Lent

[norabird]

I don;t normally do Lent, but scrubbyfish was talking about her excitement over it, and I bet I could give some things up. But what?! I'm thinking of the silly phone game I keep playing, and shopping (I've tried giving this up lately but had two minor slips). Are other people doing Lent? What are you giving up? Tell me so I can maybe give it up too! Unless it is wine, alcohol, etc...

[rjbf65]

I've actually given up alcohol twice before for lent.  I haven't figured it out for sure yet but I feel the need to challenge myself more this year than in years past.  I think a combination of several different things would be good for me.  Facebook, soda, snacking, limit tv, really cut down on my phone time,  etc.. Also at the same time committ to reading more books, go on more walks etc.  Lent is a good time to reset and challenge yourself.
 

[Philociraptor]

Today is Fat Tuesday! Totally forgot. Need to get all my fatness out before tomorrow. I have a weakness for chips, candies, and cookies during the weekends. Maybe I can do all store-bought junk food, only eating dessert if it's homemade.

[infogoon]

I give up alcohol for Lent almost every year. It's nice to remind myself that I can do without it for a month and a half, no matter how obnoxious the kids are being.

[PhysicianOnFIRE]

I give up alcohol for Lent almost every year. It's nice to remind myself that I can do without it for a month and a half, no matter how obnoxious the kids are being.

I've given up alcohol a few times.  Other years it's been sweets.  I tried giving up brussel sprouts once, but the wife wasn't impressed. 

This year it's red meat.  I had some 4 meat pizza for lunch, and I'll be eating prime sirloin this evening.  A very literal Fat Tuesday.

[Rosy]

I haven't thought about lent in years, but now that you mention it. Maybe I will go back to my roots. When I was a kid we would fast on Fridays or do light, meat free dishes only.

The fasting would probably give me a headache, but I will keep the food to a minimum and stick to serving things my grandma used to fix during lent - fried apple pancakes, fish and potato salad, cucumber salad, garden veggie soups, potato pancakes with applesauce. Yum - now I am hungry:)

[CorpRaider]

Giving up religion for lent.  Too obvious?

[Basenji]

Hubby does lent, but maybe this year I'll suggest a Mustachian lent, hmm...no eating out? No purchasing x? Interesting!

[southern granny]

I am not catholic, but I like the idea of making a small sacrifice.  I am giving up sugar and sweet products, including ice cream.  It will be rough for me. 

[JimLahey]

My GF is Catholic and is giving up junk/fast food. I'm not really religious but I figure if I go along with it we will both save some money.

[Sailor Sam]

I'm giving up coffee. God better appreciate the wicked bad headache imma have tomorrow. It will put me in a very penitent mood for church.

[andy85]

just deleted facebook and instagram from my phone...lent seems like a good excuse to give this a shot
i know i never leave those apps feeling better than i opened them...

[asauer]

Though I'm not religious, I do lent just for the exercise.  This year I'm not eating out.  At all.  It's a good timeframe to make some habit changes.

[jfer_rose]

I'm not religious but I love to give up things for Lent. Since Lent is more than a month, I find it is a good amount of time to establish new habits. The last two years I gave up sugar (including added sugar in breads, pasta sauce, etc, but not including fresh fruit). This year I'm going a different direction and I'm giving up disposable products. I use way too many paper plates and paper towels at the office since that is all they have there. I've packed up a plate, a set of flatware, and some cloth towels for drying my hands/dishes.

[norabird]

I like the idea of shifting to flatware at the office! I currently just re-use the same plastic utensils for weeks which maybe is not sanitary...and I deleted that stupid phone app! Happy Lent all and good luck on your resolutions!

[ZiziPB]

I like the idea of shifting to flatware at the office! I currently just re-use the same plastic utensils for weeks which maybe is not sanitary...and I deleted that stupid phone app! Happy Lent all and good luck on your resolutions!

I reuse the same plastic utensils too - I just bring them back home together with my lunch containers and put them in the dishwasher.  They last a few months until they become brittle and break.

[Irishtache]

Resolved to give up all bad food for lent; bread, potato chips, chocolate etc. Already doing Sober October (ok, I started in Jan and will finish on Valentine's Day). However, came to work and they were celebrating a colleague's birthday with chocolate cake! Best laid plans etc! Best Ash Wednesday ever!!

