It seems like Halloween candy has been on the shelves of our local Wal-Mart since mid August. Shelf after shelf of colorful candy bars and treats, so many you can even smell them as you walk by. I thought it might be helpful to create a list of tips to help us all get thru the big day!
- First and foremost – DO NOT BUY YOUR CANDY EARLY! We all know when Halloween is, there is no need to have it on hand for weeks prior to the big day. I am pretty sure the stores won’t run out. If it is too tempting to have it in the house, then, DON’T have it in the house.
- Only buy candy you don’t like. My poor kids have teased me for years because I always buy lollipops to hand out. One year my husband broke down and got snickers, the kids thought there was a Halloween elf that dropped them off.
- EAT DINNER before the trick or treaters come to your house. This will take the edge off your hunger and stabilize your blood sugar.
- If you know you are going to nibble, put something out that you can nibble on that is healthy. Veggies and humus or popcorn with some parmesan cheese sprinkled on it.
- Brush your teeth or chew gum – the candy will not taste nearly as good when mixed with mint toothpaste. Really, try it! Not tempting at all.
- Make sure to drink enough water during the day. Hunger is a symptom of dehydration. That combined with a sugar headache can make you feel hung over in the morning!
- Be sure to exercise on October 31. Think about all the effort you put into your workout being negated by a few mini 3 musketeer bars.
- Wear tight-fitting clothes. This may seem like an odd tactic but if you switch into loose-fitting sweats it is easier to snack away.
- If you decide to indulge (remember this is the Forever Diet), wait until the end of the night. Sit down and enjoy what you are having and be done with it. Chances are, if you start snacking at 4:30, it may be a long, sugar nibbling kind of night.
- If someone at work has a bowl of candy out to share with everyone and you walk by it several times a day – change your route! Those handfuls of candy corn can really add up! FYI -19 pieces have 140 cals and 32 grams of sugar (7.5 teaspoons)
- After the kids have gone to bed, bag up all the stuff they don’t like and your leftovers and donate to a food pantry or send your spouse to work with it to “share” with their co-workers.
Last but not least, remember that Halloween is a holiDAY, not a holi-WEEK, or holi-MONTH! Put the focus on spending time with your kids and their friends and not on the candy. Your body will thank you!
Have a Happy and Safe Halloween – Noreen www.yourforeverdiet.com
