It is approximately 10 weeks until Oct. 3
Rosh Hashanah. There are six days of Yomim Noraim plus three Shabbosim (the fourth Shabbos is Yom Kippur) and they will contribute a couple of pounds of extra weight gain that many of us Zaidys cannot afford.

As the saying goes, proper planning prevents poor performance. We at FitZaidy are recommending our top 10 healthy dos and don’ts to help you lose 10+ pounds by Rosh Hashanah. This plan is realistic, free or inexpensive and will help develop a proper health and wellness mindset for us Zaidys.

You can, b”H, to some degree, turn back the “hands of time.” Here are some quotes from doctors who specialize in wellness for seniors:

Dr. Peter Attia: There is no better (free) medicine than movement and exercise.

Dr. William Li: Make food your medicine. You are eating anyway, why not eat wisely.

Dr. Jason Fung: With proper diet, reducing carbs and sugars, and our eating windows, we can reverse insulin resistance, pre-diabetes and sometimes type 2 diabetes.

Our bodies are talking to us. Let’s take a moment to listen:

1. Skinny Arms and Legs: These can be a sign of sarcopenia (muscle loss). This can start in our 30s and can cause 8%-10% muscle loss each decade.
2. Big Bellies: We are storing visceral fat in and around our organs and midsection. A 40-inch circumference measurement above the navel in men can lead to potential heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
3. Neck, Shoulder and Backache: These can be caused by poor posture.
4. Chronic Fatigue: This condition can possibly be caused by poor quality of sleep and lack of exercise.

Let’s start our program as beginners—light and slow. Losing 10+ pounds in 10 weeks is an achievable target. We are not 30 or 40, we are not in good shape and we do not want to injure ourselves. It will also help us prepare for the food excess this Yom Tov season.

Top 10 Daily FitZaidy Do’s

1. Walk 30 minutes at a brisk pace. For better results add in intervals where you pick up the pace for 20 to 30 seconds at a time.
2. Get enough sleep so you can wake up refreshed in the morning. Try to increase your pre-midnight sleep when possible.
3. Try to consume all your calories within 12 hours. For example, only eat between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m..
4. Try to get 100 grams of protein a day. As we get older we need more protein but our bodies absorb less. Add eggs, meat, salmon, tuna, cheese or Greek yogurt to your diet.
5. Include vegetables, nuts, seeds and fruit for a healthy mix of fiber and nutrients. They are also prebiotic and feed our microbiome. Go for different varieties — try to get 30+ types in a week. Include healthy fats like avocados, olive oil, almonds, walnuts and chia seeds.
6. Try to lower your carbs (under 150 grams). Also, lower highly processed foods (the more lines of ingredients; the more processed the product.)
7. Keep hydrated. Drink eight cups of water. You can substitute it for non-caloric clean seltzer (like Polar).
8. Correct your posture. Many of us suffer from forward head posture and rounded shoulders. These also make us look much older. Suggestion – see a physical therapist for an evaluation and exercises. Most PTs take insurance and in a couple of visits they will teach several key exercises that you can do at home.
9. Bentch from a bentcher: It takes less than five minutes and we fulfill three brachot from the Torah and one d’rabonon. One square matzoh is chewy, filling and only 120 calories.
10. Asher Yatzar should be read from a chart while standing in place; it takes less than 20 seconds. We have billions and billions of nutrients, enzymes, oxygen molecules, cells, neurons, etc., moving throughout our bodies 24/7 seamlessly for many decades.

These above two brachot are just a small token of gratitude to Hashem for our amazing bodies. Additionally, they contain brachos and segulos to save us from doctor visits and provide us with sufficient food and parnasa. They are a much better deal than “Dan’s Deals” ever offered!

Top 10 FitZaidy Don’ts

1. Calories should not be consumed within three hours before bedtime. Water, seltzer and tea are fine.
2. Stop grazing—eating mindlessly all the time. Besides our healthy meals, just a couple of safe snacks can be eaten as needed. Try a handful of nuts, a fruit and a salad to keep full.
3. Soda and juice should be eliminated completely. Juice is high in fructose (the worst kind of sugar) and one cup could contain as much as several whole fruits. It is also lacking the skin, pulp and fiber that a real fruit provides.
4. Shabbos and simcha meals require planning. The health and weight price we pay is just too much. Portion sizes and excess side dishes should be planned in advance to be sufficient and not unhealthy. For example, substituting many slices of challah for one matzoh, or fruit for several sweet desserts will make a big difference.
5. Barbecues can be enjoyed with a plan. A steak and a salad is great. Two hot dogs in buns, two burgers in buns, wings, poppers and fries are a disaster.
6. Doubles are a mind game: it is a mental hunger, not a physical reality. Do not return for a second portion. Plan your original plate with one half salad, one quarter protein and one quarter healthy carbs.
7. Deep fried foods and sweet sauces are not worth the price.
8. Cakes, high calorie sweets and most chocolates are not kind to the Zaidy on a diet.
9. Alcohol should be consumed sensibly. It is calorie dense and slows your digestion causing excess fat storage.
10. Skipping meals will backfire and cause you to lose control of the diet as it can lead to binge eating.

In conclusion, it is not all or nothing. If you cannot take a 30-minute walk or you only have 20 minutes one day — that’s ok. If you ate at three kiddushim on your way home from shul, come back strong on Sunday. Just remember, you cannot outrun your fork. There is a need to balance both diet and exercise equally.

We have abused our bodies for several decades. The way back will take time— slow and steady. Now is the perfect time to begin to reclaim our health and wellness. Tangible results, such as losing 10 pounds in 10 weeks, can really work. This challenge will lead to a healthier mindset, create more energy and fitness and lead to a better and more fun Zaidyhood.

Hatzlacha!

Eli Kahan at The FitZaidy Project can be reached at (917) 589-8943 or at [email protected].