Dear Tanya: I feel like Shabbos completely destroys my diet every single week! I’m so good and disciplined on my food plan all week and when it comes to shabbos, I lose control and just eat too much!!! As a frum nutritionist, I’m sure you work with many people who have this issue… Any suggestions?
Tanya responds:
Yes! I have many suggestions but first let me just give you one little interesting perspective on shabbos. As opposed to any unpredictable challenge a dieter can and does experience, Shabbos actually is a predictable and repetitive event. What does this mean? It means that it comes every single week and we know it! This means that once we figure out a system that works, we can repeat it again and again. So what does work? Well, it’s different for each person, but I’ll give you a bunch of ideas and you can see which ones work for you.
1. Write out your eating plan before Shabbos. Literally take a pen and paper and write out what you plan to have. Hang this up on your refrigerator so that you constantly see it.
2. Plan a change of scenery. This can be a walk, a visit to a friend etc. The purpose of this is to get you out of the house, creating a distraction from the food. Sometimes even a short walk around the neighborhood changes your mindset and you come back stronger and more able to resist.
3. Have a planned cheat. Did a nutritionist just say that? Yes! By planning a cheat versus randomly having one (or more!) you versus the food are in control. When you have this cheat, sit down and enjoy it nicely with as little distraction as possible. Knowing that you have a planned cheat coming should help to keep you on track the rest of the time.
4. Commit to writing down what you ate as soon as Shabbos ends. Ideally, someone should be reading your food logs but even if not, writing it down creates accountability. Besides, no one wants to be busy writing down all their extra slices of challah and cake.
5. Do not go on the scale on Sunday morning. Even if Shabbos was great on your food plan, it still is typically higher in calories and heavier on the foods so it’s almost certain that the scale will be up the next morning, which is discouraging.
6. Make yourself plenty of vegetables and foods that you can eat. Get creative with your vegetable dishes and even spend the money on cut-up fruits and veggies if need be so that you have them accessible.
7. Matzah versus challah. On my plan, I do allow one slice of challah per meal but some people have a hard time stopping at that. People find it easier to have matzah instead, which is not as delicious and easier to quantify.
As a side note to that: Don’t let “whole wheat” or “spelt” fool you. Yes, these are healthier, but that does not mean you can have more of them.
8. Get yourself a “mashgiach”: someone who can discreetly tell you that you’re overeating or just ask how you’re doing. This can be your husband or one of your kids even. Warning: This has been known to cause tension and hurt feelings as sometimes you don’t want to hear it even though you asked for it, so choose wisely!
9. Plan a non-food reward for “being good” for let’s say three Shabbats in a row. Some examples of non-food rewards would be a manicure, a new accessory or even some time alone to yourself.
10. Remember what Shabbos is supposed to be about, relaxation and spending time with family… Food just happens to be a part of it so aside from the mandatory challah and grape juice, all else is extra.
I hope you incorporate some of these ideas. Let me know how they worked out!
Tanya Rosen, MS CAI CPT is a nutritionist, personal trainer and owner of Nutrition by Tanya, with locations in Monsey,Flatbush, Boro Park, Williamsburg and Lakewood. Tanya is the creator of the TAP (Tanya-approved products) line available at her website, offices and select supermarkets,offering all-natural, low-calorie, delicious snacks and food. Tanya is also the creator of the Shape Fitness Kosherworkout DVDs for ladies and teens, available in all Judaica stores.
Tanya can be reached at 844-TANYA-DIET or via emailat [email protected]. You can check out herwebsite by visiting www.nutritionbytanya.com. Reader questions for this column are welcomed!
By Tanya Rosen
