Lent

[MoJames 8256]

Thought about putting this into Help or Hobbies for shits and giggles, but I landed here.

Married into the Catholic approach and I find it interesting what others give up during the 40 days. This year I'm going with meat, did a no ETOH January so that felt redundant and I'm not sure my wife would stay with me if I gave up caffeine. Granted my wife qualified eggs and fish as not meat for this, but I think I'm going to try to limit fish as well.

[Rimbo 26140]

i'm giving up abstinence

[HouTex 1894]

No sweets/desserts here.  Did the sort of dry Jan (no drinking the week) this year so not doing the no alcohol thing for lent.

[elfenix 34338]

i did a progression from french fries (which took a couple years before i actually made it, i'd usually just forget at some point) to all fried potatoes.  more for health than actually giving a shit about lent.  though whataburger's onion rings are probably worse than the fries. 

no fast food would be a good one. 

Edited March 4, 2019 by elfenix

[Wally Fairway 5589]

I'm giving up going to church

[elfenix 34338]

1 minute ago, Wally Fairway said:

I'm giving up going to church

i gave that up 20 years ago.

[Parliament 14335]

Sugar drinks after my morning coffee.

[Humpy 112]

Watermelon 

[Gene Parmesan 4016]

Married into Catholic as well.  I need to give up bourbon but fuck that.  I'll offer up fast food.

[immortal13 4059]

I'm giving up your mom

[South Austin 52630]

Masturbating.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shit, who am I kidding. 

 

I was born Catholic, but even as I drifted away from the church in my 20s I still tried to observe the Lenten discipline.  I joined the Episcopal Church in 2009, and the church's Lenten attitude is along the lines of "Give up something if you want, but it's not really that important to the Lenten season."  I've been bold enough to give up alcohol in past years, but not sure I have the fortitude to do that this year.  I could give up Surly, but you fuckers would miss me too much. 

One family we know once gave up eating out for Lent, which when you think about it, that's damn hard to do when you have kids and at least one night a week you want a break from cooking and cleaning.   

[El Diablo 4232]

9 minutes ago, South Austin said:

Masturbating.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shit, who am I kidding. 

 

 One family we know once gave up eating out for Lent, which when you think about it, that's damn hard to do when you have kids and at least one night a week you want a break from cooking and cleaning.   

Yeah, they're not real Catholics until they have enough kids that eating out isn't financially sound.

[Al_4_ISU 12502]

I try adding a good habit instead of giving something up.  In past years I've done 100 push ups every day of Lent.  I'm trying to just make that a daily habit (I do it during harvest to keep some sanity, but fall off the wagon afterwards, usually) so I'm going to keep on it.

But I also thought it would be a good idea to give something up.  I like potato chips entirely too damn much.  That would be a good one.

[Helobious 9467]

I’m not religious now but I was raised catholic. I gave up sodas for lent in 2009, and 10 years later I still haven’t had a single one since.

So yeah I do think I’m a little better than all of you. 

[Storm the Field 5302]

 I'm about as far from religious as one can get but just for tradition's sake (raised Catholic, Catholic school from K-12), I still try and give up something each year and try to not eat meat on Friday's during Lent, which really isn't even a challenge when you love seafood.

 

[Jerry Callo 8734]

Had a buddy give up beer a couple years ago.  He drank bourbon and scotch instead.  Seemed pretty targeted, but he said it was kosher (or whatever Catholic word means kosher).

[Nolacycling 893]

In my classroom, I am asking that they give up their electronic devices for one class period. maybe you think that's lame and you're right it is, but some of them are jittery over the thought. We started talking about it today so they could ease into it.

Classroom joke o' the day... There are only two reasons to be at your desk  staring at your hands in your lap. And one of them is because you're on your phone./teacher joke

[Mez2 4025]

1 hour ago, Jerry Callo said:

Had a buddy give up beer a couple years ago.  He drank bourbon and scotch instead.  Seemed pretty targeted, but he said it was kosher (or whatever Catholic word means kosher).

ha - this is me, too. 

i give up beer every year, but also give up breads/dough foods: breads, tortillas, kolaches, pizza, etc. 

[SuperSport 1333]

I give up booze (vacations and special occasions excepted) and one other random thing each year.  Last year it was Shaggy, so Easter Day was spent trying to figure out wtf happened over there and where everybody went.

[Zepol87 9195]

1 hour ago, Jerry Callo said:

Had a buddy give up beer a couple years ago.  He drank bourbon and scotch instead.  Seemed pretty targeted, but he said it was kosher (or whatever Catholic word means kosher).

I have done that a few times. I just drink a shit ton of liquor. I still try to partake in this, not sure what to give up this year. 

[Deej 76946]

I'm giving up giving things up. No one likes a quitter. 

[hopkinsnhorns 533]

I'm going with a different approach.  I've been doing a diet-bet thing for almost 8 weeks now, so there's not much more I could "give up" in my diet that wouldn't royally fuck with my life (you can take my coffee from my cold, dead hands).  Instead, I'm going to try to do daily prayer/thanks/introspection before bed.  I think I'm supposed to be doing that anyway, but probably haven't since at least Confirmation classes.  I'm hoping to get more out of that than some arbitrary fast.  If I can't keep up with that, I may try to fast for 1 meal a day, likely breakfast.  I can survive on coffee until lunch time and that is a good way to keep the calorie intake in my weight-loss range (~1500/day).

