Hey we didn’t have a snow day this week yet! And it’s Ash Wednesday!
If you’ve been reading my blog for a while the past week, you might know that I’m Catholic and incredibly proud of it. Today is the start of Lent, aka 40 days of fasting, prayer, and almsgiving in preparation for Easter. That means yesterday was Fat Tuesday, aka Mardi Gras, aka do and eat everything you want to give up for the next 40 days.
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In case you want the lowdown on what we Catholics even do during these 40 days:
We only really need to fast (only one full meal and two smaller snacks that do not add up to one full meal) on the first Wednesday and last Friday of Lent, so it’s nothing crazy. We abstain from meat on every Friday though (meatless Friday instead of meatless Monday!). Also, we are strongly encouraged to give up unnecessary things that we love and/or do something extra as a sacrifice throughout the 40 days. It forces us to remember that there is nothing that can satisfy or fulfill us like God’s love and mercy can.
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^^^Not what Lent is.
Even if you’re not Catholic, it could be a refreshing experience to give up something for a month or so that will help you stay more focused or grateful. It doesn’t have to be food-related at all— it could be trash TV, profanity, petty complaining, gossip, looking at your phone at the table, etc.
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Just for the record, here’s what I’m doing this Lent:
- Giving up music (I won’t voluntarily play music for myself, even when I work out ahhhhhhhhhh) and spending my quiet time praying instead.
- Giving up scrolling through Instagram (I might still post photos of my own, but I won’t look through my feed at all.)
- Reading Scripture every day
So yes, I was listening to music and looking at Instagram all day yesterday.
Some other things I’ve heard people are doing or have done for Lent: only getting one plate of food at the dining hall, giving up complaining, elevators, social media, makeup, meat, cheese, hot water (that means cold showers!)… People can be hard core.
I want to focus on making sacrifices that don’t have to do with food, so I’m not going to make any changes to my eating during Lent. With that said, here are only some of the delicious things I’ve been eating in the past few days!
whole wheat French toast with banana and pb + scrambled eggs + glass o’ milk
oatmeal with shredded coconut, pb, banana, and honey + scrambled eggs
lentil and veggie African stew with sweet potatoes (YASSS) + some saucy-brothy Italian chicken
a five pound salad with romaine, carrots, tomatoes, roasted veggies, beets, and blue cheese(!!!)
chipotle chicken (buried under there) with greens, barley salad, and feta
roast beef, provolone, hummus, and veggie sandwich on wheat + more veggies and hummus + major veggie food baby 😛
pork gyoza + scallion pancake + ramen with pork and a soft-boiled egg at Shabu and Mein when my parents came to visit!
vanilla soft serve with frozen blueberries and granola (like, 10x this amount of granola)
Ahh food is so good. But not nearly as good as God.
Have a blessed day, everyone!
Side note: Fasting can be tricky if you are struggling (or have struggled) with an eating disorder. Fasting should be a challenging sacrifice, but it should also be reasonable and attainable in regards to your individual situation. If you are struggling with an eating disorder (which can be categorized as a mental disorder), you are exempt from fasting [source]. We fast to reiterate that our earthly needs cannot give us anything as valuable as God’s love, not to make ourselves miserable or unhealthy. Take care ♥
So tell me:
If you’re Catholic: Are you giving up anything/doing anything special for Lent?
If you’re not Catholic: What would you give up or do as a sacrifice for 40 days?
Do you like blue cheese?
Do you ever wish you didn’t eat so many vegetables at a meal?
Daily Moves and Grooves 
I’m not catholic but our church does do an Ash Wednesday service and we sometimes give up things for lent. I’m late to the game but trying to think of something to give up!
Better late than never! 🙂
I really like that you explain what Lent is and what you do for it. I’m protestant and giving something up for Lent hasn’t ever been a real tradition for us. For a few years I tried to eat less chocolate or something…bit that’s stupid and add you pointed out not what it’s about. This year I’m giving up complaining and giving everything a negative thought first – I want to be more positive and optimistic! And not selfish. Have a blessed day!
