Happy Tuesday! In less than a week, Halloween 2022 will be here along with bowls of candy and endless sweets. Who feels like Halloween is very hard to celebrate when you’re trying to lose weight? I certainly do! I absolutely love all of the fun and silliness associated with Halloween and always have since I was a kid. I love the costumes, pumpkins, decorations, and all of the fun. I admit that the sweets were also something that I loved. Did you notice that I said “were”, not “are”? That’s right, as I paid closer attention to my sugary habits, Halloween became one of my biggest challenges with my weight. Once I noticed that, I became very curious about why this was so tough for me and what I needed to do to change some habits.
I figured out that I wasn’t very disciplined with a big bowl of candy sitting on my dining table for weeks leading up to Halloween. I would typically sample a few pieces of candy now and then and could actually see the level of candy go down over time. I also realized that I associated Halloween with candy and fun from my childhood and had forgotten that as an adult, my body was not happy with extra pounds in the fall. Once I got curious about what was happening and how I thought and felt about Halloween, I was able to make a new plan for handling my candy intake. Here are a few ideas for making some healthy swaps that won’t sabotage your weight loss efforts and will keep the fun in this celebration!
1. Buy your Halloween candy a few days before October 31st and keep it sealed until right before trick or treaters arrive!
2. Keep a smaller bowl of treats out and reasonably enjoy them! When they’re gone, they’re gone!
3. Pass out candy that you don’t like! This will keep your hands out of the bowl, for sure!
4. Have a sweet treat on October 31st, not all during the month of October. Halloween is only one day!
5. Give away your leftover candy the very next day!
6. Instead of passing out candy this year, pass out healthy snacks, gift cards, money, or other trinkets instead.
7. Skip passing out candy all together! Do something else that evening!
8. Enjoy the Halloween season without sugar! WHAT??? This one is a huge challenge and is extremely effective if you commit to it. I’ve done this for the last 2 years and have focused on the other aspects of Halloween in order to cut out sugar. It works! I also remind myself each year that I’ve had a lifetime of my favorite treats at Halloween and have had enough. I don’t need them and I choose not to eat them; that serves me well! It is bold, but it is 100% possible! Are you ready to try it?
So, as you celebrate Halloween this year, I offer the new habit of cutting back or even cutting out sugar to feel better and to fuel your body with healthier options. Pick ONE new habit to try and start today! You’ll never know if it works until you take the first step to try! It is a boo-tiful way to start a healthy habit!
You’ve got this!
Georgette