Crazy Lent idea... I must be crazy for doing this!

[greeneyedlulu]

No wine
No chocolate
No spending....
For Lent I usually give something up.... this year I'm combining a few elements of my life that need a damn good shake up!!
I'm a drinker, not rolling around in gutter drunk every night, just I can easily drink most of a bottle each night without realising it, cheeky glass whilst cooking, top up to sit down for dinner... you know how it goes!

The chocolate tends to be a daily treat at the end of the day once my little boy is finally tucked up in bed asleep and I've done my daily chores and my bum finally hits the sofa, with a glass of wine in hand (the rest of the above bottle) and the other reaching for the remote control to watch some crappy tv show..... yes that includes eastenders but I love it!!

As for the spending..... well as you can imagine the above mentioned products set me back a bit! So that added to the cost of the mortgage, council tax, nursery fees and blah blah blah!!! Everyone has these costs! I know I'm not special but my God, it's just so overwhelming sometimes being a single mum and having so many outgoings! And I know I'm wasting money by buying lunches and coffee and wine and chocolate each day!

My fridge broke down in January (you know... the month we're all swimming in cash) so that cleared out my little bit of rainy day funds and this month, I'm struggling and I refuse to carry on like this and be so worried about money every day so I sat down and worked out my finances and I'm pretty ashamed by the difference on how much I should have left over and how much I actually do!! Eek!!

So Lent starts tomorrow and I've been paid today, all the bills go out tomorrow and I'll update as I go along on how I'm doing as I really want to give everything a shake up so the way I see it is that

1. If I give up wine and chocolate I will save money and lose weight
2. If I'm making lunches then that will help to towards the weight loss and I'm saving money
3. If I stop spending money on non essentials, I can save and get those few irksome jobs that need doing around the house that are beyond my DIY skills that 'I can't afford'!

I want to make this work and figure if I put it out there that I'm doing it then I will more likely stick to it!

Wish me luck!!

PS. Anyone else who is giving up something for Lent you are welcome to share your plight and pain along side me as I will probably need the support too x

Nearly ducked in to the chip shop for a battered sausage!!! But I resisted!!!!

My anxiety raised it's ugly head again, last night, and I really really wanted a drink. I find the only way to stop myself, is physically working myself into exhaustion. On the plus side, the house hasn't looked this good in years! 😁

PovertyPain - I was the same on Sunday, the house is literally sparkling!! But now what to do? Even my bitch of a pile of ironing is done and i hate ironing!! Ive had early nights every day and today I'm struggling food wise, I want to eat everything crappy but I haven't!! Not craving a drink today though I could do with one but I have been invited out on Saturday night so not sure if I should break Lent for it as I haven't been out out since the beginning of December!!

You're doing so well, Green. It's my birthday on Sat 49 😳 I'm tempted to break lent. Mind you I'll probably have one glass and fall over. 😁

Haha that how I feel about going out too but with this bloody cold I don't think I'll go!! My friend said I could drink something else other than wine but I'm not much of a beer or spirit drinker, don't mind a baileys every now and then but couldn't drink it all night!!
Make sure you have a lovely birthday and be sure not regret having a drink if you do xx

Greeneyed not encouraging you but would you have a vodka with 7 up free and a slice of lemon . One would last me all night and I would enjoy it .

I have not had any bread or cakes or biscuits , sweets or chocolates . I have had an occasional ice cream. I have not weighed myself yet but am feeling it working . I'm exercising lots . I feel if I weigh myself andchave not lost I will falter .

sad I am sorry you are sad too (if you're name still stands) to you. Well done on giving up so much sweet stuff.

Hope you have a lovely birthday Poverty. Could you maybe break fast on Sunday? As it's a feast day you're allowed to not fast. It would be a day late but still, could be a belated birthday celebration.

green you're doing so well, well done!

Cakes and doughnuts in work for people's birthdays are not helpful! Managed to stay off it and brought in fruit instead though. Can't believe it's now day 9 without refined sugar. If we're still fasting on Sundays we're now a fifth of the way through - go us!

Hey ladies!!

Glad to hear you're all doing well!!

Took my card with me today as I had to buy more medicine and ended spending more than I should have on a new mascara and foundation!! Damn you superdrugs!! I can walk to into that shop for one thing and come out with 16 bits easily so I guess I wasn't that bad today!!

sadallthetime 1 I hope you're not actually sad all the time and 2, one vodka would not last me all night, it just wouldn't!! But I've declined the invite out as this cold is now turning into a cough and I just don't feel upto it!!

