My Lent Plan

February 22, 2009

“All those years I was dreaming of other things, I was actually doing what I really wanted: hanging out with my family, drinking with my friends, making friends with my family and hanging with my drinking.”

- Homer Simpson

It’s getting close to lent which means it is almost time to practice the religion (Catholicism) that I was raised in. During Lent, I try to calibrate my habits to healthy. This year, I have my work cut out for me.  The number one goal is to lose weight. Ever since I hurt my achilles, I have been unable to run. I loved to run and I miss it horribly. I need to get back to eating healthier and running. 

Recently, I saw an old friend from high school. He said “You know why you gained weight? It’s because you drink beer.” He does bring up a good point. But should I have to give up beer for Lent to help me reach my goal? No. Beer is one of the great pleasures in life so why should I stop?  Drinking a beer is no different than anyone’s guilty pleasure. It is thought of differently because  some parts of society have deemed it a sin. If there is any sin involved it would be letting the need for excess rule your life.

Like I said earlier,  lent is a time to calibrate my bad habits. I want to do things that I will continue to do after lent is over. If I’m not going to give up beer permantly, why should I give it up for Lent? I don’t just give up things for lent to impress God. Greg Giraldo said it best…

“I like when people give up chocolate for Lent. Ooh, just like being nailed to a cross. I’m sure Jesus really appreciates the gesture. We got to open up the pearly gates this fat *#%&! is going 40 days without a Kit Kat bar”"

A co-worker helped me with a solution by suggesting that I must earn the beer. So, I came up with a plan for Lent that everyday I must earn the right to drink a beer by incorporating a healthy habit.  Here is what I must do…

1) Drink 2oz. of water for every oz. of beer:   This will get me in the habit of drinking more water. I’m a two beer a night kind of guy so this should be the easiest part. I start off in the morning and throughout the day drink water. Keep track of the amount I drink and divide those ounces by two.

2) Some sort of exercise everyday I plan on having a beer:   The hardest thing about working out is initially getting out to do it. On most days I come home and have dinner then after dinner I like to have a beer as dessert. If I don’t squeeze in a run, bike ride or lift weights, I can’t have that beer. No problem with the exception of the MBG Winter Beer Festival. I may have to skip that day.

3) Junk food takes a beer away: Every time I eat anything that is considered unhealthy I must reduce my beer intake by one. If there is dessert with dinner then I will not have my usual dessert of beer. If I am hungry sometime at work on the road, those sweet and salty snack bags will take away a beer.

Hopefully, this plan will kick start me into a healthier life style so I don’t need to buy pants bigger than my fat pants. Who knows I may eventually fit myself into my old Speedo. I’m just kidding I have never owned a banana hammock. Even when I was in the best shape of my life I did not wear one. I guess I could have, it was cool to have body hair in the 80’s.

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