We just finished three sets of holiday marathons. To someone like me, the first thing that comes to mind is: too much eating! 

As always, I gave out guidelines to my clients outlining what to do at every Yom Tov meal as well as from what to stay away. Most of the information was obvious and nothing new, yet it’s always helpful to have it on paper and review it together with someone. No matter how careful and determined one was over Yom Tov, it was still over 20 meals (if you count the meals before and after Yom Kippur). That’s a lot of challah and a lot of late-night meals. Not to mention all the tempting desserts and gourmet delicacies around. 

I have been hearing from many people how hard it is to get back on track after “partying” and being on “diet vacation” for so long, so I’ve compiled some dos and don’ts to help you get back on track. 

Here are some dos and don’ts for getting back on track:

  1. Do go on the scale to continue keeping track of your weight. Did you gain? Stay the same? Lose? This is not meant to put you in a bad mood but rather to face reality. 
  2. Do write out your menu ahead of time for the week so that you are completely prepared and stocked up. 
  3. Do get professional help from a nutrition counselor. This is a great time to commit for a while since there are no holidays coming up for some time. 
  4. Do get rid of any leftovers so there is less temptation. 
  5. Do start a food journal documenting what you eat (and sometimes even why).
  6. Don’t go on the scale too frequently (more than once or twice a week). This will discourage you as numbers change week to week and not necessarily day to day. 
  7. Don’t beat yourself up over what you ate or how much you gained. It is in the past. 
  8. Don’t go on a deprivation or starvation plan just to lose the weight quickly. This will only slow down your metabolism and cause you to feel deprived. 
  9. Don’t forget that we have over 20 “holiday-free weeks” to make up for those 20-plus meals. 
  10. Don’t set unrealistic goals. One to two pounds a week is considered healthy weight loss.

I like to encourage people to learn from what they have done for the future. Think about where exactly you had a hard time over the holiday and try to adjust accordingly for the next time. For some it may be having less-tempting desserts around. For some it may mean putting away all leftovers immediately, before all the nibbling starts. If something actually helped you, remember that for the next holiday as well. Some people say taking a walk distracted them from the eating and physically removed them from the situation, which helped a lot. Some say that making a lot of exciting new vegetable dishes was what helped them stay on track.

Alice Harrosh, Alice Harrosh is a Nutrition Counselor and Manager at Nutrition by Tanya, with 12 locations, including one on Main street in Queens! Alice knows that making healthy choices is not always easy, as she has been through the struggle herself. As an optimistic person, Alice’s favorite quote is: “It’s never too late to start eating better. If you have a bad morning, make it a better afternoon.” For more information on Nutrition by Tanya or the TAP (Tanya-approved products) food line, please visit www.nutritionbytanya.com or call 844-Tanya-Diet (844-826-9234). For daily tips and inspiration, you may follow @nutritionbytanya on Instagram.