Redemption

     The bathroom scales show a significant loss this week. But before you start applauding, keep in mind that the majority of that loss is the quick shedding of the extra weight I packed on over the Purim holiday (see previous post) nashing (snacking) on cake and other types of extraneous and unneeded stuff. The good news is that I am at the lowest that I have been for the last several months. (About four months ago I managed to reach about a half kilo less than today.)

    However, I am wary to celebrate, as Pesach (Passover) is on the horizon, as well as the hectic weeks leading up to the holiday. Now I LOVE Passover, and don't even mind the house-cleaning which precedes it.  But if Purim has traditionally been a downfall for me (see previous post), Pesach, and the weeks leading up to it have even more so.

   For any of you who do not know, the pre-Passover period, for the Jewish housewife is a marathon. Passover cleaning CAN be done easily, but most of us take the chance to spring clean while getting rid of all the leaven we own. And that getting rid of the leaven makes it much more than spring cleaning.  After cleaning our house, we need to store away our regular dishes, cover all counter tops, and get out the Passover dishes. And while doing this, we need to feed our families without the benefit of kitchen facilities. (For example, imagine making a salad where to rinse each vegetable you need to run to the other side of the house to a water source.) And if you are overworked and tired, the temptation to reach into a cupboard for some luscious Passover chocolate (read "easy instant energy fix") can be pretty great. Then, you start cooking holiday meals, hopefully festive ones, which generally are NOT that low in calories. So it is no surprise that each year I gain over Passover, and I am skeptical of my ability to withstand the temptations that are impending.

   And, as I indicated in the previous post, wishful thinking about "doing better this year" is just not enough. If I want to emerge on the other side of March without a gain, I need to take some concrete action. Here's my plan:

1)      I will buy the chocolate for cooking (and the grandkids) ONLY after the kitchen is ready for Passover and fully functional. When I am able to cook up a pot of vegetable soup, the lure of the sweet "fix" should be more manageable. Yes, it will cost more in the local grocery than the supermarket, but that's OK. (And if my husband insists on having the tan temptation, he will have to buy and hide for himself.)

2)      Plan menus which are easier and less time consuming for the holiday. There is no need to cook gourmet that leftovers are "a pity" to dispose of. There are lots of pretty, healthy, and easy menus out there.

3)      Work on getting at least 6 hours of sleep a night. Even if that means less spring cleaning and less time online.

4)      Try to maintain a minimum of "walking" (exercise) time (even if only half an hour). I know that walking not only keeps my metabolism going, but it decreases my appetite, and busts away stress.

  And then, for the holiday of redemption, I hope to celebrate redemption from my former bad eating habits.