Ask Basya

Dear Basya,

I am going to a hotel for Pesach and I have conflicted feelings about dieting while I am there. On the one hand I want to “get my money’s worth” and enjoy all the delicacies that I am paying top dollar for. On the other hand, I already invested so much time, effort, and money into losing weight, and I really don’t want to mess it up now. Please advise!

Signed, Vacationer’s Dilemma

 

Dear Vacationer,

You are asking a great question, and one that I hear quite often. Ultimately when there are two conflicting desires, you need to make a choice. The easiest way to do that is to make the decision and commit to it before you go into the situation, while your mind is still mostly clear.

Visualize what you would like to see when you step onto the scale after Pesach. Then visualize yourself enjoying all the food that the hotel has to offer. Picture how your clothing feel, what your mood is like, where your confidence level is at, once you have finished indulging. If you do choose to maintain your weight over Pesach, write your commitment down on paper. This way, when you are actually faced with temptation, you will remember your commitment and remain focused.

A few tips:

A round matza is equal to four slices of bread, so try to stick to ½ a matza per meal.

When choosing your food stick to the cleanest looking proteins and vegetables, prepared without extra sauces and fats.

Avoid cakes, cookies, and kugels as these will be loaded with calories and don’t taste that great anyway.

Make sure you have access to filling snacks that are both enjoyable and healthy, even if this means bringing your own.

Avoid the tea room! If you want something specific such as a plate of fruit or a coffee, have someone bring it to you.

Get up during long meals and assess whether you have eaten enough. Sitting around for hours and hours with people who are eating double and triple what you are eating can make you lose portion perspective!

Eat all meals off of salad plates rather than dinner plates–your fullness is directly related to your perception of how much you ate.

I have had many, many clients that have lost weight over Pesach, even while away at hotels. You can do it too! Good Luck!

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Basya Kovacs is a nutrition counselor at nutrition by Tanya and is the manager of the Monsey and Monroe locations, and co-manager of the Upper West Side and Five Towns locations. Nutrition by Tanya offers personalized and practical weight management and nutrition counseling for children, men and women. Nutrition by Tanya has locations in Boro Park Flatbush, Williamsburg, Monsey, Monroe, Crown Height,s, Five Towns and most recently, the Upper West Side. The office can be reached at 844 TANYA DIET.