Lent
 

Okay so today is Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent.

What is everyone giving up?

I decided that I am going to give up fast food. That means no McDonalds, no Sonic, nothing. This is going to be super hard for me, but since I have been wanting to lose weight and eat healthier, I think this is a good choice.

Last year I gave up all soft drinks and ended up not drinking soda for 7 1/2 months!

My brother and I are both giving up the same thing, so it will be easier in the sense that it wont be around us all that much. We did decide, however, that if we actually go to a sit down restaurant, we can eat anything we like. Although, I will try and not pick the greasy things.

If I lose weight in the next 40 days, then I might continue to do it as a life changing experience!

wish me luck!;)

BUCutie- that's a great idea!
Although i'm not necessarily the best Catholic (hmmm.. just got done eating a turkey dog... there goes the "no meat" thing today... never really understood that anyway!), I try to give something up.
I've also been wanting to change my eating habits, so this is a great chance! I'm going to also give up fast food (with the exception of Subway, or healthy things). It's been draining my pocket and upping my calories, so this is great!

Additional question: Do you "cheat" on Sundays?

best of luck to you bucutie!

I *really really really* love going to class.. so I think I will give that up this year. *heeheehee* just kidding.. I wish I could...

I am thinking of giving up fast food as well. I'm really going to miss McD's fries :(

Lent
 

When I was a kid in Parochial School our teacher, a Nun from France, would ask us what we were giving up for lent. Joey would say, "Candy, Sister", Denise would say, "Ice Cream, Sister", and when she came to ask me what I was giving up for lent I replied, "Catholicism, Sister"! She promptly blew a fuze and sent me to see the Pastor, and old Monsignor whose 6 A.M. Mass I served twice a week. When I told him why I had been sent to see him he damn near fell off his chair laughing. He then asked, with a large grin, if he could still count on me turning up twice a week for early Mass. "No sweat, Padre" and I was home free.

I am giving up.......
 

Smoking and cussing

I am giving up soda, fast food, and boys who are bad for me. I don't "cheat" on Sundays though b/c if I start drinking it/eating it again it will be hard to stop. This is going to be really hard though b/c I am absolutely addicted to Coke...I drank two 2-liters yesterday to get my fill for awhile haha. I too messed up today Kddani and I ate chicken....oops!!! Oh well, good luck with all this everyone! :D

I am ging up...
 

Paying attention, playahs, crappy jobs and stupidity from random people.

LOL. I dotn now. I am not catholic. I am not really anything anymore.

I'm not Catholic but my Jewish roommate and I decided we were going to celebrate Lent this year for some reason . . . she's giving up solitaire so she can't procrastinate on her homework anymore and I'm giving up red meat. We'll see how it goes.

Re: Lent
 

Every year I give up religion, too, and it works pretty well for me.

I tried to give up cursing last year, but it didn't work so well. I found that there were certain times when things would suddenly happen out of no-where that made me swear.
(ex. A car almost ran into me. I yelled, "SHIT!")

So that didn't work.

So this year, I decided to give up pop (soda, to all you non-Michiganders). My boyfriend who is not Catholic but plans to convert before we get married is giving up the same thing. A friend of mine told me she lose 12 pounds because she stopped drinking pop. I don't know if she exaggerated or not, but I guess we'll see what happens.

One year at CCD we were asked to give something up as usual, but to ADD something to our lives everyday (like smiling at one person a day, or complimenting ourselves for something everyday, etc.)as well. I've kind of stuck with that, and it's ALOT harder, actually.

This year, i'm giving up the morning iced-coffee...(i'm gonna DIE but oh well) and i'm adding a compliment to someone else everyday ....

i wish all of you (and myself!) good luck for the next 40-days!

As my LJ girls already know...I gave up caffeine for Lent. No Starbucks in the morning...no soda...no chocolates. It's going to be especially difficult because I have at least 3 cups in the morning.

Last year on a bet I decided to give up sex for 40 days. It was tough but I ended up winning the bet. My friend had to abstain from alcohol for 40 days, but he lost...easy.

