Halloween Candy

Declaration:  I am not eating candy this Halloween.

Let me start by saying that I’m not abstaining because Halloween candy is “bad”.  I’m just taking a stand because it’s so easy to grab a piece every time you walk by the heaping bowl in your house, office, the store, your friend’s house…etc.   I always end up having so much over the holiday and it doesn’t fit into my goals for healthy eating.    Let’s face it – those “bite sized” pieces add up. 

I started teaching classes to my patients early in October this year in preparation for Halloween, Thanksgiving and holiday parties because this season is such a challenge for many people every year.  I like talking about it because this is a special time for celebrating and there are a lot of great traditional foods to enjoy.  But the fact is we need to find a way to live healthfully while enjoying the celebrations of life, whether it is a holiday, birthday, wedding, party, brunch or night out.  I tell my patients:  special events present a challenge, they’re never going to stop and we don’t want them to either! 

 

Part of what I do at the hospital includes working as an outpatient dietitian for the weight management program there.  Like many programs focused on behavior change towards health, our “busy” season will likely start January 1.  “People don’t want to start before the holidays” I hear.  The average person gains 1-5 pounds over the holiday season and statistics show that they never lose it, despite best “Resolution” intentions.    Can you imagine what would happen if you gained 5 pounds every year starting at 18?  You probably can because this is a reality for a lot of the US population.

 

I encourage you to do what you need to in order to stay healthy this holiday.  For me, it’s not eating Halloween candy.  Don’t put off joining a gym until the new year – do it now!  Take that class, join that program, and commit to a change this year that will prove to yourself that your body is the priority through any season of the year.