Is anyone giving up / taking up anything for lent?

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monkeypantz
monkeypantz Posts: 288 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Pancake day is two weeks away....which means Lent is two weeks away. I always give up something for lent, but I'm eating very healthy at the moment I'm not sure what I want to give up this time.

Last year I took up walking for length....and walked 40-60 mins everyday.

In the past I've given up meat, chocolate, alcohol (but I am going to Germany during Lent, and I think that would ruin my holiday).

I'd like to take up something new and give up something too....any suggestions?
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  • TonyL68
    TonyL68 Posts: 133 Member
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    Hm...good question. I think I will try to give up something non-food related and do something proactively as well. Not sure what yet...
  • nixnax
    nixnax Posts: 42
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    ooooh that's good one. last year I gave up chocolate for lent. And as chocolate is my MASSIVE vice at the moment I think I will do the same. I gave up alcohol for a month at new year and have only had 1 glass of red wine since.
  • rundgrenfan
    rundgrenfan Posts: 211
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    As a family, we give up going out to eat as our physical Lent offering. No coffee at Wawa, no Saturday nights out to eat after Mass, no quick pizza delivery. It's more of a sacrifice for me since I'm the cook! But at the end of Lent we make a donation from the money we saved, which makes it more tangible for the kids, I think.

    One year I gave up coffee. My family begged me never to do that again!
  • RumOne
    RumOne Posts: 266 Member
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    As a family, we give up going out to eat as our physical Lent offering. No coffee at Wawa, no Saturday nights out to eat after Mass, no quick pizza delivery. It's more of a sacrifice for me since I'm the cook! But at the end of Lent we make a donation from the money we saved, which makes it more tangible for the kids, I think.

    One year I gave up coffee. My family begged me never to do that again!

    I LOVE THAT!
  • emmaonamission
    emmaonamission Posts: 117
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    I was thinking of giving up bread...i eat on average 2 slices a day either as toast or a sandwich, and it's the thing I fall back on when I can't think of anything to have for lunch, which is boring! But then I need to take a packed lunch to uni every day and a sandwich is the easiest thing. Hmm! It would definitely be a challenge, moreso than chocolate or alcohol because I don't drink and hardly ever eat chocolate now that I'm trying to lose weight
  • MaximalLife
    MaximalLife Posts: 2,447 Member
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    For Lent, I'm giving up self control, abstinence, & sobriety in addition to speaking to people I don't like.

    And tofu....:devil:

    Shouldn't be too difficult.
  • stylistchik
    stylistchik Posts: 1,436 Member
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    For Lent, I'm giving up self control, abstinence, & sobriety in addition to speaking to people I don't like.

    And tofu....:devil:

    Shouldn't be too difficult.

    one year my sister gave up kiwi fruit... she was about 5. I don't know if it really counted because we lived in Minnesota and kiwi in march is not very abundant. :laugh:
  • SandyQ229
    SandyQ229 Posts: 153 Member
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    i have been thinking about that and i have decided i am going to give up extra spending. no eating out no buying random things i dont' need. i should be able to save a fair amount i think. i had a friend do that last year and it seems like a good thing. especially since i have a shopping problem..
  • MaximalLife
    MaximalLife Posts: 2,447 Member
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    For Lent, I'm giving up self control, abstinence, & sobriety in addition to speaking to people I don't like.

    And tofu....:devil:

    Shouldn't be too difficult.

    one year my sister gave up kiwi fruit... she was about 5. I don't know if it really counted because we lived in Minnesota and kiwi in march is not very abundant. :laugh:
    A wise girl!
  • chesterdogmine
    chesterdogmine Posts: 20 Member
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    One year my wife gave up Lent for Lent. To this day I don't her pastor at church ever understood it.
  • fimary
    fimary Posts: 286 Member
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    Been that good, nothing left to give up......
  • zontuin
    zontuin Posts: 72 Member
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    For Lent a few years ago, I gave up guilt. Catholics are really good about feeling guilty for things that we shouldn't.
    It turned out to be a great Lent and a really good thing, and so I keep it up.
    So this year, I give up unnecessary guilt again. :) It's good for the self-esteem.
  • dancingj2
    dancingj2 Posts: 4,572 Member
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    I gave up TV for lent one year - that was hard! I think I am going to limit TV to maybe 3 hours a week. That way I do not sit every night and mindlessly watch whatever happens to be on.

    I have given up lots of different thing also. Bread might be a good one for this year. Or maybe whipped cream.
  • dancingj2
    dancingj2 Posts: 4,572 Member
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    One year I gave up coffee. My family begged me never to do that again!

    lol same for me! It was a tough lent for all of us and I had to vow never to do it again.
  • Runnermadre
    Runnermadre Posts: 267 Member
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    I need to put some more serious thought into it... I'm not sure. I think it may be an activity this year instead of a food, but I don't know. I waste a lot of time on the computer, so maybe I could limit that somehow. I do need it for my job, so that's why it's hard. In the past I have given up pop, fried food, I tried to give up tv one year, added a more serious devotion time, and other things I can't remember.
  • Ceffy
    Ceffy Posts: 235
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    Ooo I like the idea of taking something up - maybe a morning core workout?

    Really not sure what I'd give up *puts thinking hat on*...
  • Denkko
    Denkko Posts: 28 Member
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    One thought is to give up your time. Some ideas: pledging so much money to a charity for every mile walked during Lent; delivering a bag of groceries a week at your local food bank; volunteering to walk dogs at your local animal shelter, crocheting caps for children with cancer while watching TV. ... If you have a well-behaved dog, one thing that's very rewarding for all concerned is taking your dog to visit a nursing home. The elderly really react so well to a dog's affection.
  • Denziee
    Denziee Posts: 527 Member
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    I gave up cheese one year and pretty much instantly dropped half a stone!! I gave up alcohol last year and was going to give up smoking this year. However i am 39 days smoke free today so I don't need to give it up!!

    so heres my possibles:

    1 - Alcohol
    2 - Facebook (this is likely to be AMAZINGLY difficult but i think the most worthwhile!)
    3 - Excuses for exercise - not so measurable? Because geniunely there are times when I just can't fit it in.
    4 - Cheese

    hmmmmmm - need to make a decision!

    On the other hand I will also take one thing up, and i haven't decided what yet. I might try for a morning workout twice a week??
  • happyhaunt
    happyhaunt Posts: 180 Member
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    I'm very tempted to give up either soda, chocolate or cereal. I think these things are what affect my diet the most.
  • BAMFMeredith
    BAMFMeredith Posts: 2,829 Member
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    I make it a personal rule to not only give up something, but to do more of something during Lent. I grew up very Catholic, so it's always been really important in my family to really explore the true meaning of Lent. This year, I'm giving up Starbucks (aka crack cocaine) and committing to attend Stations of the Cross at least twice, and commit to volunteering at least 5 times (I volunteer with an animal rescue organization called Austin Pets Alive! but I don't do it as much as I should).

    Then of course the regular abstinence from meat on Fridays...I used to go really hardcore as a kid and there were no celebrations allowed during Lent (no birthday parties, no nothing--thanks to my super religious father) but as an adult, I've let go of that one just because life gets in the way of that. I'm not going to tell my 5 year old he can't go to a birthday party for a friend because it's Lent.

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