3 Health Coaches Discuss Eating Habits Before Tishrei

By Sruly Meyer for COLlive.com

An estimated 45 million Americans go on a diet each year, and Americans spend $33 billion each year on weight-loss products. Following the month of Tishrei, many in the Jewish community will be doing the same.

Many people who were working on healthy eating and moderation face a hard choice when the Yomim Tovim come along. On one hand, we want to celebrate as the Torah tells us, but on the other hand, we want to take care of ourselves, which is a Mitzvah too.

That’s why COLlive.com reached out to several health coaches to engage in a conversation about weight loss, eating, and what our approach should be going into a month of tables filled with food.

We first spoke with Gila Guzman, is a health coach that lives in Teaneck, New Jersey.

“Our society is very focused on weight loss, weight management and dieting,” she said. “There is something inherently wrong with our society as a whole when thin people are put on a pedestal and larger people are told they need to lose weight to be valued. Thin doesn’t necessarily equate with health and being overweight doesn’t necessarily equate with illness.”

As a general rule, Guzman says diets don’t work. “I don’t believe that restricting one’s food intake with weight loss in mind is a long-term solution,” she explains. “I believe a more successful approach is to change your daily routine and habits.”

So how does one deal with the many meals coming up? Guzman says the key is being more attuned to what your body signals.

“Elul is a great time to be introspective and see what daily habits you currently have that are working for you and which you’d like to change. In terms of food, it is possible to eat balanced meals intuitively without cutting out carbs or entire food groups. It’s important to spend time learning your own hunger cues and satiety cues and then honoring those cues by listening to them.”

Next we spoke to health coach and food blogger Melinda Strauss. “People don’t realize that as Jews, every Shabbos is like Thanksgiving for us!” she notes. “Every Shabbos, we have challah, appetizers, meat, chicken, tons of desserts, all the dips, I can go on and on.”

The key, she says, is remembering that what you eat is ultimately a decision that you make. “Food isn’t “bad” or “good.” Food is food,” she says.

“It’s up to you (and only you) what you want to put into your body,” Strauss emphasizes. “You get to decide what you want to eat based on your own personal goals, and not what someone else tells you is right or wrong for you. So remember this: Fail to plan, plan to fail. Decide before you even get to the meal what your goals are.”

Finally, we spoke to Rabbi Jacob Rupp who is a leadership coach, columnist and podcast host. He regularly speaks about living a healthy lifestyle as someone who has battled with weight loss and fought to lose 100 pounds.

“Under every health plan, healthy diet, diet, whatever it is, there is the how and there is the who,” he says. “The how is simple it is; eat less and exercise more.”

“Ultimately it’s the who that matters,” Rupps says. “Dealing with the deep underpinnings of our self worth and self-image, loving, and forgiving ourselves are all the tools that lead to long-term weight loss. If you don’t love yourself, you’re going to put it back on. This goes for both ends of the spectrum; the ones who are unhealthy because they are too fat or too skinny. Find the mean and strive for greatness.”

As we ready for Tishrei, we know there is not always an easy answer. When it comes to the Yomim Tovim specifically, try to find that balance between enjoying the Simcha of Yom Tov, and remembering that Hashem also wants us to be healthy, so don’t over do it.

It’s important not to put too much pressure on yourself and find ways to still enjoy the Yomim Tovim and also keep your goals in sight. Remember, if you don’t do a good job of that, there is always tomorrow!

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Sruly Meyer owns and operates a marketing firm, SMG. On the side, he enjoys cooking, baking and discussing his weight loss journey and tips on healthy living, as @SrulyCooks