How to cook a healthy Shabbos?

amother

Sat, Oct 31 2020, 5:50 pm

I'm trying to lose weight before a wedding. Shabbos is my real stumbling block. It's so hard not to mess up all my hard work!

I don't make kugel. I make whole wheat challah, and I usually make 1-lb challahs (we have 2 kids) so we don't eat that much of it.

Our Friday night meal usually consists of challah, soup, one main (usually chicken or meat) and then one side (usually some sort of vegetable).

Our Shabbos day meal is usually either cholent or a small roast in the crockpot with some vegetables.

For Shalosh Seudos, I started making salmon and hard boiled eggs.

But I still gain back whatever I lost throughout the week!

What can I do?

aussie2

Sat, Oct 31 2020, 6:32 pm

hm when I opened ur post I was going to suggest veggie sides for shabbos (which is prob the main change I made from kugel when trying to lose weight..)
However, sounds like your meals are already quite good considering shabbos & all..
Hoping others can give you advice..

amother

Amethyst

Sat, Oct 31 2020, 6:34 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Cut out completely the carbs that aren’t veggies. Just have a kizayis of challah when necessary and let that be the only exception to only-veggie carbs. Stick to proteins, healthy fats.

hello 1

Sat, Oct 31 2020, 6:44 pm

My husband and I just started doing this.
Friday night we start with the main, then go to the soup if we still want.
Shabbos day also went to the cholent, chicken sides and veggies..
This way had much less challah and filled up on healthy options.

amother

Black

Sat, Oct 31 2020, 6:50 pm

Dont under estimate the power of leafy greens
Start your meal with a big salad and as little oil as you can manage, better is no oil. You can add lemon juice, vinegar, mustard with 0 calorie sweetner, or Walden Farms dressing 0 calories.

Also drink lots and lots of water, hot/cold it doesn’t matter.

amother

Forestgreen

Sat, Oct 31 2020, 6:53 pm

Switch to 1 whole wheat matza per meal instead of challa.
Never cook vegetables with the chicken or the meat, make it separate!
Eat lots of salads with minimal dressing by lunch before you serve chulent.
Same thing for shalosh seudos eat lots of vegetable/ salads and small peice of fish.
Make sure you drink a lot!
Look oot for extras that you don't think about but make you gain weight like lukshen or matza balls in soup, kishka, nuts or croutons in salad...
For me the hardest is not snacking on shabbos afternoon after my nap!!!

Elfrida

Sat, Oct 31 2020, 6:55 pm

You didn't mention dessert. If you are having dessert, stick to fruit salad or baked apples with no added sugar.

Drink water with the meals instead of juice or other sweetened drinks, including diet drinks.

Go for a good walk after the meals. With Shabbos coming in so early now, there is time for a good walk after the meal Friday night, and that will balance some of the extra food.

Stars

Sat, Oct 31 2020, 6:56 pm

Just eat less. You’re cooking all the right foods, but you may need a plan for how much to eat of each.
When I was on a diet it went something like this
1 thin slice of challah
1 tb of any dip
2oz fish (Salmon etc, Not gefilta fish)
Free veggies (without fat)
1 bowl of soup, no lokshen no kneidel etc
3oz chicken
1 fruit optional

Morning
3oz fish
1 egg white
Small bowl of cholent, no potatoes or kishka or anything like that

Chana Miriam S

Sat, Oct 31 2020, 7:40 pm

Do you want my answer for a short term or long term loss?

Short term. Eat the same way on Shabbat as you do during the week.

Long term. Stop weighing yourself all the time. Find a way to eat that is sustainable including Shabbat.

amother

Sat, Oct 31 2020, 9:27 pm

Elfrida wrote:

I don't make dessert.

We only have water in the house.

I'd go for a walk, but my kids are little and we usually put them in around 7. I'd prefer not to walk around myself.

amother

Sat, Oct 31 2020, 9:29 pm

andrea levy wrote:

Lol good point. I never used to weigh myself, period. But now, I have a gown to fit into... it's the same gown I wore to a wedding a year ago, and I have 7 pounds to lose Sad

It's really hard to eat the same way on Shabbos as during the week...

amother

Sat, Oct 31 2020, 9:31 pm

amother [ Fuchsia ] wrote:

Eat less of everything? I find that I eat much more on shabbos just because we're lingering at the table.

It's a good point. I usually have that issue at my parents and in-laws, where there's kugel and other fillers at the table. Now, if I'm going to fill up, it's usually on vegetables. I don't consider it an issue if I eat more peppers.

amother

Sat, Oct 31 2020, 9:33 pm

amother [ Forestgreen ] wrote:

The matza is probably a good idea, but it's so depressing for me! I look forward to that bit of whole wheat challah.

I have to say that I really don't like vegetables, especially lettuce. My kids also eat more veggies when they're cut up separately vs. in a salad, so I tend to cut them up individually. I eat the peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, etc. on their own.

I don't make lukshen or matza balls. No nuts or croutons, but I don't see nuts as a big issue since they have protein. I don't usually gain from a few nuts.

Shabbos afternoon is tough for me in general, but I've tried hard to keep snacks out of the house.

amother

Sat, Oct 31 2020, 9:35 pm

hello 1 wrote:

I find the opposite helpful - the more soup I eat, the less of everything else I eat. It's chicken soup with vegetables. Can't think of anything unhealthy about it.

DrMom

Sun, Nov 01 2020, 11:03 am

amother [ Purple ] wrote:

What do you eat differently on shabbos than during the week? I’m not understanding that from your post. Is it more fruit than usual? Bigger portions?

I am also wondering this.

Also, when you say that all your weight loss is undone on Shabbat, how much are we talking about? 5 lbs? 1/4 lb? If it's a small amount, maybe this is just your normal weight fluctuation.

Are you physically active at all, or is your weight loss achieved through dieting alone? Maybe you can get some exercise a few times/week to help boost your metabolism.