Hello Halloween!
Halloween is a night filled with favorite candies and treats, some so sweet and tasty they’re hard to avoid, even despite planning and our best efforts. Many of us may try to avoid candy altogether on Halloween, and it’s possible, but honestly sometimes it’s impossible. And you know what, that’s TOTALLY ok.
I have so many clients who get so stressed out about not skipping candy, and frankly I think it’s the stress of it all that’s truly the worst part. So let’s talk about how you can really help yourself and give yourself a break, because truly I want you to enjoy this fun night (after all it’s only 1 night a year!).
I’m asked all the time, will eating too much candy on halloween throw me off track?
The short answer is no. It’s not the end of the world, and in fact, if you’re going eat it, I really want you to enjoy it. Because otherwise what’s the point? Unfortunately this can be hard to do, but as you go into Halloween I want you to start thinking about this super important part of enjoying this fun holiday.
So what can you do to help yourself tune in and really take part in Halloween?
- No self-torture, please! Life is hard enough, going into the holiday with a little more gentle approach can really help you avoid what you actually don’t want to eat, right from the get go.
- Think about what you really want to eat, ahead of time: And not because I want you to avoid it, but because planning on what you’re going to have can help you avoid the guilt.
- Pick to have candies around that you really like. Chances are you’ll probably eat it anyway, so why don’t you just have the stuff you like? Eating food you don’t like actually causes quite a bit of angst and anger (which can also make you eat more than you want).
- Be really aware of how you feel, and how you criticize yourself: If you find that you eat stuff you didn’t plan on eating. What to do about it? Tune in, get in touch with yourself and try to let it go. It’s just one night and there’s actually very little damage that can be done in one night.
- Take back control: Don’t let whatever you ate get in your way of having fun. Make a plan and try to stick to it— or don’t make a plan and go with the flow. Think about it beforehand.
- The only reason not to partake in the candy is because you’ll feel super stressed afterward. This is something I have my clients connect (or not) with- because truly it’s the only reason to avoid something; if you know you’ll really beat yourself up after the fact, it’s not worth it.
Sure… I’d love if you…
- skipped artificial colors in your candy
- drank more water
- ate a little less candy
- had a concrete plan before you went into the night
… but you’re also human, so do the best you can, and please don’t torture yourself.
The take-home:
Do the best you can to stay on track, pick and choose your candy wisely, and if you go completely off plan, try to get back on as soon as possible. And finally, enjoy!
