Ah, Halloween. That one day of the year where we stock up on bags upon bags of delicious candy that we plan to give out to the endless kids that knock at our door.
Except, they often don’t.
And, in 2020, they likely won’t.
Then we’re left with all that delicious candy, just staring at us each time we open the pantry door looking for a “healthy” snack. We eat some. We eat some more. Then we decide that we have ruined our last few weeks or months of dieting and so tell ourselves we may as well give up and go back to our unhealthy eating habits.
Halloween ruined everything!
True story? It doesn’t have to be. Halloween is indeed just one day out of 365 where your diet can go off the rails. Even if you factor in Thanksgiving, Christmas, and other major holidays, you’re still looking at over 350 days of the year where you can be mindful of what you eat. That leaves you with a 95%+ success rate!
In other words, eat your Halloween candy, enjoy it. And then get right back on track with your healthy eating plan. If you have WAY too much candy or still worry you may revert back to your old diet, here are some tips to help:
- Set aside one day’s worth of candy and then throw the remainder away.
- Too extreme? Freeze the remaining candy for another day or celebration. Frozen candy takes time to thaw and so less tempting.
- Donate your candy to a local mission or shelter.
- Use a small piece of candy during a lengthy or vigorous workout. A quick boost of carbs to help reenergize you!
I still eat candy. Not every day. Not much. I usually eat the bite-size, not the family size. I remind myself of the calorie content and ask myself if I’ve earned it or truly need it.
Don’t feel like you need to give up Halloween and its delicious excuse for a candy treat. Just be sure you remember this is just a treat, don’t trick yourself otherwise!