Hi ladies!
It is time to get busy again, creating a healthier lifestyle for us all!
So, weigh in time is on Nov. 1st.
Get it to me, and let's get going again!
Halloween is the start of the celebration period of the year. First Halloween, then holiday after holiday until after New Years.
How will we ever survive this onslaught of candy, homemade baked goods—comfort food?
, let's start with Halloween, which will be here in a little over a week
Let me ask you a few questions before we get started. How many of you have planned Halloween to fit into your Program?
What is your plan for the leftover candy?
How about that Halloween party you've been invited to—do you have a plan to help you stay on your Program?
Let's see a show of hands for those who have no plan for Halloween
Okay, looks like we have to come up with a plan to enjoy Halloween without blowing our Program. Let's look at a few ways for limiting our candy and sweets on—as well as before and after—Halloween.
1. Buy only candy that you don't like, therefore you will not be tempted to eat some.
How many times do we buy candy that we like to hand out to all the eager young trick-or-treaters? I can tell you that in the past I have always done that.
When you buy candy you like, you are setting yourself up for failure on a Program. You are planning to eat some of that candy or you would not have bought the kind you like. Let's change that this Halloween. If you are planning to buy some candy or goodies to hand out to our trick-or-treaters please buy the kind you don't like; the kind you won't be tempted to eat. You will be so happy you did.
2. Wait until the last minute to buy your Halloween candy.
Don't buy the candy as soon as you see it on the shelf, because I guarantee you that it will be gone before Halloween gets here. I don't know how many times in my life that I have bought Halloween candy weeks before I actually had to hand it out only to have to re-purchase the candy for the kids. I'm sure you can all guess where it went? Why set yourself up for failure on your Program. Why not wait this year to buy that Halloween candy. By doing so, you will be in control of the candy and not the other way around. A good feeling for sure!
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3. Try handing out something other than candy. I had a very good friend who had a son with diabetes and he really had to watch eating the candy. They decided one year to hand out nickels. What a great treat—money!
Maybe instead of money you could try snack baggies of pretzels. One year I gave out pencils and they really were a huge hit, believe it or not. You don't have to stick to the traditional way. They now have one serving popcorn bags, lot's of toys, or spider rings too.
How about those Halloween parties—are you prepared to stay on a Program while attending the party? Let's look at a few ways that can help you do just that.
1.Bring a healthy snack, so you have something to eat that keeps you on Program. How easy is that? Plus, I will bet you that there are others at that party that need that healthy snack to stay on their Program too. By bringing your healthy snack you are back in the drivers seat and in control of what goes into your mouth.
2.Don't leave home without your large water bottle. Chug, chug, chug away! Drinking water will keep you full and away from the snack table. The added bonus is that water is great for you! Having a bottle of water in your hands will also keep that hand from taking easy-to-grab food.
3.Make sure you eat before you go. By doing this you are guaranteed not to be hungry at the party and will be doing a lot less nibbling while there. I know the last thing I want to do, when my stomach is screaming it's full, is to eat more food.
4. Choose fruit over candy and snacks, when available. Most parties have some healthy choices. Try to focus on them instead of the candy and snacks. I know, easier said than done! When you go towards the sweets say to yourself, "Do I like it enough to wear it?" I'll bet your answer is no!
5. Volunteer to help while there. Take pictures, clean up, make sure they all have their food, or even run the Halloween contest. If you are too busy to eat... well, problem solved.
6. Try to focus on your family and friends. This is a chance to catch up with some of your friends and family. Use it. Anybody who knows me, knows I love to talk and visit. When you are busy talking and visiting with your friends eating is out of the question. Think of how much 'catching up' you can do by staying away from the buffet table.
7.Sit far, far away from the food table. There is no need to sit there and punish yourself, drooling over the food you desperately want but can't have because you know it's a red-light food. You won't stop at just one. So, sit far, far away from those temptations.
How many of you work at an office? I'll bet that most of you have seen, or walk by, candy on your fellow employee's desk. Not fun, is it? Why not politely ask that person to put the candy in the desk or somewhere else out of sight? Of course, you will have the ones who won't oblige you. What do you do then? You could ask them to please put the candy in a colored container with a solid lid so you don't see the actual candy or hear it calling your name. (If you explain why, it might help. Sometimes, when a coworker understands that this is a real struggle for you, cooperation is easier to get.) It is a known fact that we will eat more of the candy when it's visible because the visibility makes us think about it more. Every time you see the candy dish you have to make a decision whether you are going to eat any or not.
If you do start nibbling on those fun size candies please try and keep the wrappers where you can see them. They will be a reminder of how much you've consumed and just how quickly the calories are adding up. Scary, if you think about how fast you can get 4-6 pieces of candy consumed. So, be accountable. Visuals really are a wonderful way to scare you back on Program!
Try to take a short walk on your break. You will get some fresh air, which will invigorate you and help you over those mid-morning and mid-afternoon slumps where you ‘think’ you are hungry. We have discussed a few ways to celebrate Halloween successfully on Program. I do hope that you will try and make it your most successful Halloween ever! Until next time…
