Okay friends, real talk. It’s almost Halloween which means it’s almost trick or treat time which really means it’s almost that time of year where all our good habits fly out the window faster than a wicked witch on her broom.
If you’re anything like me, then Halloween candy is your weakness.
You hide your favorite bars (in my case, it’s Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, (or a different brand for a dairy-free peanut butter cup version), which, btw, did you know that Reese’s now makes a dairy free pb cup?! Knowledge I just recently acquired, and I’m currently trying to decide how many packages would be appropriate to order.
I’ve also heard great things about these Unreal Vegan PB Cups. Now I’m finding myself getting side tracked by all the dairy free candy I want to order online…
Back to what I was saying.
You hide all your favorite bars, and then you sneak them out of hiding once the rest of your family goes to bed at night and you eat them all in the privacy of your own chocolate-covered shame.
And this continues. Until all the leftover candy is gone. Which can sometimes extend past Christmas, because once you’ve eaten all the good stuff, your body is still flying on that sugar high, so you turn to the mediocre stuff because hey.. sugar is sugar and you’re too far into this to turn back now.
And those Real Housewives can’t be watched without a snack, right?
Wrong. So.. this Halloween let’s go into the gauntlet with a plan. I’m sharing my five best tips to help you stay accountable and on track this Halloween, and help you resist eating all the freaking Halloween candy.
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5 Tips for Staying Accountable Around Halloween Candy
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Don’t Open Anything Early
No matter how many cute bags of candy you buy at Target this year, keep those tempting little treats inside the bag until it’s time for kids in costumes to come knocking on your door.
And then, once it is actually time for trick-or-treating, put the candy out immediately. This will help you not get tempted to hold back some bars for yourself, which can then lead to over-indulging.
Buy the Candy That You Don’t Love
Sorry, kids. This may mean that you end up with the suckers that banks give away and pixie sticks, but if it means that mom is holding strong, then it’s a small sacrifice you’ll have to make.
Opt to Hand Out Healthy Snacks or Small Toys Instead
Yep. Be that house that hands out small bags of pretzels or pre-packaged apple slices instead. Somewhere, a child or parent will thank you. Plus, you’re doing your part to encourage healthier living.
You can also replace candy and food with small toys that you can find at your local party store. Think rubber bounce balls, keychains, etc. (Amazon has these adorable 48-piece squeeze toys for less than 35 cents apiece. Always on the hunt for a bargain!)
Give The Leftovers Away
Don’t keep any leftover candy in the house! If it’s getting close to closing time and you notice you still have a fair amount of candy left, start giving away more than one piece to the trick-or-treaters.
Or, after the night is over, donate the rest of the candy to someone else. You can bring it to your kiddo’s school, bring it to work, or find someone somewhere who will want it.
Don’t Deprive Yourself: Have a Treat or Two
Don’t get so hung up or stressed out about all the things you “can’t have.”
If you really want some candy and you know this celebration only comes around once a year, then have some candy. You’ll be less likely to binge if you allow yourself to have something that you really love.
Just recognize your triggers and set parameters so that way instead of eating an entire bag of Reese’s PB Cups (talking to myself here), you only eat a few.
Life is truly about balance, and living a healthier lifestyle should be something enjoyable that is also sustainable. It shouldn’t be about all the things you “can’t” do anymore.
Great tips!