If I could give that up, I'm sure I can handle the caffeine withdrawal. But this first day's been very, very hard.

Ack! I'm a bad Catholic! No mass for me tonight, and I had chicken fingers. :(

I'm giving up using the Lord's name in vain.

What are you doing, Sandy? Going for Sainthood??? :D

I'm giving up soda myself.

If I could give up my crappy job for Lent,I'd be so happy:D

I don't really know what I'm giving up for Lent.

About thirty-five years ago at this time, I gave up giving up things for Lent. It has worked very well.

LOL That sounds like something I'd to!
Actually, in the past I have. But then I usually feel guilty.

I didn't give up religion for Lent. That choice was made for me well before I was born. In HS, I tried to do it with friends...I think maybe I gave up caffeine? Or was it soda...Either way, I have mad respect for someone who can give up something they love for 40 days! There's no way I could give up caffeine now...not with my thesis due April 1! :eek:

I consider myself a fairly strict catholic. That meant no meat today AND fasting (bet some of ya'll forgot about that one - its actually one full meal and 2 snacks that don't equal a full meal). Mom and I held out on our "one meal" until dinner, where we overate because we were starving.

I don't give things up for lent. My theory is, that if its enough of a vice for me that I should give it up, it will make the world a much worse place. If I went no caffeine, I wouldn't be able to function. Same with sweets.

I just try to be an overall better pereson during Lent. Its much harder than a perfunctory abstention from something.

My theory on no meat is that Peter was a fisherman. Although, down here, its no big sacrifice to have to eat seafood on Fridays! :D

And, its not "cheating" on Sundays - the 40 days of Lent don't count Sundays.

I think I'm going to give up pop. This will be especially good since Spring Break is in less than 3 weeks....have to look good in my bikini in Panama City! My only worry is finals week. I don't know how I'm going to be able to make it.

i think i am one of the worst catholics....i do so much bad shit, and i even tell the bad catholic priest jokes...
anyway, i gave up ice cream for lent. i was going to give up mid-week drinking, but my spring break is before easter, and i am going to be so trashed that whole week...

I'm not Catholic but y'all don't have it bad here in Louisiana. All the "no meat on Fridays" means here are tons of crawfish boils and good seafood. Makes me kinda jealous!

You sound just like me. I've never given up anything for lent because if people expect you do it because everyone else does that I don't consider it much of a sacrifice. I am going to try and stop drinking caffeine again, but that is more of a migraine thing than anything else. I iddn't drink it for almost 3 years so I know i can do it now.

I haven't given anything up for lent in quite a few years. I'm a terrible Catholic, I know! I'm vegetarian so I don't have to worry about the not eating meat thing:)

Really?? I didnt know that! You are trying to say that I can eat fast food on Sunday? That is so good to know! That way when I am having my breakdown, I can just count down the days until Sunday. I dont think my parents know, and even if they will let that slide!


Funny story that happened yesterday after church in the parking lot.... okay so mass was beyond crowded yesterday and everyone was a little stressed out coming out because it was so full of people that is was starting to get really stuffy in there. Well there was an overload of people leaving the parking lot, and not to mention there was another mass starting in about 15 minutes. Well, we were in our van waiting to just leave our space because cars werent even moving. So the guy in front of us has a big space in front of him and wasnt moving up. So my dad opens the window and yells "come on man!":rolleyes: Of course he pisses the guy off and he tells my dad "where do you want me to go?", so then in return my dad says "well move up so other cars can also move up a little". The guy keeps talking and of course so does my dad. You could see the guy's wife is telling him to be quiet and so is my mom at this point. I was also furious!:mad: How can you do that at church of all places???? So after we get through the crowd and start heading home, i tell my dad "i cant believe you would do that, especially after coming from church!-- Do you really think he guy was going to listen to you and move up the way you were talking to him?!?!". Eventually my dad yelled at me and told me to be quiet. I didnt listen, because I made it a point to tell him what i wanted to even though i knew he was going to yell at me since he was already stressed/in a bad mood.

