I’m giving up (some) Calories for Lent

It’s Pancake Tuesday today. Unfortunately, I couldn’t make it to a pancake dinner with my brother and his friends, because of a prior commitment to a special evening write-in with my Hamilton Nanowrimo friends.

But I’ve been thinking about Lent today. I grew up in an Anglican tradition, and part of that was the notion of choosing something to give up for Lent – a minor vice or indulgence, that you thought you could do without for forty days, (not counting Sundays,) and improve your moral fiber for it.

It’s been a long time since went to church services for anything in the Easter season, or gave something up for rent. Several years back I put several specific categories of treats on the ‘not for Lent’ list as part of an effort to lose weight and eat healthier – pringles, ice cream, and something else I think. (Not chocolate – you’ll get my Cadbury cream  eggs when you pull them in warm chocolatey pieces from my hands, or something like that.)

I’m proud of how much weight I managed to lose a few years back, but I’ve been thinking that I want to get a bit slimmer, and stop the backsliding into eating more junk food. I’ve been mostly maintaining my weight lately, and maybe putting on the odd pound every other month or something.

So, rather than anything specific, I’m going to give up extra Calories for Lent. Back when I was still committed to eating right and losing weight, I was budgeting myself 2500 Calories a day, with perhaps a bit extra for days when I went above and beyond on exercising. Lately, I don’t beat myself up if I stay under three thousand, as long as I’m walking at least thirty minutes.

But as you are all my witnesses, I’m going to try and change that. For the forty days of Lent, I’ll do my best to stick to 2500 Calories or under, no matter how much I exercise – AND keep up the daily exercise as much as I can. On Sundays, I’ll splurge a little and indulge those extra few hundred.

Don’t let me give up, blog followers. I’ll do better if I know I have to come back on here and report how I do.

And let me know if you’re giving up anything for Lent – or doing something special to commemorate the season.