Melih's Thoughts Stop to think and wonders emerge

No Flour, No Sugar for Lent 2010

I started observing Lent two years ago because I'm fascinated by the idea of self-restraint and how it can help make one better. The goal isn't to give something up forever, but to see if one can give it up at all. The reward, if it can be called as such, is knowing that one's sacrifice is a mere 40 days away from being restored to them.

The rules of Lent have been redefined to me many times. Whether one eats meat or not on Fridays. What day one stops the Lenten fast. How to make up for a mistaken breaking of one's fast. But I quickly learned that intent is much more important than technicality, and it's all about what one feels in one's heart when it comes to the right and wrong of it all.

Two years ago, I gave up red meat. My family wasn't super supportive of the idea, but it was really good for me. I really started to understand how much red meat I eat, and it was a real change of pace to make myself eat chicken, turkey, sushi and a LOT of tuna sandwiches. Thank goodness for Subway's $5 footlong! Just once, I went to Taco Bell and ordered a bean burrito, got a beef burrito, and said to myself, "Don't worry about it." Other than that, I was actually able to stick to it for the full 40 days. The best bit is that I think since then I've definitely changed my attitude towards looking at my daily menu to include the produce section, poultry, seafood and salad as opposed to focusing on the biggest, reddest option. That was definitely a huge win.

Last year, I gave up fast food. I started Lent with a 38" waist size. I went to 6 proms, and never had a tux pants size greater than 30". Talk about college 50! So I gave up fast food and decided that if I quit going to McDonald's for all of my non-TokBox provided meals that I might start to slim down. Turns out I was right. Also turns out that fast food just does insane things to your whole system. I had a lot more energy. I didn't constantly feel out of shape. I made myself start exercising again. And now I'm down to eating fast food only once per month. I don't think I really realized how poorly I was treating my body until I gave up fast food. It's really obvious when you shed 15 pounds that you're not supposed to be that big. You have to really try hard. I'm not trying that anymore. The reward last year was confidence in that I could restore my physical health.

And on that theme, this year I am going on the No Flour, No Sugar™ diet. I'm also adding caffeine to the mix, as in No Caffeine. My main goal is to become more cognizant of all of the food I eat, and soda I drink. I think I average one soda per day, which isn't a lot, but do I really need it? I eat a lot of bread with the food I eat, and is that really a good idea. When I drink tea, I add way too much sugar to it. So the big question in my mind was how could I change physically, emotionally and all else if I were to increase fruits, protein and simultaneously decrease empty calories from my diet.

The answer awaits in forty days time...