[F250 28826]

Actually considering giving up alcohol for lent. I've done the no weekday drinking before but I would make up for it on the weekends.

[F250 28826]

5 minutes ago, hopkinsnhorns said:

I'm going with a different approach.  I've been doing a diet-bet thing for almost 8 weeks now, so there's not much more I could "give up" in my diet that wouldn't royally fuck with my life (you can take my coffee from my cold, dead hands).  Instead, I'm going to try to do daily prayer/thanks/introspection before bed.  I think I'm supposed to be doing that anyway, but probably haven't since at least Confirmation classes.  I'm hoping to get more out of that than some arbitrary fast.  If I can't keep up with that, I may try to fast for 1 meal a day, likely breakfast.  I can survive on coffee until lunch time and that is a good way to keep the calorie intake in my weight-loss range (~1500/day).

Bro, 1500 calories a day seems pretty extreme. That's around the amount a sedentary female would eat.

[Armybrat 40920]

Mrs. Brat gives up drinking her usual wine or any other alcohol.

I give up buying new guns.

[Wally Fairway 5589]

14 minutes ago, Armybrat said:

I give up buying new guns.

Good play - as it allows you to still buy old guns!

[Deej 76946]

2 hours ago, F250 said:

Bro, 1500 calories a day seems pretty extreme. That's around the amount a sedentary female would eat.

Vic's sedentary females laugh at that.

[Parliament 14335]

I'm going with a different approach.  I've been doing a diet-bet thing for almost 8 weeks now, so there's not much more I could "give up" in my diet that wouldn't royally fuck with my life (you can take my coffee from my cold, dead hands).  Instead, I'm going to try to do daily prayer/thanks/introspection before bed.  I think I'm supposed to be doing that anyway, but probably haven't since at least Confirmation classes.  I'm hoping to get more out of that than some arbitrary fast.  If I can't keep up with that, I may try to fast for 1 meal a day, likely breakfast.  I can survive on coffee until lunch time and that is a good way to keep the calorie intake in my weight-loss range (~1500/day).

Small potatoes, Brah. Those hardcore guys over in the Body Transformation thread go like a week on no food.

[Bernard 879]

Is your wife on birth control? If so, what’s the point of following other Catholic rules? You’re both going to hell anyway. Might as well enjoy life now.

Bernard

Edited March 5, 2019 by Bernard

[Thetexashammer 1062]

3 hours ago, F250 said:

Bro, 1500 calories a day seems pretty extreme. That's around the amount a sedentary female would eat.

that's redundant.

[South Austin 52630]

7 minutes ago, Thetexashammer said:

that's redundant.

Your mom’s not sedentary.

[WhatTheBuck 28807]

8 hours ago, South Austin said:

One family we know once gave up eating out for Lent, which when you think about it, that's damn hard to do when you have kids and at least one night a week you want a break from cooking and cleaning.   

There's always delivery. 

[Zepol87 9195]

Actually considering giving up alcohol for lent. I've done the no weekday drinking before but I would make up for it on the weekends.

I think this is what I’m doing this year.

[Thetexashammer 1062]

Great article on what to give up. For those of you intent on giving up giving up, it's been done before. Sorry.

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/coffeeandcrucifix/2019/03/10-things-to-give-up-for-lent-in-2019/

Quote

It’s that time of year again! Lent 2019 is just around the corner!

Because the times are changing rapidly, so are the things that affect our daily routines. Instead of coming up with the usual sacrifices for Lent like chocolate, sweets or alcohol, I figured I’d come up with a list that is somewhat less cliched and more up-to-date. Well, kind of.

One thing I should clarify is this is only a list of ideas. If anything, it’s easier to stick with one thing and be successful at it. One does not need to do them all at once.

But if you want to try and be a Lenten hero, nobody’s stopping you.

1 – Not Lent

I’m sure some of you thought about saying, ‘I’m giving up Lent for Lent,’ before clicking on this article. Yep, I beat you to it.

Let’s face it — it’s not a sacrifice if it’s not a difficult habit to let go of. You might as well be saying, “Yeah, I’m into fitness…. I’ll fitness whole pizza in my mouth!”

It’s also worth mentioning you don’t even have to be Catholic to participate in Lent. Similar to working out at the gym, it can be a spiritually transformative experience within itself! Don’t knock it ‘till you try it!

 

[Armybrat 40920]

Hamburgers and steak taste best on Fridays.

[hopkinsnhorns 533]

First time I met my Sicilian in-laws to be (we weren’t engaged, only dating at that time for a few months) was on Good Friday. My gf and I had been doing the no meat on Friday thing all Lent, only to go over to their place to be offered steaks for dinner. Her mom even taught RCIA. I’ve always had a good laugh about that.

[RollLeft 5045]

I can think of a few surly posters who i wish would give up posting for lent.  

