It happens every year…we vow not to gain weight over the holidays. Most people assume the trouble begins with Thanksgiving, but for many people the weight gain actually starts around Halloween. Follow these simple guidelines to keep from going overboard with the Halloween candy this year.
Tip #1 Avoid candy all together. Buy healthier Halloween treats like bags of pretzels, granola bars or sugarless gum, or pass out non-edible treats like stickers or Halloween pencils.
Tip #2 Buy Halloween candy at the last minute. Don’t buy bags and bags of candy three weeks before Halloween, even if it is on sale. The money you might save is insignificant compared to the extra calories and extra pounds you’ll put on from the inevitable candy binge.
Tip #3 Don’t overbuy. It’s better to run out of candy and shut the lights off early then it is to have piles of tempting treats leftover. If you do end up with extra candy donate it to a local homeless shelter or community center. Keep in mind some places have rules about donations so be sure to check into that ahead of time.
Tip #4 Out of sight out of mind. Don’t keep a big bowl of Halloween candy on the kitchen or living room table. You’ll be too tempted to grab a piece every time you walk by. Store it in a hard to reach place like a top shelf that you need to stand on a chair to get to or ask a reliable family member to store (or hide) extra candy for you.
Tip #5 Buy candy you don’t like. If Reese’s peanut butter cups are your all-time favorite candy, then don’t buy them to pass out to your trick-or-treaters. Why torture yourself?
Tip #6 Don’t skip meals. Skipping meals to allow for extra candy calories is not the way to go. Doing this will only make you more likely to over-indulge. Continue with your regular healthy eating plan and allow yourself a piece or two as a special treat.
Tip #7 Stay active. Keeping up with your normal fitness routine becomes even more important over the holidays. You may even want to add an extra 10 or 20 minutes of cardio to allow for those extra Halloween goodies.
Don’t make Halloween the enemy this year. Set realistic goals by ditching the “all or nothing” mentality. Focus on weight maintenance instead of weigh loss. Trying to stay away from the candy and failing is worse than allowing yourself some pre-planned leeway. "Giving in" can be associated with feelings of weakness and guilt that can drive you to emotionally eat. Maintain control by giving yourself permission beforehand to enjoy a few treats then get back on track.
Happy Halloween!
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