Some of you know that I gave up anything that moves on 4 legs for Lent. It's getting very hard. I gave up beef last year and had no problem. This year, however, I'm really starting to want to give up. I'm craving hot and sour soup from my favorite Chinese restaurant. That soup starts with a pork based broth.

Oddly enough, I'm starting to crave beef as well, but not as much as a bowl of that soup.

It's only 46 days (counting Sundays). Why am I weakening so soon?

chicken doesnt have 4 legs!!! can you get a chicken based sweet and sour soup?! or make your own if you have the time? and just substitute pork for chicken... i do it all the time as i am a big fan of chicken... just a suggestion... thought id throw my two cents out there good luck!!!!!!

Trust me. I've been eating chicken. I don't want sweet and sour. I want hot and sour. I have a recipe that my boss (Chinese) gave to me, but I REALLY want the one at the restaurant.

I've been having some serious 1-0n-1s with God over this.

I have found that if I try too hard to deprive myself of something I really crave, I always end up binging which is so much worse. When it comes to time that regardless what I do, I just can't shake the craving, I would just eat a very small portion of the food. So, if I were you, I would have a small bowl of the S&S soup, say, like 4 oz or less.

Why not make it yourself (with chicken or tofu instead of pork)?

There are a bunch of recipes at recipesource.com.

What an interesting position to be in--you have an opportunity to see just how will power versus craving works. You gave this up for Lent, right? And isn't that a promise to um... a Higher Power? So, you can keep your promise or not... but 46 days will pass! And then you can have the hot & sour soup! What do you think, can you do it?

Jay

Here's what I can't understand. My brother and SIL just finished the Daniel's diet...only fresh fruit and veggies. I think it lasted around a month. They stuck to it faithfully for their beliefs. But I find it unbelievable that neither of them (my 300+ lb about 5' 9" brother and 220+ lb about 5' SIL) can diet at all for themselves, or their 7 yo son who needs to have them around and both of them have gone through some serious ailments.

I'm not sure what in this is directed at me or how to take it.

I made a promise to God for Lent. I gave up beef last year and I did quite well. This is a test of my faith that I've imposed on myself.

I'm doing it for myself, for my own inner strength.

I did it last year. It's not that much more to go. If I'd gone cold turkey for life, I think I'd be doing a lot of backsliding. As I said, I'm having some serious 1-0n-1s.

Good for you, cbmare! Keep up those 1-on-1's. Your use of the phrase "cold turkey" was funny! "no pun intended..."

I think almostheaven was just commenting on how people will do things for outside reasons (religion, for example) but not for their own health. I don't think she was commenting on you specifically because clearly you are losing weight for yourself, and the Lent situation is just a small part of it.

Jay

Exactly. I always wondered about it. My parents would do the same for religious reasons, but neglect their own health, and I would think God would want us to take care of our bodies. My parents are strongly against smoking as it harms the body (temple). But they don't think twice about the food they consume, about all the buffets, about the fact that my dad was nearing 300 lbs., has serious diabetes, and had high blood pressure. But if it's for church, they'll diet. I just can't figure that one out. But cbmare is here doing something about her weight for her health AND dieting for her religion. I just wish my own family would do it as much for their health as they do for their religion.

Thank you for saying that. Yes, I'm doing this diet stuff for me. Yes, it's a bit selfish. I'd like to be around to dance at my youngest grandchild's wedding. I'd like to see some great grand kids come into the world and be able to hold them. The fact that health comes along with it is just an extra added bonus.

Thanks again for clarifying that.

I dont think it is selfish at all. If you believe in a creator then it should be a given that you should take care of the gifts you were given. It is selfish to damage the body to the point where the gift of life can't be used to its fullest. Dancing and sharing joy at a weddfing, holding a baby, LIVING...these are the ways you honor the gift of life.

Think about it...if you gave your grand kids a box of legos which would rather see--them playing with the legos and creating cool things or throwing away 20 or 30% and shutting the rest up in a box

It doesn't surprise me at all that people can't do some thing for one reason, including their own welfare or that of their loved ones, but can do it for a reason that some of us might think a lesser or at least equivalent value.

Behavior change is mostly about habit and attitude and from a very early age we develop both. We develop values and priorities that don't always make sense to ourselves, let alone the outside world. Does it make sense that some of us here, even with little weight to lose, can't force themselves to be seen in a bathing suit, even though swimming is one of the best exercises for weight loss. On some level we all know that we are not that important to the world, and that most people really could care less (even at my size, I get one or two odd looks at most, and then the gawkers go back to their own business - those that don't hear me say very loudly to whoever I'm with or to the air if I'm alone "I guess some people have never seen a fat person before")

Changing any behavior, but especially eating (because we can't just stop doing it) is very difficult. The swimming upstream it entails gets very tiring, and sliding backwards becomes easier than even standing still.

Heck, I have a master's degree in psychology, and I still have a hard time with change, even though I spent over six years learning how to help people (and you'd think by extention myself) change behavior.

Oh by the way, after the first time or two, it has become actually (and shamefully) a little fun to watch a gawker's jaw drop as I look in their direction and say that. And if they turn red, all the better! (I'm so mean)