Halloween Horrors!
Don’t you just love Halloween and the bag of sweet goodies that the kids bring home? And don’t you love to load up on treats to pass out to all the little beggars that come to the door? I know I did when my three kids were young.
After passing out candy at the door—one for each costumed child; one for me—the first thing my children did when their dad brought them home from trick-or-treating was to pour their bags into large bowls so we could all survey the treasures. They picked their favorite candy and stuffed a couple into their mouths (after I checked to make sure it was safe) and I selected mine and stuffed it into my mouth. They each had one bowl from which to choose; I had three!
The following days consumption continued…not so much on their part—as a “good” mother I doled out the sweets—but by me. In a week, I had a nice gain of three to five “chocolate” pounds!
By now it was November and with Thanksgiving just a few weeks away, I didn’t feel that there was a reason to stop this added caloric intake. After all, I was soon going to be treated to all of those fourth-Thursday-in-November goodies. I’d postpone any return to healthy eating until after Thanksgiving.
But wait! Turkey Day was the beginning of all those holiday parties and gatherings, all centered on food. A few more weeks wouldn’t make much difference! But they did! All these weeks at year’s end usually made for a big chunk of weight to appear on my body. This led to the usual New Year’s resolution to lose weight.
After years of this sweet-stuffing routine, I finally got smart. I learned that what I did on Halloween made a difference. If I succumbed to all the treats on that day, a pattern would be set for the whole holiday season. So I decided I had to conquer candy consumption on October 31...and I did.
Conquering Candy Consumption
My first step toward this goal was to delay purchasing the candy that we passed out until the day before Halloween. If it was in the house for weeks before it was needed, it called my name and I answered by eating it all. I ate the first bunch of candy I purchased and then, usually, the second. Not only do I now delay the purchase, but I select something that is less-than-my-favorite. Then it’s not so tempting.
One year I came up with a plan to pass out non-candy treats. I selected colorful rulers and pencils. My kids were horrified. They hoped that none of their friends came to our house. They were embarrassed by what I considered Halloween “treats.” So now it’s candy, but selections that don’t appeal to my taste buds.
Another new tradition was established: after the kids sorted through the candy they had brought home, whatever they didn't want was packed up immediately to take to school the next day for distribution to needy children. They kept their chosen candy in a secret hiding place in their rooms. I didn't have to worry that they would stuff themselves with the sweets in their stashes; I am the only member of my family who has a problem with a sweet tooth.
Making some better decisions for handling Halloween treats started a healthier momentum that carried through the holiday season. This, in turn, resulted is less weight gain at the end of year. To help you to better tackle holiday eating, I will share with you how I learned to keep my waistline in check on Thanksgiving in a blog post in November. Join me in having the healthiest holiday season ever!