options
    I'm not religious at all, but I'm going to do some form of exercise every day during Lent. I actually already started 3 weeks ago and have been getting up half an hour early each day to work through the Blogilates beginner's calendar (www.blogilates.com). I intend to keep this up for a long time (dare I say forever!?!?!), but having a defined time period to stick to will help keep me focused, at least for the next 44 days!!
  • TrevNiel22
    TrevNiel22 Posts: 182
    Options
    good luck to all lent goers.
  • Sinisterly
    Sinisterly Posts: 10,913 Member
    Options
    good luck to all lent goers.
    Thank you. I managed to burn 2003 calories today. The day is still young, however.
    Can still get the remaining 500.
  • Holly_Roman_Empire
    Holly_Roman_Empire Posts: 4,440 Member
    Options
    Is anyone going to use this time to try and add something good or give up a bad habit? Two years in a row I gave up no sweets and no alcohol, wasn't easy but I did it.

    Not so sure what I want to do this year. Maybe something with fitness :smile:

    How about something that will bring you closer to God? You don't necessarily have to "give up" anything.
  • petejjcharlton
    petejjcharlton Posts: 20 Member
    Options
    I'm giving up what my friend called anything nice ;-), which is chocolate, cakes, biscuits, sweets and crisps!! The thing that's going to hurt the most is crisps the other I can survive with.
  • favoritenut
    favoritenut Posts: 217 Member
    Options
    Since im not a very good Catholic, i decided that instead of giving something up i was going to try something different. This year i will be spending a minimum of 10 minutes a day in prayer or meditation as a way of attempting to center myself. It may not seem that big but for me its going to be just as difficult as giving up cookies or beer or cheese.



    that actually sounds like a great plan, I hope it goes well for you :)

    I'm going to try to have a positive attitude and not let things get to me and make me mad. or feel sorry for myself. I've gotten in a mode where I feel like I'm a grade school being jealous of what others have and how it isn't fair blah blah. I'm going to try to get over that and learn to appreciate the people and things I have in my life. so I guess in a way, I'm giving up my bad attitude and jealously.

Categories