Forty days and forty nights

[Constantine]

Otherwise known as "Constantine turns to religion to break a chocolate addiction, because nothing else has worked."

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday, which is the start of Lent. I'm not a particularly devout Anglo-Catholic, but I have given up something for Lent in the past. (Sugary soft drinks and dairy products last couple of years) so this year I'm going to give up chocolate and lollies.

I don't use the word "addiction" lightly - I have gone out at 2am on foot to get chocolate. This is a thing. And it is, quite obviously, not good for my physical or mental health. And hopefully I can lose a few kg's over the six weeks.

So I'm going to blog about it, to keep me honest, and to provide somewhere to whinge while I go through withdrawal.

 

[Robert Burns]

Good luck with it, are you going to blog it here or link to your blog? I've not read your old blog in quite a while, but I gather it's not been updated too much with the off season. Has it?

 

[Constantine]

Haven't updated it at all, I needed to concentrate on university, and rugby stopped being so much fun by the end of the season. I'm back this year but I'll be keeping my head down and not volunteering so much. Might get a blog here, rather than link to the old one, and crosspost.

 

[Dickie E]

- I have gone out at 2am on foot .

Me too - on the way home from the Mermaid

 

[Constantine]

Dickie, stop whoring up my thread.

 

[L'irlandais]

Me too - on the way home from the Mermaid

Not sure if "getting chocolate on the way home from the pub" can be considered as the same as "going out on foot in the wee small hours of the morning" to get some chocolate.

 

[Davet]

Whilst I am in no sense religious - indeed not only am I atheist but also actively secular - I do feel that a period of abstinence, combined with contemplation on life's joys and sorrows and even it's humdrum aspects helps people to make some sense of their own lives, and to gain a degree of perpective about what is or is not important to them.

Simply "giving something up" is only part of the equation - indeed it's the introspection and contemplation that is the more beneficial part.

 

[Constantine]

Yes, it's the disruption of usual routine and to see how it affects your wellbeing and your life. And of course, offering up whatever struggle to God. Hence why I'm not giving up something that would be easy - like cheese or something. But on the more secular side, having a defined time span and some external support is useful for achieving a goal.

 

[Ciaran Trainor]

I'll be giving up the usual sweets, chocolate, crisps, biscuits for my token christian gesture of the year.
Not too hard at home but difficult in the office with birthdays, and meeting buffets around.
I remember our old Irish club barman used to give up drink every year which was a hell of an acheivement. I'm not doing that

 

[Robert Burns]

I did 100 days without booze, and if I'm honest it has changed me, I have not been drunk since, I still enjoy a drink here and there, but moderation and enjoyment are now key, not get drunk.

I never expected such a huge difference, but I am glad. (As probably is my liver).

 

[Constantine]

Day one - Today was actually rather tough. I had a few moments of "but what do I eat?" and another couple of "I could REALLY go for a bikkie right now". Also because of all the Earthqake stuff it was a very emotional day (I cried a lot and gave a number of hugs to friends from Canterbury.)

I expect withdrawal to really kick in tomorrow.

 

[Lee Lifeson-Peart]

Whilst I am in no sense religious - indeed not only am I atheist but also actively secular -

I used to be an atheist but gave it up when I found I wasn't getting enough holidays.

 

[Davet]

I used to be an atheist but gave it up when I found I wasn't getting enough holidays.

Can be hard, until you realise that since you are no longer bound to respect only "holy days" then you can take time off whenever you can get away with it....

 

[Dickie E]

I had these in NZ - rather good.

 

[Constantine]

Never really been a fan of those kinds of things. If I'm going to have chocolate, I'm going to have chocolate - not chocolate and gooey crap which hurts my teeth.

 

[Dickie E]

Oompa Loompa, do-ba-dee-doo,
I’ve got a perfect puzzle for you.
Oompa Loompa, do-ba-dee-dee,
If you are wise you’ll listen to me.
What do you get when you guzzle down sweets?
Eating as much as an elephant eats.
What are you at getting terribly fat?
What do you think will come of that?
I don't like the look of it
Oompa Loompa do-ba-dee-da,
Given good manners you will go far.
You will live in happiness too,
Like the oompa loompa do-ba-dee-doo.
Do-ba-dee-doo

 

[SimonSmith]

Right song, wrong Wonka

 

[Constantine]

Dickie, you do know that you're being a great big bag of penises, right?

Day two wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be, but then I did just hide away in my room, surf the internet, and text the boyfriend. I'm sure actually going out and facing the world will need to happen at some point.

 

[Toby Warren]

NZ chocolate how can that be tough to give up? - waxy and rubbish stuff (having said that a peanut slab is always welcome)

 

[Dickie E]

Dickie, you do know that you're being a great big bag of penises, right?

Thanks ..... I think