Lent! What's everyone giving up?

vicidoesstuff
vicidoesstuff Posts: 214 Member
edited September 24 in Chit-Chat
What's everyone giving up for Lent? I'm thinking alcohol, perhaps, even though I don't drink a lot of it at all. I'm not entirely sure if that will work, though, because I have at least two events where alcohol will be a large part... an awards ceremony and a celebration birthday meal/night out.

Ideas?
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Replies

  • emmaleigh47
    emmaleigh47 Posts: 1,670 Member
    The scale - see my post about the lenten scale diet
  • Luckymam
    Luckymam Posts: 300
    Do people still do that? Give stuff up?
  • mommared53
    mommared53 Posts: 9,543 Member
    I'm lucky. I'm a Baptist and we don't celebrate Lent so I don't have to give anything up. :bigsmile:
  • xHelloQuincyx
    xHelloQuincyx Posts: 884 Member
    meat or candy
    i tried candy last yr, but im a candy addddddiccccttttt
    :c
  • udallmom101
    udallmom101 Posts: 564 Member
    I am a "bad Catholic" as my Mother puts it. I have fallen off the Catholic wagon to say the least. Haven't seen the inside of a church for 4 years or so. I am going to find something to give up for Lent. I am also going to do the NO MEAT Friday's as well. I don't really have any vices anymore, I can pretty much control my weaknesses for candy bars and what not. I think I will just work on my temper and take a lot of deep breaths!
  • ZebraHead
    ZebraHead Posts: 15,207 Member
    Lent
  • 00trayn
    00trayn Posts: 1,849 Member
    I gave up being a Catholic... hahaha. That's what 12 years of going to Catholic school will do for you. I never really gave up anything growing up tho. I was too sneaky.
  • vicidoesstuff
    vicidoesstuff Posts: 214 Member
    Wow... narrow minded.

    Lent doesn't have to just be food or drink related.

    It can be that you take something up, too. One good deed a day, for example.

    I'm not necessarily religious so this isn't a religious thing for me but I think people should still respect it regardless of it being connected to a certain strand of Christianity. It's a really positive thing!
  • maureenB7
    maureenB7 Posts: 55 Member
    You don't have to give up anything, you can opt to do more. Like volunteering or even exercising everyday. Good Luck! :happy:
  • amkingrn
    amkingrn Posts: 35 Member
    I've been thinking about what I'll give up this year. I usually give up junk food or cokes, but I've already done that when I started trying to lose weight.

    I may give up meat, but it won't be that far of a stretch for me saying I don't eat much meat lately. I feel like whatever I give up should be somewhat of a challenge so it has some meaning to it. I may give up my poor attitude I've had lately...lol...been in a funk and pessimistic. I was also thinking about taking up volunteering or some way to give back more.

    Wow...giving up the scale! I'll have to check out your post about it. That would definitely be a challenge for me, but I use it to gauge how I'm doing and I think it might hurt my weight loss journey. That's awesome for you, tough! I'm impressed!
  • FearAnLoathing
    FearAnLoathing Posts: 4,852 Member
    nothing
  • ShakenWithJoy
    ShakenWithJoy Posts: 24
    hhmm.... if you don't drink a lot then alcohol really isn't the best choice...

    If you are going participate in Lent - what you choose to give up should be a shock to your routine. From what I read, what Jesus gave up for us was a pretty big shock to His system.

    I have choosen to give up 'take-out' and prepared breakfast & lunch during the work week. I'll make my own hummus, cut my own veggies, toss my own salads. Now I will have to plan ahead, shop wisely ... and get to bed by 10pm so I am not rushing out the door in the morning, leaving my lunch on the counter. What I have come to realize is that I will have to make time in my schedule to take care of myself.
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  • caitlinclock
    caitlinclock Posts: 528 Member
    I'm giving up anything considered a treat.
    Any desserts or bad snacks.

    Cake. Chocolate. Candy. Chips. Pudding. Ice Cream. Frozen Yogurt. Cookies.

    Only regular food, fruit, granola bars, and plain baked tostitos.
    Serious business this Lent.

    I thought about giving up the scale too but I am so close to my halfway point and want to reward myself when I get there that I just can't do that. I think I owe that much to myself.
  • Shannon023
    Shannon023 Posts: 14,529 Member


    Lent...

    I'm not necessarily religious so this isn't a religious thing for me but I think people should still respect it regardless of it being connected to a certain strand of Christianity. It's a really positive thing!
    . That's like sayng Christmas is not a Christian celebration.

    Lent is the time in the church caldenar when Christians focus on the suffering and cruxifiction of the Christ. Its not a Muslin, Buddist, Hindu or secular event.

    So are you giving up farting or your obsession with breasts, Maxie?? :bigsmile:
  • vicidoesstuff
    vicidoesstuff Posts: 214 Member


    Lent...

