Lent: Whatcha Giving Up?
There's been a lot of talk about lent this week and what people will give up etc. A lot of folks went to church on Ash Wednesday to receive the ashes. I got to thinking about lent and what it really means and did a bit of research. Here is what I found.
"During Lent, many of the faithful commit to fasting or giving up certain types of luxury as a form of penitence. The Stations of the Cross, a devotional commemoration of Christ's carrying the Cross and of His execution, are often observed. Many Roman Catholic and some Protestant churches bare their altars of candles, flowers, and other devotional offerings, while Crucifixes, religious statues, and other elaborate religious paraphernalia are often veiled in violet fabrics in observance of this event. In certain pious Catholic countries, grand processions and cultural customs are observed, and the faithful attempt to visit seven churches during Holy Week in honor of Jesus Christ heading to Mount Calvary."
For me lent is a season of reflection and hopefully change. I have done many different things for lent. Two years in a row the hubs and I gave up alcohol for lent.
To this day people ask me if it was hard and it really wasn't. Like anything it was a pattern or behavior change. The one thing we did find interesting was how much it bothered other people. Even people who don't drink that much get self conscious if you aren't partaking with them. The peer pressure didn't bother me in fact it made me more committed to staying true to our pledge.
The other question everyone asks me is did y'all lose weight? Um duh! No matter what you drink or how you slice it alcohol has calories and cutting those out will help you lose weight. I replaced those calories with peanut M&M's and still found a way to drop 5-10 lbs.
This year we talked about doing it again but decided to maybe save it for next year. This year Matt decided to give up cussing. I am really proud of him because frankly I love to cuss and it would be a huge sacrifice for me to stop saying the F word. I really love the F word. My mother always says to me "You were so sweet when you were little. I never imagined my shy, sweet daughter would say F all the time". I think this is suppose to shame me somehow but it doesn't :) I love the F word.
When the hubs asked me what I was going to give up we went through a myriad of ideas let's be honest I could use some work :) I kid, I kid.....kinda! After a lot of thought and reflection I decided I needed to be more healthy. So I am adding getting on a regular workout routine, drinking more water and cutting out my caffeine intake.
See I have a serious caffeine addiction. I love diet coke and coke zero the way some people love their children and lately it has gotten out of hand. The other day the hubs asked me when the last time I drank water was and honestly I couldn't remember! WTF?! So I am drinking 50 ounces of water a day if it kills me.
The last part of my goal is to get on a better workout regimen. I use to be so dedicated and scheduled about working out but frankly lately I have been a slug. I think after my wedding I was so relieved not to have to worry about fitting in a dress that I rebelled by not working out...not good!
I have made the first step in a hiring a fantastic trainer that kicks my butt weekly. Here is my shameless plug: Her name is Paige Castor and she is at Adrenaline Fitness and blast 900! Go see her or get to her classes ASAP!
I really like going to her for a myriad of reasons but the most important is even if I feel like I want to throw up I walk away from her feeling better than I did when I came in the gym. Now I just need to work on getting 2-3 workouts in on my own and I will be well on my way!
Good luck to you and yours during lent! When you want to give up or give in remember why you are doing it and what Jesus went through for us. Let Him be your inspiration to change and be better!
xoxo
"During Lent, many of the faithful commit to fasting or giving up certain types of luxury as a form of penitence. The Stations of the Cross, a devotional commemoration of Christ's carrying the Cross and of His execution, are often observed. Many Roman Catholic and some Protestant churches bare their altars of candles, flowers, and other devotional offerings, while Crucifixes, religious statues, and other elaborate religious paraphernalia are often veiled in violet fabrics in observance of this event. In certain pious Catholic countries, grand processions and cultural customs are observed, and the faithful attempt to visit seven churches during Holy Week in honor of Jesus Christ heading to Mount Calvary."
For me lent is a season of reflection and hopefully change. I have done many different things for lent. Two years in a row the hubs and I gave up alcohol for lent.
To this day people ask me if it was hard and it really wasn't. Like anything it was a pattern or behavior change. The one thing we did find interesting was how much it bothered other people. Even people who don't drink that much get self conscious if you aren't partaking with them. The peer pressure didn't bother me in fact it made me more committed to staying true to our pledge.
The other question everyone asks me is did y'all lose weight? Um duh! No matter what you drink or how you slice it alcohol has calories and cutting those out will help you lose weight. I replaced those calories with peanut M&M's and still found a way to drop 5-10 lbs.
This year we talked about doing it again but decided to maybe save it for next year. This year Matt decided to give up cussing. I am really proud of him because frankly I love to cuss and it would be a huge sacrifice for me to stop saying the F word. I really love the F word. My mother always says to me "You were so sweet when you were little. I never imagined my shy, sweet daughter would say F all the time". I think this is suppose to shame me somehow but it doesn't :) I love the F word.
When the hubs asked me what I was going to give up we went through a myriad of ideas let's be honest I could use some work :) I kid, I kid.....kinda! After a lot of thought and reflection I decided I needed to be more healthy. So I am adding getting on a regular workout routine, drinking more water and cutting out my caffeine intake.
See I have a serious caffeine addiction. I love diet coke and coke zero the way some people love their children and lately it has gotten out of hand. The other day the hubs asked me when the last time I drank water was and honestly I couldn't remember! WTF?! So I am drinking 50 ounces of water a day if it kills me.
The last part of my goal is to get on a better workout regimen. I use to be so dedicated and scheduled about working out but frankly lately I have been a slug. I think after my wedding I was so relieved not to have to worry about fitting in a dress that I rebelled by not working out...not good!
I have made the first step in a hiring a fantastic trainer that kicks my butt weekly. Here is my shameless plug: Her name is Paige Castor and she is at Adrenaline Fitness and blast 900! Go see her or get to her classes ASAP!
I really like going to her for a myriad of reasons but the most important is even if I feel like I want to throw up I walk away from her feeling better than I did when I came in the gym. Now I just need to work on getting 2-3 workouts in on my own and I will be well on my way!
Good luck to you and yours during lent! When you want to give up or give in remember why you are doing it and what Jesus went through for us. Let Him be your inspiration to change and be better!
xoxo
This post had me laughing out loud! Love reading your blog!
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