Do Your Weight Loss Goals Affect Your Lent Sacrifice?

Filed Under: Fitness

Its Ash Wednesday!

I’m protestant, but Lent is something I’ve participated in seriously for a few years now.

The most intense sacrifice I’ve done so far was when I gave up bread. Going 40 Days without bread was eye-opening because it showed me how strong the PCOS hold is on my body. Not eating bread for 40 days made me a crazy person, but I’m glad I did it.

As I read about fasting as a spiritual practice, I’ve learned that weight loss might be a side effect, but it’s not the goal. The goal is to deny ourselves in an effort to get closer to God. For example, praying with every hunger pain during an absolute fast would increase my prayer life a WHOLLLLE bunch.

Because I have such a weird relationship with food, I find that my Lent sacrifices often center around what I consume. Denying myself certain foods/drinks works for me, but I have to remind myself that it’s not about the food/weight… on the other hand, some people practice Lent in order to lose weight.

So, a few questions:

-For those of you who do the Lent thing, do you choose things that will help you lose weight?

-For those of you who aren’t religious, do you join in on Lent in order to lose weight?

-What are you giving up this year?

p.s. I lost two more pounds this week… getting back on track!

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Published on Wednesday, February 13, 2013
10 Comments
  • HP

    I was raised (and went to school) Catholic, I now consider myself an Agnostic on a good day.

    Growing up my Lent sacrifices were nearly always food related simply because I have had weight problems my whole life and for me, food restrictions was something that was difficult.

    I’ve been debating kickstarting a change in eating habits for Lent since well it’s just a good time to start; like with New Years it provides a good kick in the butt since many people do it.

    • http://twitter.com/thebiggirlblog CeCe Olisa

      Makes sense to me!

  • Nessa

    40 days without bread, sounds like something I might try. I don’t necessarily practice Lent but I believe in fasting. When I fast I don’t focus on weight loss, it’s just a bonus that goes along with fasting. I do however, try to continue the healthy habits after my fast is over.

    • http://twitter.com/thebiggirlblog CeCe Olisa

      Its a good fast to do, although I’m not rushing to do it again haha… Do some reading on the “happy chemicals” that carbs produce. It will help you understand the withdrawal affects. Keep me posted! xoxo

  • Mel

    I think most people think of Lent as giving something up. But I was raised with the idea that Lent was a time to do something positive in order to honor God. It was a time to think about God whilst doing a good deed that one didn’t normally do.

    It didn’t have to be complicated. It could be as simple as I will do the dishes every night after supper. Or I will call up grandma and sing her a song every night. Or something harder…I will deliver homemade cookies to a homeless shelter every day. I will shovel the neighbor’s driveway before she gets home.

    I always tease, “guess what I’m giving up for Lent? wink wink” With the response being, “But Mel, you’re supposed to give up something you *like*!”
    Used to horrify my proper Catholic mother, who never talked of such things out loud.

    • http://brooklynshoebabe.tumblr.com/ BrooklynShoeBabe

      Thank you for sharing that. My husband, who is well versed in the bible, often told me that there were more passages in the bible where God asked for something as opposed to him asking for someone to give something up. So, some years I did things like read a passage of the bible everyday or made sure to pray for someone else.

  • Delicate Passions

    I gave up Facebook for Lent. I’m not super religious, but I like the idea of Lent, so I’m giving it a try. I noticed recently that I spend a disgusting amount of time on Facebook, just refreshing the page and giving myself a way to procrastinate throughout the day. This really isn’t healthy, so I’ve cut it out completely. They say it only takes 21 days to make or break a habit, right?

    Also, I’m starting up a prayer journal for Lent. Again, I’m not super religious, but I see the value in meditating on certain aspects of one’s life. I found a pretty good Lent prayer journaling challenge online that focuses on strengthening and clarifying aspects of one’s marriage/relationship, so hopefully I will come out at the end of these 40 days with greater understanding and focus about my relationship with my fiance-slash-soon-to-be-husband.

    Good luck to everyone on their goals this Lent!

  • anaem3

    I participate in Lent every year. It’s always something different. A couple of years ago, I gave up alcohol and it was the best decision I made. I was in college, and found that I just was drinking a lot. I made this promise to God for 40 days; not only did I lose weight, but I just felt better about myself. I realized I don’t even like alcohol and I was only doing it because it’s what you do in college. Now, I can order one drink and take my time to enjoy it.

    This year I’m giving up going out to eat and soda. I’m addicted to Coca Cola. It’s actually becoming a problem. Also, I’ve noticed that most of money is going to eating out. This has to stop. By promising God, I feel a connection and just do not want to disappoint. I do better when I commit to God.

  • Olivia Green

    I’ve never been a huge fan of these “lose weight quickly” type articles. The problem with most of the methods is that, most people end up putting the weight straight back on.

    If you want to lose weight permanently, then visit: http://www.healthandfitnessdiets.com. Thanks to the great diet plans and workout routines, I’m currently in the best shape of my life and look great. Furthermore, the weight is staying off!

    However, remember there are no shortcuts or magical secrets to a great body – it’s simply a result of hard-work and not giving up!

  • http://brooklynshoebabe.tumblr.com/ BrooklynShoeBabe

    I try very hard to not tie in dieting or calorie or food restriction with Lent, because I’m not doing it for pure spiritual reasons. For the ten years or so that I’ve been doing Lent, I usually give up something or do something. Doing something is also a way to “give up” something. So, this year I’m doing a mix of both. 1. I’m making sure to go to church every Sunday during the Lenten season. 2. I’m giving up my office’s cafe’s coffee cake because I eat it more out of habit and it is a bad one. and 3. I’m giving up “self-loving” as well. I don’t think it is a sin or anything. It’s just something I like to do that I want to give up for Lent.

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Hi, I'm CeCe! My New York City adventures as a Plus Size Princess are chronicled on this blog. Enjoy! xoxo [More]



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