Is anyone giving up / taking up anything for lent?

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  • BAMFMeredith
    BAMFMeredith Posts: 2,829 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.

    Ha! Good old Catholic guilt...it's like we're taught to be guilty from the day we're born! Good idea :)
  • Dory_42
    Dory_42 Posts: 3,587 Member
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    Hmm, hadn't thought of it. Gave coffee up once, not doing that again. Can't handle the headaches!! Don't overdo chocolate, but not willing to not have it as an option. I like the idea of doing something rather than giving something up... Trying to get more swimming fit so 40 days of swimming should be a good option, rain or shine!!! Might need wetsuit by the end as the sea is going to start getting cold, but at least it is only early April this year!
  • JJinWI
    JJinWI Posts: 197 Member
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    For the past 10 years, it has been (and will be this year):

    baked goods - that one is THE hardest
    candy - wasn't always in the bunch, but when I gave up the baked goods, I would over-compensate with candy. That had to stop!
    fast food - though I rarely eat it anymore - I did years ago - it's really not a big deal
    another vice that I shall not mention :embarassed:

    Never had a problem with breaking this and I actually look forward to this time of year - sort of a cleansing, which I always need.
  • higgi1982
    higgi1982 Posts: 19
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    I'm going to give up eating out , as im new on here will help me get the results i want and save me money :smile:
  • Pamela259
    Pamela259 Posts: 74 Member
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    i think giving up my lie in to get a morning workout is on the cards this year
  • chipaddict
    chipaddict Posts: 53
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    I think I'm going to give up cheese, and take up church again. I haven't been to mass in a few months and it's the right time of year to get back into it, I think.
  • RBXChas
    RBXChas Posts: 2,708 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.

    I like this... I was raised Catholic and still practice (kind of). I am very faithful, but with a young guy it's hard to get him to sit still and quietly during Mass (he's too young for their child care). Being in the "crying room" is awful, too. He doesn't cry through Mass, but he has a tendency to want to babble, grunt (which is his version of the dogs' barking), and make high-pitched shrieks. Our parish has lots of kids, in that there is a school attached to it, so there are lots of families with young kids, and people are understanding. However, I still feel awful, and as such we don't make it to Mass as often as we should.

    Aaanyway, point being that because I don't really have anything food-wise to give up for Lent anymore (not counting the obligatory no meat on Fridays rule), and because I don't want to give up Facebook because it's a great way to keep up with people I don't see regularly (especially the mundane yet funny things that probably wouldn't be shared during a phone call or in an e-mail), I have to find something else.

    So I like this. I can make it a point to go to Mass regularly, and I should go to Stations of the Cross. It's been forever since I did that (6 years, I think, when my husband went through RCIA leading up to Easter). I have also wanted to go to Eucharistic Adoration. I didn't want to sign up for a spot because my schedule is so funky that I can't to commit to a specific hour every week (or finding a sub if I can't be there), but it is always open for anyone to go. I have a lot of people to pray for and a lot of things to express my gratitude for through prayer.

    As for the charity work thing, I am already doing a four-hour Spinning marathon on March 10th to raise money for a local summer camp for children with multiple disabilities :happy:

    Edited to correct a sentence fragment.
  • Juliebean_1027
    Juliebean_1027 Posts: 713 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.

    I love this.
  • saramerrigan
    saramerrigan Posts: 555 Member
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    I think I'm going to give up working unpaid overtime :frown:
  • missikay1970
    missikay1970 Posts: 588 Member
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    i'm going to give-up on being so hard on myself. i know it seems silly, but it's along the lines of the guilt in the previous posts. sometimes i am way too demanding on myself and don't give myself enough credit for my accomplishments. hopefully the trend can continue beyond lent. :smile:
  • carrie_eggo
    carrie_eggo Posts: 1,396 Member
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    I was bad and didn't read all the replies before posting.....last year I gave up Facebook for lent. It was hard. I haven't thought about it yet for this year. MFP would be THE hardest thing to give up......don't know if I could do it. I've heard of people giving up hot water, sleeping in their bed....extreme things. I am going to read back through this thread now for ideas....lol. Giving something up really gives me a sense of appreciation for what I have been given.
  • lucentabella
    lucentabella Posts: 114 Member
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    I'm giving up my beloved chocolate. Even though I'm dieting, I still eat it at least once a day (darn those 100 cal snack packs). It's really the only major vice that I have going on right now. A lot of my friends and family like to say they are going to give up their time to help others. I think that's a great idea too.
  • monkeypantz
    monkeypantz Posts: 288 Member
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    I grew up in a Catholic family and giving up something for lent was the complete norm for me, I'm not that religious these days, but I still give up something for lent (my atheist boyfriend thinks it's weird).

    Thanks for all your ideas I think I'm going to give up eating out & takeaways and take up morning work outs (actually looking forward to running around the park on a Spring morning).

    Because I'm on holiday for a few days over lent, I will 'have the break from it when on holiday' and carry on over Easter to make up the days.
  • hauer01
    hauer01 Posts: 523 Member
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    One year I added random acts of kindness to my daily routine. I would go and get my car washed and might pay for the guy behind me (without him knowing). I used to drive thru a lot, so I might pick up the tab of the guy behind me. Or bake something for a random neighbor who may have done something nice for you years ago. I also tried to incorporate complementing others on a daily basis. I would find one thing about someone that I liked and I made sure to tell them.

    It was really a lot of fun! I don't think we do enough nice things for people and this made me think each and every day, "Hey, think of something really nice for someone that you wouldn't normally go out of your way to do or think to say".

    The whole process made me think differently when Lent was over.
  • nixnax
    nixnax Posts: 42
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    I have decided to give up chocolate, this is my greatest and my enemy. I just can't say no to it. But from midnight tonight...... NO more chocolate.

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