Thank you. It is good to be reminded that it is all about healthy choices, one step at a time. Thanks!

...my name is Tammy (Tamara). I'm 28, in Orange County, CA. I consider myself conservative / Traditional, even though I eat out (some things I shouldn't), I don't keep Shabbat (although I won't wash or cook on Shabbat). I do keep Pesach, and I fast & repent on Ypm Kippur.

I was raised in a Traditional Persian/Iraqi home...my mom came to the states from Iran at 16, and my dad is 2nd generation American (Ashke****). So I get the yummy foods from both sides!

I attend Weight Watchers, but some weeks I just can't seem to follow program, even though I still go to weigh-in.

This year, my goal is to NOT overspend ($$$ & Calories) on processed Pesach food...may as well get back to basics. However, being Sephardic, I do eat rice...which is probably my top weakness.

So yeah, that's me!

Shalom Out!

hi Tammy

you gave such a nice introduction!!

I'm the same age and orthodox. I'm sephardi and my husband is also half and half like you. We don't eat kitnyiot on pesach which I am fine with because other than chummus I don't like that food group much!!

It seems like you are doing well on your weight loss? I'm havinmg some troubles. my weight seems to be fluctuating. I think it may be because of TOM.

Come join us in the passover challenge!

I'm here! I'm not religious, but I definitely share the food struggles every holiday, and god knows my family loves the Jewish food, holiday or no. Maybe we should start a new thread, I hadn't even seen this one before.

Hi Tammy:

I'm Julee, 35 and I'm in LA. I envy you being sephardic because you actually have a ton more options during the chag than I feel I do as an Ashke**** Jew. You can eat brown rice, lentils, corn and lots of other great low-far, high fiber filling foods without wasting the points on stupid matza and other empty foods. I also do WW and always have issues around this time. I basically go as carb-free as I can and eat a lot of chicken, fish and salad. Just going that route and sticking more to fresh foods can help keep down costs and calories...besides...it doesn't matter what flavor the can claims they are...all maccaroons taste the same!!

Good luck and welcome!!!

~Julee

So, so true!

Welcome, Tammy! It's nice to e-meet you. I think you'll find a lot of support here. And it's not too late to join the Pesach challenge thread.

Thanks for all the warm welcomes!

Where is this Pesach Challenge thread you speak of?!?!?!

Perhaps I'll find it on my own.

This drop has been since 2/2006. I just look at it as 13 pounds less than my highest, that I haven't put back on...puh puh puh!

My cousin is getting married in July, and I would like to lose 10 pounds before then (I'm a bridesmaid), even though my dress has been ordered.

I think...no, I KNOW I can do it, in a healthy way.

Well, now I found support that will keep me on track for both weight loss, and be better at keeping more kosher laws

Hi everyone,

Thought I'd say hi. I've lurked a bit, but Passover has been the end of a number of past diets, and I'm determined not to have it happen this time. I'm 52 years old, the veteran of many diets, currently 7 1/2 weeks into my third round on South Beach and doing the Beck Diet Solution (posting some on the Beck thread here).

Religiously, I'm pretty traditional, actively involved in a Conservative synagogue, not shomer Shabbat, but I won't work or spend money on buying "things" on Shabbat (I will spend money on recreational activities). I keep Kosher at home, and eat only vegetarian or fish in restaurants.

I observe Passover pretty strictly. There's something about not being able to eat out at all and losing some of my standard foods that I find really confining (this would be far easier if I were Sephardic...I have soy products or beans virtually every day...and rice would be a nice addition too) In the past I've blown diets and lost total control on Passover and beyond, a number of times.

For this year, my thought is to give up any idea of losing weight during Passover. It just won't happen. I'm going to make a list of what I will eat, including some recipe ideas, so that I can refer to it if I feel deprived. I'm going to "budget" some treats during the holiday, so I feel less deprived....my deal is I'm that supposed to stay close to south beach but I can have a bit of off-plan food if I plan it in advance when I do my menu in the morning. I'll buy a little bit of dried fruit...who needs candy? I'm going to the kosher market Monday afternoon, and I'll buy whatever low fat dairy products I can find. Last year they had yogurt, Israeli hard cheese and white cheese, and Israeli cultured diary (Gil or eshel...I don't remember). For starches (I only have about 2 a day, but they matter to me), I'll have matza, winter squash, quinoa, and sweet potatoes, and probably a matza-vegetable kugel somewhere along the way. I may make a batch of passover muffins.

I'm mostly going to focus on really enjoying fish, poultry, dairy, fruits and vegetables, and not being overly food focused. How hard can that be for eight days?

Quinoa is such a life-saver. My take on Pesach is this...if you're Ashke**** and keeping Sephardic is going to help your health in terms of not feeling deprived and being able to eat that foods that are a part of your routine..then I would be of the opinion that Sephardic is the way to go. Your health is not supposed to be sacrificed for a CHAG...a festival. It's not about deprivation...save that for Yom Kippur.

Titan: 10 lbs. by July is a very healthy and realisic goal....they can also alter your dress should they need to. I know that wedding dresses can be taken down by 2 sizes without the need for an entirely new dress.

Good luck all....

Tammy you can definitely lose 10 lbs by July!! I'm hoping to lose 10 by shavuous! I have already made my Pesach challenge so I am quite happy. In fact I have passed it by 2 pounds.

Hi Barb:
It souns like you have a good healthy attitude towars Pesach!! Good luck.

I hope to be able to coninue losing during Pesach but i stay away fromt he matzah and processed food so i will probably subsist on sweet potatoes, salads egg and meat.

all this talk abotu quinoa is getting me jeaoulous. We don't eat it on Pesach but we are going to ask our rav about it again this year. Where do you all buy it? does it have a kasher l'pesach hechsher?

Does anyone have any good pesach cookie recipes?

What I've been told about quinoa is that it needs to be in a sealed package, no added ingredients, bought before the Chag, but that it doesn't need to have a Pesach hechsher. I haven't found any with a KP hechsher, but I haven't looked.

I know that not everyone would consider this acceptable. (to use it at all, or to consider it as a food that does not need a hechsher before the chag).

Thanks for the info!

I had a big discussion today with my MIL about our upcoming "seder" with the family. I was going to bring a Pesadik dessert from a wonderful bakery near work...because everyone was complaining about the desserts tasting so bad. But the truth is...I'm not going to eat it and I'd rather have fruit. So in the end...I'm not bringing dessert and someone else is now in charge of it...and they can bring what they want. So the question is...if you normally wouldn't eat cookies when it's not Pesach and you're worried about how to get along on Pesadik foods without ODing on carbs and junk..why bake cookies now?

Just a thought

Personally I bake cookies every shabbos I just don;t eat them. But my family and guests do so I plan to do the same thing for Pesach. Today I did all my Pesach grocery shopping and I found dark chocolate covered pistachios so I am going to have those as a treat over Pesach. And I bought 2 different types of macaroons and plan to do a taste test! I'll keep you all posted.