[hopkinsnhorns 533]

Bro, 1500 calories a day seems pretty extreme. That's around the amount a sedentary female would eat.

Trust me, I’ve got the fat reserves to survive it for some time. I’m 23 lbs down over the last 8ish weeks. I use MyFitnessPal and for a sedentary 33 year old of my weight, it recommended 1650 calories/day for 2lb/week weight loss. If you only have a grapefruit and some coffee for breakfast, you can eat ~700 calories at lunch and dinner and still meet your goals, which isn’t too difficult if you’re cooking/logging your own meals. Eating out is a bitch, but not impossible if you plan accordingly.

 

[Parliament 14335]

8 hours ago, Armybrat said:

Hamburgers and steak taste best on Fridays.

heathen

[South Austin 52630]

8 hours ago, Armybrat said:

Hamburgers and steak taste best on Fridays.

In hell.

[Armybrat 40920]

Never with Whataburger.

[Al_4_ISU 12502]

10 hours ago, hopkinsnhorns said:

Trust me, I’ve got the fat reserves to survive it for some time. I’m 23 lbs down over the last 8ish weeks. I use MyFitnessPal and for a sedentary 33 year old of my weight, it recommended 1650 calories/day for 2lb/week weight loss. If you only have a grapefruit and some coffee for breakfast, you can eat ~700 calories at lunch and dinner and still meet your goals, which isn’t too difficult if you’re cooking/logging your own meals. Eating out is a bitch, but not impossible if you plan accordingly.

 

I've been setting at 1500 for a couple of weeks as well.  I'm also 33, and also have the fat reserves.  I'm not sedentary and usually pick up between 500-800 active calories every day, so you can eat that much more, I guess.  I'm cheating a day per week, which is slowing progress.  Not crazy "cheat day", just not tracking things.

I've always lost weight when I use MyFitnessPal.  My problem is once I drop 10-15 lbs, I think "sweet - I got this" and just kinda drop it by the wayside.  Trying to just make it my standard operating model.  Same with the pushups.  I always see results when I commit to doing 100 push ups every day.  It's making it my base model that I can never seem to do.

I had a buddy basically starve himself for 2 months a couple years back to lose weight.  He ate between 500-800 calories for that period of time.  Once he got to where he wanted, he switched to maintenance calories, and it's worked.  I don't think I could eat that little.  He's a heavy smoker, so I suppose that helps curb your appetite in the short term, but I ain't about to pick that up just to drop 40 lbs.

Edited March 5, 2019 by Al_4_ISU

[MoJames 8256]

14 hours ago, Bernard said:

Is your wife on birth control? If so, what’s the point of following other Catholic rules? You’re both going to hell anyway. Might as well enjoy life now.

Bernard

Oh I don't do it for her or for the religious aspect. I enjoy manipulating my lifestyle and if I like the changes, they stick. Haven't had a soda in 5 years.

[Guest Lobo]

Monotheism.  Which reminds me, I'm on my way to an ADL luncheon right now.  This should go over well.  

[elfenix 34338]

17 hours ago, Wally Fairway said:

Good play - as it allows you to still buy old guns!

a blunderbuss is a new gun to armybrat

[SimonBolivar 10960]

21 hours ago, B1G said:

Watermelon 

This is crazy talk. There reaches a point when you are just too much into religion.

[Rimbo 26140]

BUT seriously...

I was raised Presbyterian, so Lent was just a date on a calendar until I got older. I think it's useful to cut out certain things at certain times.

I've dropped coffee out of the picture (waking up in the morning and not needing a cuppa to get going is a nice feeling, as is being able to fall asleep at night) already. So I'm going to give up booze for a bit. I'm finishing up my last two bottles of beer tonight and then going cold turkey 'til Easter.

[phdhorn 6224]

Happy Lent!  Get the hell outta here!

Happy Purple Month!
(ex-Catholic and parochial school student whose head accidentally came up in a girl's skirt - I dropped my pen (really, not intentionally!) and Siobhan Selman was walking down the aisle, I went right up inside her skirt and got a great panty shot.  Being trapped inside a girl's skirt looking at her panties was pretty much my Pentecost back then).  The class cracked up, Siobhan was mortified, I turned beet red but 2 hours later at recess was the most popular dude among the boys for an hour or so.

[GHOSTUSER 361]

I become an asshole that I’m not in real life when I post here. That especially manifests itself on the mess that is the Cloak Room and on the Caravan thread in particular. I don’t like what I become there. I’m giving up on posting here for the remainder of Lent because I don’t act like God how would want me to act. I’m sure lots of y’all would like it if I never came back. Football season is too much of a pull for me to remain silent forever  giving up something and taking on a new discipline is what I’m looking to do. I will probably incorporate some fasting and morning prayer by reading the daily office. I will leave y’all with this:

Ephesians 4:29 - 5:2

29 Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with which you were marked with a seal for the day of redemption. 31 Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, 32 and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.
Chapter 5
1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, 2 and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Edited March 6, 2019 by Iconoclast Texan

[Storm the Field 5302]

Decided to try something new this year and am giving up "buying anything I don't need" for the next 40 days, and am tacking on "finally get rid of some of my existing stuff I really don't need."