[primozaj]

For whatever reason my late wife always chose to add a new habit rather than give up something.  I guess the thought is that if you add something good you won't have time for the bad habit.  One year it was "add an extra 30 min of sleep," so in effect giving up 30 min of TV.  One year we took turns reading to each other every night (which I hated at the beginning but grew to really enjoy).  Sometimes they stuck for months but they rarely kept going after 6-7 months and life took over.  For her it was more about being mindful about the season of Lent and using that time to enhance your life rather that deplete it... maybe its just a glass half full/half empty thing but it was actually something I was more on board with rather than the idea of giving something up. 

[OmahaSteph]

Hubby does lent, but maybe this year I'll suggest a Mustachian lent, hmm...no eating out? No purchasing x? Interesting!

+1 to "Mustachian Lent"

I think I'm going to limit myself to one cup of coffee per day. Been hitting the caffeine pretty hard and now having trouble sleeping even though I'm exhausted.

[jfer_rose]

For whatever reason my late wife always chose to add a new habit rather than give up something.  I guess the thought is that if you add something good you won't have time for the bad habit.  One year it was "add an extra 30 min of sleep," so in effect giving up 30 min of TV.  One year we took turns reading to each other every night (which I hated at the beginning but grew to really enjoy).  Sometimes they stuck for months but they rarely kept going after 6-7 months and life took over.  For her it was more about being mindful about the season of Lent and using that time to enhance your life rather that deplete it... maybe its just a glass half full/half empty thing but it was actually something I was more on board with rather than the idea of giving something up.

Love the idea of making it positive instead of negative!

[gliderpilot567]

Yes. Something positive. Lent came early this year, so I took the momentum from my reduced-drinking January and want to keep it going. But I'm keeping it a positive thing because in the course of drinking less, I became seriously addicted to weight lifting, so I'm feeding that new habit as much as I can! And fish Fridays are still good protein, of course.

I suggested to my wife that she give up facebook for Lent. She laughed at me

[Liralen]

I decided to give up surfing the web when I'm at home (unless it's for work purposes). I find I've just been vegging on the cough and mindlessly playing online. I have a LONG list of projects that I could be working on instead.

[homestead neohio]

Gave up alcohol this year, again.  I enjoy craft beers and some homebrewed cider and mead, but am hypervigilent coming from a family with some alcoholism.  I prove to myself I don't need this, and usually keep it up for a while after lent, then the habit (and calories) creep back in.  I also try to do something positive each lent and this year is "something active every day".  So far so good.

... I'm giving up smoking (yeah, yeah, bad dog, bad smoking dog!---so mine is a health AND MMM one).

I gave up smoking when I was >1 pack a day long ago.  I tried to cut back/quit before then but never had enough commitment or motivation.  I finally did it one year for lent, with the help of good friends.  My advice: tell everyone you know that you quit smoking, and if they see you smoking, they should punch you in the face!  Tell a few friends/family to ask you once in a while how it's going.  I really could not have done this without friends and family.  Even if I was alone, knowing others would ask and I didn't want to lie to them kept me honest.  If there is a quit smoking gauntlet thread, join it!  For me the first week was irritating, the second and third weeks extremely difficult, and somewhere in the fourth week I became disgusted by cigarettes.  Never went back.

It is very bad-ass to be in control of your life, rather than being beholden to some chemical (nicotine, alcohol, etc.)!

[Basenji]

Gave up alcohol this year, again.  I enjoy craft beers and some homebrewed cider and mead, but am hypervigilent coming from a family with some alcoholism.  I prove to myself I don't need this, and usually keep it up for a while after lent, then the habit (and calories) creep back in.  I also try to do something positive each lent and this year is "something active every day".  So far so good.
I gave up smoking when I was >1 pack a day long ago. [...] For me the first week was irritating, the second and third weeks extremely difficult, and somewhere in the fourth week I became disgusted by cigarettes.  Never went back.

It is very bad-ass to be in control of your life, rather than being beholden to some chemical (nicotine, alcohol, etc.)!

