This year I pledge not to eat that Halloween candy.

I'm compiling a list of ways to keep that pledge. Please add any ideas you have.

My first idea is to buy candy to pass out that I do not like.

E 

Hi Excellentjeni,

I think that it's a great idea to plan ahead for a high risk situation and Halloween is definitely one! I recommend that you also consider coming up with one "treat" that you would really enjoy having and would be worth the calories for you. There are times when not allowing yourself anything can feel too depriving and end up causing you to go off of your plan. It's much better to have a favorite treat than to pick on things that you end up regretting later on.

I hope that others will share their Halloween plan,

Betty Kovacs, MS, RD

That's what I've done for many years - only buy the candy that is no temptation for me or, at least, not worth the calories. That way it's easy to pass up. Also, some years I've stocked up on the little boxes of raisins, too. I give the candy out first, keeping the raisins for later in case I have a huge turnout of trick or treaters. If I have raisins left over, it's less harmful to my waistline. One year, when I had a lot of leftover candy, I bundled it all up and took it to the break room at the office. Maybe not fair to my coworkers, but it worked for me! 

 I have two children who trick or treat and between them both they bring home a huge amount of candy.  What I do for me, and it helps everyone else in the house also, is to freeze the chocolate candy.  If it is frozen, it's harder to eat.  Try to only allow yourself one sweet like this per week and add it in to count toward your fat/calorie goal per meal.

 That's a good one, dolphin. Although, I don't know if my kids will appreciate me freezing their treats! LOL. Maybe they won't mind since they like eating chocolate chips right out of the bag which I keep in the freezer :-).

It seems that throughout this time of year... now until after New Year's there are candy and sweets everywhere. In bowls in people's homes, in the staff lounges at the schools I work at, on people's desks, even in places you run to do errands like the bank. I'm going to have to be careful of the unconscious eating thing!

E

 Yeah, you can't do much about the treats and sweets other people have sitting around, only what's in your own house.  The way I got through Christmas last year, (I was on the alli plan then too) is to not make all the Christmas cookies and candy I usually make, cuz if it's there I'll eat it.  I only made the roll out and decorate kind because it's traditional that the grandkids come over and decorate them.  I love them, so I did eat some, but it was nowhere as bad as usual.  For Halloween I think buying the kind you don't care about is the trick.  Good luck.

Judy