I’ve been thinking since Wednesday (you know, Ash Wednesday) about what I’m going to give up for Lent. With an Irish father and Italian mother, I was most definitely raised Catholic. While I don’t usually go to church on my own (despite best intentions), I still consider myself Catholic and plan on raising kids (someday) at least Christian, if not Catholic.
Anyway, in my quest to lose 50 pounds, I cut back on pretty much everything I was eating at the time, because most of it had little nutritional value. Buttered rolls for breakfast? Out. Chicken parm sandwiches for lunch? Out. Chicken pad see yew for dinner? Out. I don’t eat white bread/rice/pasta very often any more. I don’t eat fried food all that often. I don’t eat much dairy. I don’t have that many sweets. I’ve already given up a LOT.
So when it came to thinking about giving something up for Lent, I was frankly having a hard time. There was nothing I thought I could realistically give up without being bitter about it. (Thinking about giving up something for Lent while PMSing is HARD, yo.) I originally thought about giving up coffee, but giving up a 13-year-old addiction seemed like an insurmountable task.
This morning, I decided. I’m going to give up putting sugar in my coffee. It’s not a huge thing to give up, but it’s something that’s realistic and something I’ve tried to do for a while, without fail. Especially because I still put Sweet ‘N’ Low in my coffee. I want to see what getting rid of this last vestige of everyday sugar does to me. (If anything.)
This morning, I went for my usual breakfast of sunflower butter, an English muffin and a banana. I got Dunkin’ Donuts coffee because it’s a little sweeter, so I hoped that it would make the transition to sugarless coffee a little easier. After all these years of drinking coffee with sugar, without tastes kinda weird. It tastes like…coffee. Who knew?
Speaking of Thomas’ English muffins…I have an announcement!
I found out this morning that Thomas (as in the muffin people!) will be providing me with a free race entry for the More/Fitness Half Marathon! For astute observers, yes, that does mean I am running three halfs in a row. My plan is to run the first one, NYC, hard–like sub-2:00 hard (fingers crossed) and run the second two as if they were just fun long runs.
Do you think I’m crazy???
Sugarless coffee. Bold move. Exciting about the Thomas’ English Muffins! Pretty sure you’re crazy, but of the crazy-awesome variety. 🙂
I think you’re awesome! How cool that the Thomas people are giving you an entry!
Sugarless coffee isn’t so bad once you adjust. Eventually, you’ll probably dislike sugar in your coffee. At least that’s what happened to me when I gave it up.
Congrats on getting a free entry! I’m not sure that I’d run the first one hard. Although, it’s a nice flat course (not sure how flat the 2nd race is going to be). I feel like I would run the last one the hardest, treating the other two as training runs for the third. For whatever reason, running the first one hard and the others easy seems a little backwards in terms of training IMO. Either way, you’re awesome for running them all!
@Jess @ Fit Chick in the City: You’re probably right, but since the NYC half (the first one) is the only one I’ve run before, I want to PR on a course I’ve done before, and if not, have the chance to try to break 2:00 in one of the subsequent ones.
I’m here for you,
Coming home for pasta
Love,
Mom
I stopped putting sweetener in my coffee ages ago and definitely prefer it that way now. Don’t mess with my Half & Half, though!
Cool on the three Halfs. Will you be able to stick to your plan to run the other ones easy or will you get sucked into the race mentality? I have problems sticking to any plan to take it easy, which is why I tend to get injured.
I think that’s a perfect thing to give up for Lent! It will be a daily reminder to say what’s up to God! Exciting about the race – I’m impressed and can’t imagine running 3 in a row! But, I think you’ll just listen to your body and you don’t have to push yourself speed-wise, ya know?
Congrats on the half. I really wish I had signed up for that one versus the Cherry Blossom now. Going down to DC two weekends in a row isn’t very exciting.
Do you still put milk in your coffee?