Good for you on the ciggies and the alcohol. Thanks for the encouragement. Day 2, second nicotine patch. What I miss today is sitting out back (I was never allowed to smoke inside the house--LOL), watching the dogs play in the yard, hot coffee in hand, smoking away. Per MMM's "back of the napkin" calculation post, I should have (with compounding) about $7k-$8k in 10 years more than I would have. Plus, the whole not get cancer thing.

[katesilvergirl]

Cool! A Lent group!

I'm giving up sugar and snacks during the week (free bags of chips at work and a housemate who makes homemade ice cream....) and only once a day on the weekends.

I rarely limit myself with anything because I typically don't want a whole lot of something (shopping, coffee, alcohol, chocolate), so I was really shocked at how hard it was to not eat a brownie last night. If I want a brownie, I just eat a brownie, because I only ever want one or two. I've never not eaten a brownie when I wanted a brownie. IT WAS SO HARD. I think this Lent will be a good lesson for me and help me tighten up my focus and self-discipline all the way around. Yikes, how can I build good habits when I apparently have little to no self-discipline?


(OTOH if it was a bag of licorice I could eat it all in one sitting. But I know that I can't say no to licorice so I don't let it in the house unless I'm mentally and physically prepared to gorge myself.)

[southern granny]

I saw on facebook that someone was giving up their New Years resolutions for Lent.  Loved that.

[Heckler]

I gave up all debt for Lent!   Mortgage free as of Tuesday.

[Basenji]

I gave up all debt for Lent!   Mortgage free as of Tuesday.

Sweet!

[Rosy]

Yesterday, I went shopping to ALDI and waved my quarter at a lady just heading back with her empty cart.

"I'll trade you", I said.

"Bless you", she said - keep your quarter, I'm doing something different for lent - I'm blessing you.

"Thank you", I said - big grin on my face - "I've been blessed by a random stranger in a parking lot":)

[FIRE me]

Giving up religion for lent.  Too obvious?

To almost anyone who asks what I'm giving up for lent, I tell them that I'm giving up sex crimes. Then I add that I'm looking forward to Easter.

[Basenji]

Day Something or Other: third morning of being sick sick sick with congestion, aches, and that lovely feeling of sore eyeballs scraping against the inside of one's eyelids. Re the ciggies: Patches on arm, soldiering through. Felt teary eyed as I watched "Trumbo" at home wrapped in a blanket and they f-ing smoked through the whole movie. Of course, Louie C.K.'s character dies of lung cancer, so that's helpful.
How are you all doing?

[homestead neohio]

Hang in there, Basenji, best thing you'll ever do healthwise and helps the finances, too.

I'm good on the alcohol front, served some homebrewed beer to a friend while entertaining and managed to not have some over dinner, though the 22 oz bottle went unfinished.

As far as trying to do something active each day, I've done it, but some days have been pretty small efforts compared to what I envisioned.  I'd like to step it up and maybe lose a few inches while I don't have the calorie intake from alcohol.  Other days I've done something substantial.  DW and I did a 4 mile hike over very hilly terrain in 5 inches of snow.

[infogoon]

Been sorely tempted to give in and have a martini after a brutal day at the office; managed to stave off the craving by just eating a couple of olives instead.

[PhysicianOnFIRE]

Does anyone intentionally "cheat" on Sundays?  Or at other times?

I know some Catholics that do this.  I guess it shortens lent to about 40 days from 47.  We don't cheat Sundays, BUT... with spring break falling during Lent, we sometimes decide to "sin" to our heart's content during that week if we are on vacation. 

This year, we're taking the family on a cruise.  I have given up red meat & pork, but you'd better believe I'm going to eat filet mignon when it don't cost nothin'. 

[nnls]

Ive given up alcohol and processed sugar. The lack of coke and milo has been the biggest challenge for me.

Does anyone intentionally "cheat" on Sundays?  Or at other times?

I know some Catholics that do this.  I guess it shortens lent to about 40 days from 47.  We don't cheat Sundays, BUT... with spring break falling during Lent, we sometimes decide to "sin" to our heart's content during that week if we are on vacation. 

This year, we're taking the family on a cruise.  I have given up red meat & pork, but you'd better believe I'm going to eat filet mignon when it don't cost nothin'. 

