Halloween Havoc

Don’t be subject to Halloween havoc on your weight loss program. Be prepared for the holiday and have healthy snacks on board. If you’re like me and most people I know, at one time or other, you’ve purchased Halloween candy only to have to repurchase more before it was time for trick-or-treaters to come to your door. Goblins didn’t take it and the dog didn’t steal it, you opened the bag for just one sampling and before you know it the whole thing was gone, one treat at a time. That’s a sure way to slow a weight loss program down, but you can do some things to change that right from the start.

Switch to healthy snacks for trick-or-treaters.

Who said you had to give out sugary treats? Sure, giving the trick-or-treaters rice cakes would end up getting a lot of grumbling and may”tricks,” too, but there are some great alternatives that are also healthy and yummy. Give out small individual bags of popcorn, fresh fruit or even small boxes of raisins. For a little more, individual sized roasted almonds are a good choice. Consider cutting out candy entirely and giving small novelty items like those packaged for Halloween party treats. That helps remove some of the temptation from the house and keeps the kids a bit healthier.

Burn more energy by dressing up and getting active.

Become a costumed Halloween trickster or throw a party and have active games. You’ll be getting exercise and have a lot of fun in the process. Don’t pass up any opportunities to be more active during this season. Walk with your kids if they’re trick or treating in the neighborhood. Join the kids by volunteering to help out the school’s or town’s Halloween party and take any job that keeps you active and moving.

Don’t despair if you couldn’t help eating some of the kids Halloween candy.

One of the nice things about choosing healthy eating over dieting is that it never ends, even if you ate a few or many of the kids’ treats. All it means is…well…you ate them, but not that everything is ruined. Get back on track the next day and eat smarter. Take the steps at work, walk from the furthest parking spot to the store or spend a few extra minutes exercising for a week or so and you’ll be back on track. Eating healthy and losing weight means changing your lifestyle and eating habits, one small slip shouldn’t change them back.

Halloween or not, always have healthy snacks ready. You can take them to work for mid-morning and afternoon snacks and have some in the fridge for those cravings in the evening.

Stay active. Plan some Halloween activities that are both fun and active. Going dancing, hiking to see the fall colors and even some outside activities with the children can keep you healthier while having fun.

Put joy into the season. Halloween is a fun semi-holiday, where everyone can have fun. If you hate the thought of trick-or-treaters, costumes and all the holiday glitz, try changing your attitude and get more involved. You may even look forward to it next year.

If you seriously worry about “falling off the wagon” and not being able to get back on track, talk to me or one of the other members of the team. We support you in your effort.