Dear Coach Gila,

Although I’ve never written to you or spoken with you I want to let you know that I follow you on Instagram and every now and then you say something in one of your stories or posts that really resonates with me and inspires me. I’ve actually googled your name and re-read some of your Jewish Link articles so I thought maybe you could give me advice and some guidance.

I lost a significant amount of weight many years ago and have maintained a healthy perspective on food for the last few years. I don’t starve myself; I enjoy three meals a day. I exercise occasionally (could be more consistent there!). I think I just trained myself to just enjoy the taste of healthier food. I still love pizza and pasta but I am at the point where I truly love an amazing salad with the right ingredients as much as the pizza and pasta. I’m proud of myself and feel like I am a positive role model for my family.

The only time I really enter shaky ground is the holidays. I’ve developed this system (or is it a habit) where I will indulge over the holidays and then use the next few weeks to lose the few pounds I inevitably gain and get back to my goal. From a maintenance perspective this has been working for me.

This year, Chanukah is immediately following Thanksgiving. The family recipes that we make on Thanksgiving from year to year are really important to me. I make my grandmother’s stuffing and my husband’s grandmother’s sweet potato pie. My kids look forward to my fresh potato latkes and homemade sufganiyot on Chanukah. It’s the meals we make on the holidays that bring us all together, reliving happy memories and creating new ones.

I’m feeling a tremendous amount of pressure to choose between indulging on Thanksgiving or Chanukah. I am really starting to worry about overdoing it and not being able to rein it in. I’m not even sure if I have a specific question for you; I am just sitting here freaking out and thought I’d email you.

Dear Friend,

Thank you for reaching out to me, and I appreciate your kind words. Before I answer your question I want to congratulate you on how far you’ve come. You worked hard to create new habits, a new mindset and even new taste buds.

The challenge you are experiencing is difficult and very common. Just by sharing your thoughts with me I am sure you have helped others who are experiencing the same emotional turmoil. I often hear people say, “I decided to cheat on the holidays, I’ll worry about the fallout after I enjoy x,y, and z.” Let’s talk about the word “cheat.” I really dislike that word. It brings to mind negativity and violation of trust in oneself. I believe in treating yourself, which connotes positivity instead.

The goal when treating yourself with holiday food is to eliminate the inevitable guilt that comes with cheating. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: There should never be guilt or shame associated with food.

Practically what does this look like on Thanksgiving or Chanukah? Let’s talk about Thanksgiving first: Fill half your plate with a rainbow salad and then add roasted Brussels sprouts or asparagus (or both); now choose your protein. Your plate should be pretty full by now, so go ahead and add a few spoonfuls of stuffing and sweet potato pie. The idea is to fill your plate with 80-85 percent nutrient-dense food while allowing yourself to enjoy traditional holiday food as well.

It is very important to mindfully enjoy your food. Think about the textures and flavors. Chew slowly to maximize enjoyment of the taste and to release digestive enzymes. Remember to pay attention to your hunger cues because you may be full before you finish all the food on your plate.

Now let’s talk about Chanukah. I love making fun, delicious dairy salads to serve with my latkes. Think about the flavors you love and make the magic happen. One of my favorite salads is tons of crisp romaine lettuce, cubed cooked beets, cucumbers and goat cheese, or you can serve a large Greek salad with feta cheese. Start with the salad and then savor your latkes.

Preparing traditional recipes from our parents and grandparents is beautiful and meaningful. I do want to suggest you create new traditions as well. A few years ago I started a new tradition with my family. On the first night of Chanukah I prepare traditional fried potato latkes made with my family’s heavenly yet not-so-healthy recipe. Every night thereafter I experiment with a healthier version of latkes—some baked and some lightly fried using avocado oil spray.

Past family favorites have been zucchini, carrot and sweet potato and spiralized butternut squash. To be completely honest, the kids did not like the spaghetti squash latkes, although I thought they were pretty good! This year I plan on experimenting with broccoli latkes using broccoli rice.

Additionally, I recommend you eat a full nutrient-dense breakfast and lunch on Thanksgiving and during Chanukah. Please don’t skip meals to “save calories” for the big Thanksgiving meal or dairy fry-fest. It is very hard to even think about portion control when your body is past the point of hunger and literally starving. When you feel nourished and your blood sugar is stable it’s much easier to make mindful choices and not binge.

Self indulging oneself can be harmful. It is caused by eating plates and plates of stuffing and pie or three to four sufganiyot every night of Chanukah. It is caused by a deprivation mindset where we allow ourselves to believe we won’t have these foods again for another 12 months so we must get it all in now. This hurts us both physically and mentally and leads to bingeing, shame and guilt.

On the other hand, mindfully indulging in traditional holiday food can be nurturing and brings us both physical and psychological happiness. We are respectful of our body, honoring hunger and satiety cues all while nurturing our need to feel connected to our tradition and family.

Please be in touch after Chanukah and let me know how you are doing.

Wishing all my readers a Happy Thanksgiving!

Coach Gila

By Gila Guzman

Coach Gila and Ruthie Levy of @simplifized are proud to bring you this life-changing workshop: Methodize Your Meals! Learn how to create centers within your kitchen to streamline meal prep and my signature meal prep system.
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