Succos! The holiday of joy and happiness and, not a moment to rest. We need to build our Succah, purchase our Lulav and Esrog, make all of the preparations in the four days after Yom Kippur, and then spend 7 whirlwind days of non-stop Chol HaMoed activities.  So, what is this all about? Let’s look at the Succah itself to find the answer. 

When the Almighty took us out of Egypt, he afforded us protection in the wilderness with a Succah, a booth, to protect us from the elements. The Succah is symbolic of the Amud HaAnan, the pillar of cloud that protected the nation of Israel from the time of the exodus from Egypt until they entered the Land of Israel 40 years later. The message of the Succah is that it is Hashem and only Hashem Who offers bottom line protection to us. 

With all of the laws and customs associated with this holiday, there is one little moment that can easily get lost. It is a moment that for me personally carries great emotion. On the 6th day of Chol HaMoed (in Eretz Yisroel) Hoshana Rabba, we eat a meal in the early afternoon and say goodbye to the Succah and we say the following, “May it be thy will that just as I have built and dwelt in this Succah, so I should merit in the coming year to dwell in the Succah made from the skin of the Leviathan, next year in Jerusalem.” Then we leave our Succah and say good bye until the next year. And when we leave, there is just a tinge of sadness at the thought that we now will need to be on our own in remembering who our protector is.  And when Simchas Torah is done, we are back to real life. Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Succos and Simchas Torah are behind us and a long and cold winter is now at our doorstep. And now, we meet the great challenge of us protecting ourselves and our health.

In the non-Jewish world, every January 1st, we hear about the secular New Years resolutions. And taking care of our health is usually one of them. Gym memberships soar at the beginning of the New Year, yet by March, the drop out rate at gyms is astonishing.  People who have purchased half-year and full-year memberships are no longer attending. The initial excitement slowly evaporates and we are all back into our mundane rut. So, how can we be different?

We have just spent most of the month davening for our health, happiness; in essence, we have been praying for our lives. The Rambam, Maimonedies, in the Laws of Repentance recounts the four essential steps in the Tshuva (repentance) process; admission of guilt, denouncing the sin, regretting the sin, and not repeating the mistake again in the future.  This fourth and most difficult step is relevant when the opportunity to sin resurfaces and this time we make the right choice. So now that the holidays are behind us, let us not fall into familiar traps.  Let’s learn how to make the right choices and foster real change.

The first step in this process, is to concentrate on three main areas—exercise, proper eating, and stress reduction. Exercise should consist of a balanced program of aerobics 4-5 times per week, resistance training 2-3 times per week and stretching on a daily basis. A good nutritious food plan must include vegetables, fruits, whole grains and lean proteins and just as importantly, portion control. Manage your stress levels with a combination of practical problem solving together with relaxation techniques. Your exercise routine is another key ingredient in reducing stress.

How can we make the necessary changes and keep our resolutions?

Make health a priority—make time for getting healthy!

Get yourself a Chavrusah—a partner. Sometimes these are called diet buddies or exercise buddies. You need to be accountable to someone other than yourself. Find a friend. A spouse in not a good idea.

Work on your environment. Don’t bring things into the home that aren’t good for you or that you tend to eat a lot of, like salty or sugary snacks. 

Keep your exercise gear handy. Keep it in a place that you just can slip into your clothes and shoes easily. Sometimes, it is just a matter of getting on the gear—and you are ready to go!

Set goals for yourself—not necessarily weight loss. See how long you can walk and how fast. Set weekly and monthly goals to increase your distance and your pace. Set a goal of a smaller dress size or pants size.

Reward yourself. What are you going to do for yourself when you reach your goals? Try to avoid food as a reward.

Give yourself credit! When you have done something that was difficult for you, when you are able to change a bad behavior, write it down and give yourself a much deserved pat on the back.

WRITE IT ALL DOWN! Make a Cheshbon HaNefesh, an accounting of your health.  Whether it is your food intake or your exercise, keep a log of everything. Make a diary and also write down your feelings at the end of the day or after an exercise session.

Now that the holidays are behind us and we have beseeched the Almighty to watch over our health, we need to do our part and make an effort to succeed. The best Succah type protection that  we can give ourselves, is to eat right, exercise, reduce stress and keep davening!

For previous columns, click HERE.

Alan Freishtat is an A.C.E. CERTIFIED PERSONAL TRAINER and a LIFESTYLE FITNESS COACH with over 10 years of professional experience. He is the co-director of the Jerusalem-based weight loss center Lose It! together with Linda Holtz M.S. and is available for private consultations, assessments and personalized workout programs. Alan also lectures and gives seminars and workshops. He can be reached at 02-651-8502 or 050-555-7175, or by email at [email protected].

(Alan Freishtat – YWN)