Surviving The Holidays Series
Halloween Guide
Halloween is the first major calorie bump on holiday road. If we can get through this we've got a month before we hit the big one. So what can we do to limit the damage to our waistlines on the candy capital of the year? Here are some basic candy rules that I've come up with to combat this confectionery catastrophe.
1) Don't buy candy early.
Some stores start putting the Halloween candy out at the beginning of October. It's a trap!! Don't fall for it. There's no reason to shop for candy weeks before Halloween. There will still be plenty there on the day of, and purchasing it sooner will just leave it staring you in the face tempting you every day. You know as well as I do that most people who buy the candy a week before just have to go back out on the day of and buy more anyway because they spent the week eating it all.
2) Don't buy your favorite candy.
If you are a chocolate lover buy sweet tarts or gummies. If your not into chocolate then load up on Hershey's and M&M's. You will be less likely to fill up on candy that you're not a big fan of, and the kids don't care as long as you don't buy those nasty Necco wafers, because then your asking to get egged.
3) Don't buy more candy than you need.
If you've lived in your neighborhood for at least a year than you probably have a pretty good idea of how many kids will be by your house. So there's no reason to buy 4 large bags of candy if you know there's only 6 kids that will be by. We both know where the left overs will end up. Which brings us to #4.
4) Don't have leftovers.
If you have over estimated and you're coming to the end of the night, then make that last kid's day by unloading the remainder on him or her. I know the question that you're going to ask : "How do I know that that's the last kid?" The answer is that once you know your neighborhood you'll know when it's getting to the end of the parade. Then after that kid you shut your light off and that tells any late stragglers that you are closed for business.
5) If you have leftovers, GET RID OF THEM!!
If you missed the mark and didn't get to unload on the last kid to ring your door bell then it's time to get rid of the leftovers. If you have kids, or know someone with kids, pass it off to them. Maybe you have a coworker with a high metabolism and a sweet tooth, but whatever you do don't leave leftover candy around the house. It will call to you from where ever you hide it. If all else fails, don't be afraid to just throw it out. It's not a waste if you’re saving your waist.
6) This rule is for those with kids. Stay out of their stash!!
They worked hard for that loot, and by worked hard I mean that they burned a ton of calories sprinting up to each door in your neighborhood. That's a lot less than the calories you burned walking from the couch to the door to hand the candy out. Even if you were the parent that got the privilege of walking around with your kid, just think of that as bonus cardio not to be ruined by raiding the big orange pumpkin bucket after the kiddies go to sleep.
7) Discount candy has just as many calories as full price candy.
Stay away from the seasonal section of pharmacies and grocery stores during the week after Halloween where all of the left over candy is marked 50% off. A discounted price does not mean that it has any less calories, sugar, or fat. Don't get taken in by bargain pricing.