I was very tempted to cheat on Sunday when my team mate at work offered me a timtam but I resisted the temptation

[Sailor Sam]

Does anyone intentionally "cheat" on Sundays?  Or at other times?

Yes, I'm doing Lent because I'm catholic, and i break the fast on Sundays. And let me tell you, that one cup of coffee tastes mighty fine!

[nnls]

Does anyone intentionally "cheat" on Sundays?  Or at other times?

Yes, I'm doing Lent because I'm catholic, and i break the fast on Sundays. And let me tell you, that one cup of coffee tastes mighty fine!

I am Catholic as well, I just find it makes the whole process harder if I crack and then I have to go through withdrawls again.

[Basenji]

Me again re the cigs: someone said I looked like my skin was glowing and asked what I was doing. I guess not poisoning myself has an aesthetic upside!

[Penny Lane]

Oh Basenji, you are doing this!!  So proud of you; it is truly a very difficult thing.  I'm a doc and have guided many through this process. 

I did dry (ish) January so I didn't think too much about Lent, but come to think of it, I have given up days without exercise of some kind. 

[Basenji]

Oh Basenji, you are doing this!!  So proud of you; it is truly a very difficult thing.  I'm a doc and have guided many through this process. 

I did dry (ish) January so I didn't think too much about Lent, but come to think of it, I have given up days without exercise of some kind.

Thanks for the encouragement. At first I thought I'd just give it up for Lent, but now I may actually do it for good.

How is everyone doing?

[homestead neohio]

Oh Basenji, you are doing this!!  So proud of you; it is truly a very difficult thing.  I'm a doc and have guided many through this process. 

I did dry (ish) January so I didn't think too much about Lent, but come to think of it, I have given up days without exercise of some kind.

Thanks for the encouragement. At first I thought I'd just give it up for Lent, but now I may actually do it for good.

How is everyone doing?

Do it for good!  Do it for good!

Still dry and active (mostly).  When it snows and I come inside by the fire I want a nice stout occasionally. I've seen a few beers I like and still bought them, but I'm just storing them for Easter. .  I missed two days of exercising where my "something active" was fighting off a cold.

DW is talking about a whole 30 sometime, so I will likely be giving up alcohol for another month sometime.  It may or may not overlap with lent.

[Sailor Sam]

Oh Basenji, you are doing this!!  So proud of you; it is truly a very difficult thing.  I'm a doc and have guided many through this process. 

I did dry (ish) January so I didn't think too much about Lent, but come to think of it, I have given up days without exercise of some kind.

Thanks for the encouragement. At first I thought I'd just give it up for Lent, but now I may actually do it for good.

How is everyone doing?

Aw Basenji, that's really great. I'm impressed.

As for giving up coffee, the first week was hard. I'd been tapering before lent, so the caffeine withdrawal wasn't too bad. It was just the deeply ingrained habit. Now I'm in the groove, and it feels kind of freeing. One less thing to accomplish in the morning.

[Basenji]

Day 22 of no cigs. The thought of smoking is disgusting to me now and yet at least once per day I think of smoking. My mind plays a little scenario where I go and buy cigs, light up, the whole thing. Then I think how gross and can't believe I ever started (I didn't smoke most of my adult life, but after a traumatic life event about 4 years ago, I took it up hardcore).

It's bizarre being mindful of how the addicted brain works and fights against the rational brain. Metaphor for Mustachian life?

[spud1987]

I gave up alcohol on weeknights. I actually started in January but decided to keep going for Lent.

I never really have more than 4 drinks in any sitting, even during parties and holidays. But I usually have between 1-2 drinks per night. I'm a big fan of craft beer and bourbon. Even though some studies say 1-2 drinks is beneficial I was worried that it was becoming too routine for me.

There are a couple hard nights here and there (especially when I open the fridge and see a delicious Pliny the Elder staring back at me), but it hasn't been too terrible.

I haven't really noticed any effects positive or negative yet. I probably would've lost some weight by now but I find that I tend to snack more when I don't have a drink.

I'll probably go back to drinking most nights after Easter. But I'll aim for 5 nights a week and try to limit myself to 1 drink.