It’s the Shabbat before Pesach, and we find ourselves wrapped up in either packing or cooking and cleaning.
Whether you are traveling or staying home this Pesach, I am certain that food has been a major focus in your pre Pesach planning.
If you are going away: What’s the buffet like? Is there a tea room? And if you are home: What does my menu look like? How am I going to feed all these people three meals a day for eight days?!
More than any other holiday, food is the focus. Here is why.
When we create a food rule or restriction, for example eliminating chametz, we inevitably become hyper-focused on the fact that we cannot eat that food. Removing chametz from our diet on Pesach puts most of us in a tailspin of “how am I going to survive these eight days without it?” This Pesach panic causes us to overbuy, overcook, over-panic and overeat during the holiday.
Pesach eating is a perfect example of why food rules don’t work (see my article “Why Food Rules Don’t Work for Weight Loss and Two Strategies That Do” in The Jewish Link, February 22, 2024). When we create a food rule, for example, not eating bread, we end up eating more of other foods because we don’t feel satisfied without the forbidden food.
But don’t worry, all is not lost… I am here to help you with five ways to prevent overeating during Pesach.
- Create a balanced mindset… The chag is not a time for restriction, but it also doesn’t mean that the eight days need to be focused primarily on food.
I knew I was doing something wrong when many years ago my son, after finishing his matzah and cream cheese for breakfast, asked, “What’s for dessert?” I clearly had been pushing the coffee cakes and jelly rolls to make up for the fact that he couldn’t eat his usual breakfast. Instead, change the mindset of “I can’t eat chametz” to “I can eat ____” (insert healthy, enjoyable option) and feel satisfied.
- I know it’s exciting to whip out your Pesach recipes, but most of the things you make during the year can be modified to be eaten during Pesach (grilled chicken, turkey, roasted veggies, sweet potato, plain yogurt, omelets …). Keep it simple for your sanity and your health.
- If you are going away, let’s talk about the buffet. It’s a real challenge when there are so many options offered at each meal. Here are my suggestions for navigating a buffet without overdoing it:
1) Survey your options; there will be many. It does not mean you need to have all of them on day 1; this is a marathon, not a sprint. 2) Fill your plate with protein and lots of veggies at each meal. 3) Don’t go back for seconds merely because you can and you spent a lot of money for the program. Sit for 10 minutes before deciding if you are full or need more to eat. 4) Don’t think like my son; each meal does not require a dessert
- Move your body. Plan time each day to carve out time for movement. Use the time off to do something different. Go for a hike, a walk with friends; take a dance class. Walking back and forth to the buffet and tea room doesn’t count! Use this time as a way to connect to friends and family by planning a non-food-focused activity.
- Get back on track once you get home. We have established that Pesach is not a time for restriction, and chances are you will have eaten more than you would in a typical week. Don’t weigh yourself that first week you are back. Why would you?
More importantly, get back on track once you are home. Resume your usual eating patterns and exercise, and any weight you might have gained during the chag will come off with consistency and patience.
This year I am home and will be busy cooking and cleaning. I am trying my best not to get carried away by the Pesach food that has been staring me in the face since before Purim. As I write this, I have only purchased three boxes of coffee cake. Yikes!
Instead of giving in to the panic and mindset of “I must be a slave in my kitchen and be hyper-focused on the food,” I am trying a different approach. I am going to keep it simple, making my usual non-chag recipes with slight variations as needed. I will focus on what I can eat versus what I can’t, and I will carve out time for exercise. And lastly, I will go into the chag with a balanced approach to eating. I will eat mindfully—and I will also enjoy those coffee cakes because they are my favorite Pesach desserts.
Chag Kasher V’Sameach.
Alyson Small is a registered dietitian who helps women achieve a sustainable weight loss of 10 pounds or more without food rules or an all-or-nothing mindset. Once an avid follower of food rules, she realized that eating more balanced and mindfully was the key to a healthy diet and food freedom. Follow her on instagram @alysonsmallnutrition for more nutrition tips, recipes and freebies.
