While this year’s Halloween will undoubtedly be different from years past, one thing remains the same: Halloween treats everywhere you look. If you have weight loss or weight maintenance goals, don’t let Halloween derail you! Even though it may be difficult, it can be done. Here are some strategies to help you stay on track during this year’s Halloween:
- DON’T buy candy early. Just don’t do it! Having it in the house ahead of time will do nothing but tax your resistance muscle. Keep your home a craving-free environment. It will make staying on track so much easier
- DON’T buy your favorite candy. Why would you buy the thing that’s hardest for you to resist? Just because it’s your favorite, doesn’t mean it’s everyone’s favorite. Buy candy that you don’t like as much, and you’ll have an easier time resisting it.
- DO plan to have some candy. But the key word is plan. Maybe you get a big bag of candy you don’t like as much to give out to trick-or-treaters (if there even are any this year!) and then get one of your very favorite. That way, you get to enjoy candy you love and won’t mind not eating the candy you don’t love.
- DO make a plan for the leftovers. There’s nothing harder than having a house full of candy and no idea of where it’s all going to go. If you think, “I can’t deprive my kids by getting rid of their Halloween candy,” remember that kids don’t need to be loaded up on sugar, either. It’s doing them no favors in the same way it’s doing you no favors. And no one is saying you have to get rid of all of their candy. There’s a big difference between getting rid of all Halloween candy and saving every piece. Maybe you save enough for them to have a few pieces every day for two weeks. And then donate/throw out/give away the rest. And maybe you save some for yourself, too, and keep it in a different spot. That way, it’s clear that their candy is their candy, and yours is yours.
Think about how you want to feel when you go to bed on Halloween night. Do you want to feel overly full, in a sugar haze, and regretful of overdoing it? Do you want to feel proud of your ability to enjoy some candy and still stay on track and make progress towards your goals? We’re guessing it’s probably the latter! If so, consider making a Response Card to read on Halloween. It could say something like:
Remember, enjoying Halloween and staying on track/making progress on weight loss are not mutually exclusive goals! I can enjoy some candy and still enjoy feeling on track, feeling good physically, and feeling proud of myself. It’s true I won’t be eating every bit of candy that I would like, but doing so doesn’t make me feel good, anyway. It will be such a triumph to go to bed tonight feeling good in my head and my body.