For those who are watching their weight or trying to follow a diet plan, the holiday season can be a very difficult time of year. Halloween is the official beginning of the holiday season and Halloween treats and weight gain can go hand-in-hand.
Here are my five tricks to help you manage your Halloween treats:
Don’t tempt yourself. Try to wait until the last minute to buy candy. Also, avoid buying your favorite candies. After the big night is over, you won’t have a bunch of leftover candy that you know you will want to eat.
Out of sight, out of mind. Avoid setting the big bowl of Halloween treats on the kitchen counter where you can easily walk by and eat several pieces without even realizing it. Put the candy in the pantry or cupboard, and instead put sliced fruit or veggies on the counter.
Everything in moderation. Allow yourself some treats, but do so in moderation! Allow yourself to have an appropriate serving of a treat that you enjoy. Make sure you balance your treat with your overall intake and incorporate exercise into your day. Regular exercise will help balance calories in versus calories out, which in return helps to prevent weight gain during the holiday season!
Don’t beat yourself up if you do go overboard on Halloween treats. Avoid negative thoughts about yourself. Just because you overindulged does not mean that you are “weak” or “worthless”. Also avoid all-or-nothing thinking, like “I should just start my diet over again after the New Year” or “I already had a handful of candy… might as well have the bag”. Try to stay on track. Just own it, move on, and stay focused one day at a time. The holidays can be a challenging time for weight loss, so weight maintenance may be a more realistic goal.
Help friends and coworkers too. Avoid bringing all your extra candy to your workplace. There are likely individuals who are also trying to watch their weight and be healthy, so no need to sabotage their efforts. If you really want to get rid of the candy, consider donating it to a Halloween Candy Buy Back program (www.halloweencandybuyback.com/) or just throw it out.
Leave a comment with ways you try to prevent holiday weight gain and manage your Halloween treats!
