The Sugar Season is here. Magazine covers are displaying candy corn wreaths, grocery stores have strategically placed Halloween candy in the central aisles, and retail stores are offering bowls of fun-size candy bars at their cash registers.
Even though Halloween is a kid’s holiday, we grownups often use it as an excuse to indulge in our favorite sweets. It’s hard to resist, especially when bowls full of tiny little Snickers, Butterfingers, and Kit Kats appear everywhere we go.
I confess to having a serious sweet tooth. There’s something about seeing a bowl of Halloween candy that brings out the candy monster in me. I looked for some ideas on dealing with Halloween candy temptations. Here are 9 tips to keep in mind when you’re buying those trick-or-treat goodies:
1. Buy Halloween candy you don’t like.
You’ll be less likely to eat it.
2. Buy the bare minimum you think you’ll need for trick-or-treaters.
Halloween falls on Sunday this year. Since it’s a school night, you’ll probably have fewer visitors.
3. Don’t buy the candy until October 31.
It’s often on sale then, too. If you must buy it sooner, don’t open the bag until Halloween night.
4. Count the empty wrappers.
If you’re popping fun-size bars in your mouth, you can lose track of how many calories you’ve eaten. If you leave the wrappers out, it will remind you how many you’ve eaten.
5. Give away the leftovers the day after Halloween.
Don’t bring it to work and tempt your co-workers with sweets they don’t need.
6. Plan a conscious indulgence.
If there’s a time of day when you crave sweets, wait until then and savor the moment. I like to suck on a Tootsie Pop while I’m watching television. They last a long time, have chocolate in the middle, and they’re only 60 calories per pop.
7. Avoid the post-Halloween candy sales.
It may seem like a good bargain, but you know you’ll regret it later.
8. Write down the things that trigger your indulgences.
If you skip a meal, for example, you’ll be more likely to crave sweets.
9. Commit to yourself and a friend.
Make a pledge with a friend that this holiday season will be a healthy one and list three reasons why.
10. The high we get from sugar is only momentary.
But the satisfaction we get from feeling healthy and not overindulging provides a high that lasts a life time. If you can tame your Halloween candy monster, you’ll feel better and be more likely to continue your good behavior into the rest of the holiday season.
