DON’T give out candy on an empty stomach. The hungrier you are with a bowl of candy close by, the more likely you are to indulge in over-eating some. Be sure to keep your regular eating habits, and that includes dinner.
DO have healthy snacks close. Even if you aren’t hungry, it can be hard to resist taking a little dive into the sea of miniature candies. Have some fruit or nuts close by that you can reach for instead. Even better, stock up on some Healthy Living bars & snacks. You’ll thank yourself later.
DON’T have the candy in a place you have to look at it all the time. Having the candy right next to you on the couch or table makes it more tempting. Keep the candy by the door and the only time you’ll see it is when you are handing it out to trick-or-treaters. Out of sight, out of mind.
DO buy candy as close to the day as possible. The sooner you buy it, the longer it’s in your house. And that means you have to maintain the willpower to avoid it for a longer period of time. Instead, wait until a day or two before October 31.
DON’T bring left over candy with you wherever you go after Halloween is over. Before you know it you’ll be eating candy for breakfast, lunch and dinner — and a snack in between. If you have leftover candy, leave it at home so after a long day’s work (and a nice workout), you can indulge in a piece if you feel so inclined — but leave it at a piece. Better yet? Save yourself the temptation and bring the leftover candy to work and leave it out for co-workers to enjoy!
DO give out as many treats as you can and leave as little as possible leftover. If the night is over and you have three unopened bags of candy left it means one of two things: 1.) You overestimated how many trick-or-treaters you were going to get; or 2.) You bought too much candy for the occasion. It’s OK to have a little surplus at the end but make a conscious effort to buy only what you’ll think you’ll need.
DON’T buy more candy than you need to. When this time of year comes around candy can be bought at a bargain. Buy just enough so that trick-or-treaters leave your house with a smile on their faces. Don’t buy so much that you will be in a sugar coma by the end of the night by eating leftovers that you didn’t give out.
DO dress in a costume. For our last “do” let’s get into the spirit of the occasion. Halloween has become a day that gives us a reason to have fun! Enjoy yourself! If you’re invited to a costume party then go, but go WITH a costume. It’s more fun and is always a conversation starter!