Giving up complaining is a tough one— good for you! I probably wouldn’t remember and I’d never catch myself before I start complaining
I never wish I ate less vegetables at a meal haha! Except for maybe the 10 minutes after that I’m super full, but the good thing is, that feeling doesn’t last too long. And thanks for explaining more about Lent. I’m not Catholic, so I didn’t know all the deets.
That’s good that your veg food baby doesn’t last too long. The fiber for me lasts for.ev.er.
What a great post Alison! You’re giving me ideas.
For lent this year im going to be giving up the scale!!!,only listen to christian music, and do a daily scripture/devotional. It might be a little tricky but we gain in return in worth it all and then some!
Such yummy food! But no blue cheese for😷😷😷😋
And girrrrl💁let me tell you, me and Beano are tight😉💩🙈
Those are awesome sacrifices, Katie! Especially love the scale one 🙂 have a great Ash Wednesday!
Your Lenten sacrifices look a lot like mine! I’m giving up music and making sure I spend more time reading the scripture, and I may just give up chewing gum as well. That last one actually just came to me a few minutes ago when I went to grab another stick and realized how big of a habit it’s become. Oops. I really do love this time, though. All the preparation really makes Easter that much more special.
Giving up gum chewing is a great one. I have at least a piece every day, sometimes to freshen my breath, but other times because I just want the sweet minty flavor 🙂 I agree— Lent is tough, but it’s worth it!
I MISS DINING HALL SALADS. that was all i could think about when reading this post, haha! i haven’t had a salad in forever!
They are the best! Which is why I often go too crazy filling up my bowl 😉
Oh man. FINALLY catching up on your blog!! I get so behind and then I do hardcore stalking. Happy Ash Wednesday! I just got home from Mass, and I went to itch my forehead annnd forgot all about the ashes on my face 🙂 I really like your sacrifices! I considered doing a food sacrifice but I think that could lead to some bad thoughts.. not going to happen for this girl! Anyway, I hope all is well! We just got hit with a storm that makes me feel for you – I’m not even running outside because it’s that bad. Love ya, girly!
Ahh hello, lovely! I totally smudged my ashes too.
Hope the weather clears up for y’all! The snow is taking up half of the streets and sidewalks, but dedicated runners like you still get out there. Brave souls!
Oh man, I feel horrible now for snapping you a photo of a photoshoot…pretend it was a cat.
Thanks for the Lent lesson- Although I’m not Catholic, I should focus on something too. Maybe abstaining from speaking to you.
JK i need my fill. Music is s good one though!
Nah it’s alright, that oatmeal looked fantastic and I’m always honored to get a BTS look into the photo shoot.
You should abstain from being a bully.
Jk I need your snarky attitude. Keeps me on my toes 😉
While I am not Catholic, I have participated in Lent before! In fact, Lent is the reason I don’t drink soda. I gave it up for lent when I was 12 or 13 and ever since then I hardly ever drink soda!
I wish you the best of luck and I will be praying for you! Those are great goals for Lent, and I cannot wait to hear about your accomplishments. 🙂
That’s awesome, Julia! Thank you so much for your prayers. Count on mine as well 🙂
I’m not a Catholic, just a non-denominational Christian; however, I still believe Lent is a wonderful practice. I was planning on giving up gluten, desserts, processed food, bread but I didn’t want Lent to be a reason to diet. I knew I wasn’t doing it for the right reasons so I decided to delete my calorie counter off my phone. I have tracked my calorie intake for 1053 days in a row (something it alerts me to when I log in.) I’ve felt really controlled by tracking EVERY calorie for the past three years and I knew that deleting my calorie counter would be something that I’d need to depend on God to do. I’ve been a bit anxious about it but it’s going pretty well so far! I think it’ll be trickier when I eat something that I don’t know that exact calorie count (I know how many calories my daily bowl of oats, salad, sweet potato, yogurt + berries amounts to so it’s hard not to calculate those things in my head.) I feel like this is going to stretch my faith and help to give up control in this area of my life! 🙂
Diane, that is a such a beautiful and strong thing to do. I know from experience that calorie counting can take over life. It’s difficult to stop at first and tempting to go back to counting, but persevere and pray— there are more things in life on which to focus than a number that we believe to be “right” for our bodies. Praying for you!