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

Even though I'm feeling awful and that head in constantly in a vice and I can't breathe (though very grateful I'm not coughing) I'm still trying to be good but I have given in to my morning coffee at the station as I just can't keep my eyes open at the moment!!

Really hoping this cold goes soon!!

I hope you're all doing well ladies xx

Morning ladies!
It sounds like you are all doing well and I hope miserable ranting haven't put you off!

I'm feeling a bit better today but I haven't weighed myself since last week so I have no idea where I am at but my belly isn't as bloated as before!

Keep it up girls!!

Morning Green, I'm glad you're feeling a bit better. It's funny I've had broken bones, ops, etc, but I'm never as miserable as when I have a cold, so don't worry about feeling sorry for yourself. Let's face, if it was that easy to give things up, none of us would be on here commenting.

I'm finding it sooooo difficult to eat 10 portions of fruit and veg and as I've said before, I'm a bleeden vegan! that loves junk food Yes I do feel my tum is flatter and I feel a bit better though running out of loo roll, but I want my crisps.

Glad you don't think I'm just being wimpy! I'm still trying to eat well but certainly couldn't manage 10 a day!

It's really difficult Green and expensive! I met a man, yesterday, that volunteers in the local food bank and he was having a discreet peek at all the lovely fruit and veg in my trolley. I was saying how lovely it was being able to buy them now and how I'd put on two stone while living on processed food. I used to attend the food bank after I lost my husband and had got into bad habits, partly as a result of money problems. I'm not embarrassed to admit that, and am very grateful for the support. I realised this morning that I've lost 3lb since the start of Lent. Yay. It also made me check myself when I see people who look over fed outside food banks. Sheesh a diet of tinned and other processed food really is so bad for a person.

I need to keep in mind how lucky I am when my resolve starts wavering whilst dreaming of melting spreads on bread and chips, Christ sandwiches, chocolate STOP IT! 😭

Crisp sandwiches NOT Christ sandwiches! I know it's Lent, but that would be taking it a bit far. 😳

Lol I could with some blood of christ right now!!

Eating fresh is better and I do try to cook from scratch almost all the time rather than using packets or jars of sauces etc and I will always add extra veg where I can too.

I've got a confirmation to go in 2 months and it would be great to be looking slimmer and healthier for that!! It's sounds crazy but it's my ex's best mate's son's confirmation. I was surprised at the invite as I thought it would be my ex and my son going on their own but I've been invited and this guy is my sons godfather so why not? But it would be fab to look great for it and I've seen a dress that taunts me daily at the moment as it's in a shop window opposite the station and it's lovely but this shop only goes up to a size 16 and I'm easily 18/20 so a lot of hard work needs to be done to get in to it!! I did almost buy it but I've promised myself I'm not allowed to buy a thing for it until the week before!!
How my mind manages to think this dress is the ultimate problem solver, I'll never know!! If I could just stop thinking that way about wine and chocolate I could probably fit in this dress

Fell off the junk food, 10 fruit and veg, no drink, wagon today. Appear to have offended a crowd of posters on mn, resulting in sarcastic comments, even though I've apologised, got fined for being late paying a bill and it's the second anniversary of losing my darling husband. Yay me. Going to finish the bottle now. Sorry. Will sober up tomorrow and try to start again. 😳

You're doing really well green looking forward to your updates :)

Quite sad that christianity has turned Easter into a festival of death, denial and human sacrifice.

Well that was a very self indulgent post, last night. 😳 Sorry. 😳

Gave myself a kick up the bum, this morning. I'm very flexible 😁
I've just had some banana on granary toast and a big bucket of coffee. When I was younger I had the most amazingly healthy diet and wouldn't have thanked you for junk food. That stuff really is addictive. 😮

It really helps having a goal, Green and I bet you'll look and feel amazing in your lovely new dress. You're doing so well and I hope you keep this thread going after lent. 🙂 Gosh I just remembered giving up sugar in my tea when I was a primary aged child. I was at an aunt's house some time later and my older cousin gave me a cup of tea with sugar. It tasted disgusting and I was a very obedient child so sat a drank it. It truely tasted vile. I wish that would happen with chocolate and wine! 😄

Don't worry poverty- your god loves a sinner.