    I'm not necessarily religious so this isn't a religious thing for me but I think people should still respect it regardless of it being connected to a certain strand of Christianity. It's a really positive thing!
    . That's like sayng Christmas is not a Christian celebration.

    Lent is the time in the church caldenar when Christians focus on the suffering and cruxifiction of the Christ. Its not a Muslin, Buddist, Hindu or secular event.

    The act of giving something up for a certain period of time is not assigned to a religious denomination, however. Perhaps made popular by certain faiths as a tradition but when I give up something during Lent it will not be because I follow a certain faith, it will be because it provides an official date structure for me, to support me in carrying the commitment to the end.
  • GingerKid
    GingerKid Posts: 86
    I like the idea of giving up the scale!! I might do that! I've been frustrated because I'm just not holding up the nutrition end of this change...and then get mad at myself when i see the number on the scale even though I know it's all my fault.

    I keep telling myself "It's easy: Just eat around 1600kcals a day, that's ALL you have to change"...so maybe if I ban the scale from my life between Ash Wed and Easter, I can focus more on just that!
  • anubis609
    anubis609 Posts: 3,966 Member
    I gave up being a Catholic... hahaha. That's what 12 years of going to Catholic school will do for you. I never really gave up anything growing up tho. I was too sneaky.

    Absolutely. I did the same. I questioned everything. Default answer was always "God." Bleh. I never believed in the act of abstaining or fasting for anything. That's just a personal belief I have because I like to deal in the balance of things.

    But, for the sake of the topic, maybe I could "try" to give up trolling for Lent. We'll see how that turns out. :devil:
  • california_peach
    california_peach Posts: 1,809 Member
    I usually give up a bad habit. Last year I stopped biting my lips and I still don't do it. My lips are much less chapped and cracked all the time, plus I don't look nearly as nervous. One year I gave up gossiping. I started doing stuff like that because I converted to Catholism while breastfeeding and had already cut out most vice type foods.

    Not sure what I'll do this year. Maybe I'll stop telling people I want to open a stripper bar on main street.
  • 123456654321
    123456654321 Posts: 1,311 Member
    I give up NOTHING! xD
  • WillPillageYourVillageForFood
    WillPillageYourVillageForFood Posts: 777 Member
    I am giving up my children.....oh wait, that really wouldn't be much of a sacrifice. :bigsmile: I am a cradle Catholic so for the past 45 years or so I have dealt with this.....it's getting harder and harder to find something to give up. I think this year I am going to refrain from cussing. I won't be able to speak for 40 days so that will truly be a sacrifice (although my kids at school will probably find it to be a blessing for them since I will have to communicate through notes and sign language :laugh: ).
  • crrc78
    crrc78 Posts: 207 Member
    I've always given up something like candy, chocolate, etc, but for the past few years I've tried to start something new, or be better at something. This year, my goal is to do both - I'm going to give up "trashing talking myself" (i.e. saying negative things about the way I look, feel, etc) and I'm also going to make it a goal to Track EVERY Day, no matter where I am, or how much I eat.

    Good luck!
  • vicidoesstuff
    vicidoesstuff Posts: 214 Member
    Giving up swearing (cussing) is an awesome thing to commit to! I love that
  • dothompson
    dothompson Posts: 1,184 Member
    Being sedentary, I am going to exercise for at least 30 minutes per day during lent.

    I might want to think about swearing too, as when I read this thread I thought "Oh Sxxx! that's this Wednesday"! Does it count if you don't say it aloud?
  • sparklesammy
    sparklesammy Posts: 465 Member
    I am going give up chocolate. I gave it up for the best part of 2 years when i started my diet, but i began allowing it again as long as it was within my cals when i joined mfp. To be honest though...its been creeping in way too often. Time to cut it out for a while. I dont need it!

    : )
  • tashjs21
    tashjs21 Posts: 4,584 Member
    I am going to give up Red Meat. (although I am not Catholic being from Cajun country we definitely observe Mardi Gras and Lent)
  • RENAEJAE
    RENAEJAE Posts: 1,135 Member
    What I'm giving up >>> Any type of creamer in my coffee.
    And I will stop hiding a cadbury chocolate/caramel bar in my desk.:sad:
  • Denziee
    Denziee Posts: 523 Member
    i gave up cheese last year and dropped 7lbs!!!
    and this year I am giving up the scales! eeek.... see my post for giving up the scales and join in if you want. motivation and support thread! x
  • omgitsgarry
    omgitsgarry Posts: 138
    I'm giving up cursing and cheat days. I did cursing last year and every time I accidentally cursed, I donated a dollar into a fund that went right into my churches collection plate. I raised 20 some dollars. I wanna see if I can lower that this year until it doesn't become a challenge.

    I am going to take up not going over my calorie goal.
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