There was a birthday at work today so I had a handful of skittles and some crisps but no cake or chocolate!!

Could literally drown in a vat of wine tonight after the crappy day I've had!!

I feel the same greeneyedlulu. No alcohol, or sweets or anything nice. I accidently had one latte last week but nothing since.

BUT, I've a bitching cold since last week, all in my head and I'm feeling bloody miserable. There's Moro bars in the fridge calling to me - HELP, before I cave.

Well I caved!!
Sorry girls but I'm only human!!

I literally could have handed in my resignation today it's been that bad! So bad i even cried at work today and i dont cry at work, ever! So when dad offered a glass of wine with dinner I accepted!!!

But I do intend to be back on the Lent wagon tomorrow!!

lulu that sounds grim, hope things are on the up tomorrow.

I gave up sugar i.e. chocolate, sweets, cake, biscuits, ice cream etc. I still eat fruit and occasionally something with sugar in e.g. sweet and sour sauce from Chinese takeaway - I had to have something as the vegetarian no egg no soya options are very limited!

At first I lost 1.7kg from Weds 28 to Sun 5th, then from Monday my weight bounced back up a bit. As of Friday 10th I was only 800g down in ten days, which is disheartening when I've been so abstemious. We've been away for the weekend and I've continued to stay off the sugar (apart from the sweet and sour sauce). I've done at least 10,000 steps every day from last Sunday (doing 5x50 challenge) and I'm running three times a week. I feel good about sticking to my plan and I'm going to donate some money to charity, but I wish my weight was going down too!

Well back on the Lent wagon for sure and praying today is a better day at work!!

Thanks fit bit, my weight has been yo-yoing since the beginning of Lent, one morning I've lost those 3lbs but the next morning they're back but I think my evening meal at mums is too heavy so I'm going to try using a smaller plate this week as I think my evening meal is too much.

Well I jumped off the wagon on Sat and Sun, but it was my birthday and I'm actually quite pleased with myself because I drank no more than one bottle of wine over both days. 🙂 Back on the wagon now and following a previous posters idea of sighting 10pieces of fruit and veg a day. note to self, buy extra toilet roll

It was MrsDustyBusty who suggested the ten pieces of fruit and veg a day

Eating not sighting. Sighting would be a lot easier. 😊😄

Ive given up facebook i was on it 20+ times a day ive done so much since turning it off its terrifying

Oh my goodness I'm so hungry! I've lost about 3 lbs since the beginning of lent which is fantastic but today I'm almost falling off the wagon. I'm incredibly hungry with 25 mins left in work and some yummy iced cakes staring up at me every time I go in the kitchen!

Sigh 😟 I did well with eating ten fruit and veg, but got a phone call from one of my clients, I'm a dog sitter, to hear one of my wee charges (westie) is in the vets and it's not looking good. Heartbroken as she is a very special old girl. Last week was horrible and to begin this week on a sad note was just the icing on the cake. Ended up finishing of half a bottle of wine. Pathetic I know. NO DRINK TONIGHT! 😡

Urgh this cold is getting me down!! I feel awful every day and things at work being crappy really aren't helping!!
I'm beginning to think this was the worst idea ever and it was all the wine and chocolate that was holding me together

That bit about chocolate and wine, did make me laugh Green. I managed to work myself into exhaustion, so haven't had any wine. I had three small oranges, a banana, an apple and sweet corn on far too much toast. Oh! And I had a cinnamon and raisin bagel this morning and half a chocolate bar Can't remember if a glass of fruit juice counts. I had a fruit yoghurt too. I'm a lazy vegan, with a bad diet and I'm finding it very difficult to eat ten portions of fruit and veg in a day. 😕 I think it's ok to fall off the lent wagon, but just hoist yerself up and get back on again. 🙂

Green, the cold does get better - I hope.

I caved today and had a latte, but that was because I've had very little sleep and DH suggested I had one for safety while I'm driving (I didn't need telling twice)!!

2 weeks today!

I'm doing OK.
NO wine - but I have had a few glasses of beer at weekends.
NO sweets or chocolate - but I had desert 3 days (pie/cake)
Spending more carefully, but plenty of room for improvement...
I lost 1.5kg, really happy with that.

Well done everyone. Can't actually believe it's been two weeks!