My dad has always been like that, no one will ever win besides him! Looking back at it, i think it is a funny story because this argument started over basically nothing, and then the nerve I had to actually tell my dad what I thought, knowing he was going to get even madder!:eek: oh, well ;)

I completely forgot about Lent. I have been in la-la land for the past few days. I am not Catholic but my stepfather is so I usually try to give up something. Last year I gave up drinking pop...and it worked for a really long time. I think this year I will try giving up pop again and I'm going to try to reduce the amount of swearing that I do. I drop the "F" bomb way too many times on a daily basis.

I'm giving up chocolate and bread, two of my favorite foods. My bf is giving up chocolate, too; he's more addicted to it than I am. :D

I don't want to give up soda. I'm not ready to go cold turkey. I don't eat fast food that much. I'm not having sex. I suppose I could give up cursing, but I hang around someone who always makes me forget. I suppose I could give up drinking, but then I think I'd be too tempted...which I guess is the whole point. Hmmm, what should I give up!?!?! :confused:

JuniorGirl~
My aunt told us that whole "it doesn't count on Sunday's" bit a long time ago...we told her she made it up as an excuse to eat her chocolate :p

I often try to take on something -- reading, a spiritual discipline or the like -- rather than just giving up something. This year, for a variety of reasons, however, Lent sort of snuck up on me. Still figuring.

Whatever her reason/motivation, your aunt was right. If you start counting yesterday and count to Holy Saturday, you only get 40 days if you omit Sundays. One of the early ecumenical councils (Nicea, maybe?) forbid fasting on Sunday, a decision that hasn't been changed in the centuries since. That's why Sundays technically are not counted in the 40 days of Lent.

One year in high school I gave up soda. After Lent was over, I could no longer drink regular sodas because they were too strong. Since then I've been a diet soda gal. And hey, it's better for you too. :) Sometimes I'll get a craving for a real Coke or DP or something, but it's either diet Coke or water for me now. :)

agh.. giving up fast food is no fun. I seriously want some McD fries and a Quarter Pounder with no onions..... i guess i will have some carrot sticks or something...

I'm giving up coke (soda to y'all up north), like so many others, and hard liquor. The latter is more for my bank account's sake. I turned 21 a few weeks ago, and I'm feeling the pinch! Chambord Sours are way, way too good...

Regardless, I'm hoping the no coke thing will help out.

~Emma

Lent 2003 means no pop for me!

I'm also going to try to read a new book a week. I've already reread the 7 Habits...which is always a good one to read and read again.

Puh-LEASE. I'll be lucky if I even get into heaven. :D

I try to set myself up for success. Last year I gave up crack-- just counted on the good Lord not to give me any temptation. He came through. This year I think I'll give up sex-- none of that happening either.

If I really wanted to have a productive Lent, I'd give up swearing.

But I'm a Lutheran, so I think you Catholics are all crazy anyway.

I'm Catholic (and at times even a good Catholic) yet I don't give up anything for Lent (never have) and even eat meat on Fridays..

Congrats to those who make it 40 days without their vices.

i am giving up caffine... not as extreme as soda all together cuz 7 up and others don't have caffine in them. But no iced tea, no coffee, etc. I am hoping this will train me to get more sleep.

also giving up alcohol. i started drinking a bunch within the last couple months so i think i need a break. too bad there are some kick ass parties coming up soon.

i gave up cussing! it is HARD. especially because I realized I was 4 1/2 hours late in posting to a discussion board for a class, and said "Sh*t" very long and loud! (I used to sing, still have the breath control)

Great Lent doesn't start for Orthodox Christians until Monday. My husband and I are trying to eat healthier and start exercising everyday, so we decided to kickstart our efforts by observing Lent in the traditional Greek Orthodox way.

So starting Monday, we are abstaining from meat, dairy, fish with backbones, olive oil and wine. We're also going to curtail the television and radio.

Wish us luck! We are going to need it. :p