Poverty you are doing so well and please don't worry about what others think especially the keyboard warriors on here!!

I'm finally feeling more human as I can breathe through my nose again and I cleaned the house and dettol sprayed everything from door handles to light switches to remote controls to my phone in a bid to fight this damn cold!!

I'm determined to be better from tomorrow and really watch my portion control especially when having dinner in the evenings as I can happily go all day without eating much but come the evenings, I'm eating a huge amount because it's there in front of me (my folks cook my dinner as I eat there when I pick up my son and we eat as a family at the table which I love) then I'm stuffed and end up going to bed so full and uncomfortable!!

I weighed myself this morning and I've so far lost 4lbs, not a huge amount for 2.5 weeks but at least it's going in the right direction.

To keep my myself occupied today (out of the food cupboards and off the sofa) I'm off to b and q to start my decorating projects for the house to me keep focused on why I'm saving my money!!

Keep the good work up ladies and thank you for your words of encouragement, I really do appreciate it!!

Peace and love peeps!!

That's brilliant Green. I swear I've eaten and drank that much yesterday I've put the weight I lost back on. 😳😄 Enjoy your decorating. I'm away out to walk the dogs.

I haven't been a complete angel this weekend food wise and i had a couple of brandy fuelled hot toddys but as I've been so ill I haven't cared but I am feeling so much better today for the first time in nearly 3 weeks!!

An extra little bit of encouragement this morning is that I stepped on the scales and 1. They didn't break and 2. It looks like another 2lbs has come off!! this is now the lowest weight I've been since before I was pregnant so this has spurred me on this morning to be extra good!

Decorating will commence easter weekend when I have the time and the diy stores have better discounts but I'm currently putting together a mood board.... sounds a tad pretentious but it's actually a nice little project, I'm just waiting for my samples to arrive then I can crack on!

I've been off all fizzy drinks since the beginning of Lent (I used to be an 8 can a day kinda gal ).

It's been fine so far. I expected it to be much harder. Am hoping to use this as a springboard to eliminate drastically reduce my consumption of sugary drinks once Lent finishes.

No weight loss yet though.

Well I'm not self flaguating if I fall off the wagon, I only started this to give myself a kick up the bum as I was drinking too much, eating too much and spending too much. I know it will take a while to reap the benefits in all the aspects that I'm trying to fix but I'm getting there just got to keep reminding myself it will be a slow process!!

Well done everyone.

I bought a latte yesterday because I was falling asleep while driving, but I think it's getting too easy to do that and I need a few early nights instead. Roll on some weight loss.

I've had lots of early nights since the beginning of Lent but don't feel better for it as I've been shattered all the time because I've felt so ill but another early night tonight (sitting in bed typing) as I would eventually like to start getting up a bit earlier to crack open that exercise dvd I got ages ago. I used to do these exercises when I was on maternity leave as the same woman had a programme on one of those sky TV channels so I got the dvd knowing I can do the routines. I have no time during the day after little one is up or at work or after and I know I wouldn't want to do it at the end of the day when i come home so it's only in the mornings that I think I could do it and believe me that is going to take some true dedication

Well there was no getting up earlier this morning... I switched off the lights last night at 10.15 and went to sleep.... 6am I'm like lead, just could not move so no acrobatic gyrating for me this morning

How we all doing ladies?

I've been quite good the past few days though struggling to get earlier and exercise!

People on the train talking non stop about food...... I want to hurt them!!

Not feeling great today!
Hoe is everyone else doing?

Hi Green, I'm finding the eating 10 fruit and veg sooooo boring. I find the fruit more difficult. I'm going to a friends house this weekend and I'm having a couple of glasses of wine. I'm stupidly excited. I don't think I'd make a very good nun. 😁

Hello poverty!! I thought everyone had left me

I'm not being anaughty angel every day that's for sure but compared to this time last month I'm far better behaved in all 3 areas so I'm pleased with my progress!

It being mothers day Sunday we are off to my favourite place for lunch and I will be eating and drinking without a care in the world!!