Candy Rage : The Fight Against Chocolate Covered Whoosits.

It's that time. Well technically, it has been that time. Halloween candy has been in the grocery stores for the last two months. Starbucks and every other coffee place in town has rolled out their 'Pumpkin Spice' flavored beverages. But what do you do when you are supposed to watch your calories, sugar intake, blah blah blah, cut back on sweets?

Seems like everywhere you go is littered with snack size, chocolate covered whatnots. How do you keep your hands from finding their way into the candy bowls and stay on track?

Reasons to say no to sweets:
You will live longer.
You will feel better.
Cutting back on sweets will help you reach your weight loss goals faster.

Take a look at how much you can lose if you just cut out soda!

1 bottle of Cola (20oz, regular, not diet) has 239 calories.

Let's say you have just one bottle of cola a day, every day.

7 x 239 calories = 1673

Since there are 3500 calories in a pound, without doing anything else you could lose about a half a pound a week JUST by leaving out the soda.

Here's are some tips to get you through Halloween:

Halloween
This used to be the most difficult holiday for me. Tiny little candies everywhere!

In a full size Snickers Bar there are 280 calories-- approximately 6 Snickers miniatures. Keep in mind --just because they are small does not mean you can eat more of them!

1. If you do not have the willpower to leave the candy alone, do not buy it. Donate the candy money to charity.
   
2. If your house is in danger of being egged if you go candyless, buy the candy that you don't like so you won't be tempted.
3. Wait till the last possible moment to buy candy. This will leave you with as little time alone with the candy as possible.
4. Keep the candy bowl by the door, do not go near the door/bowl of candy unless your house is in fact being egged or trick-or-treaters come by.
5. Put the candy in an adult-proof box or "Boo for you" box. Take a small box and cut a hole in it that is small enough for a child's hand but not your own. Decorate the box with a Halloween-y theme. Pour the candy inside. If a trick-or-treater's hand doesn't fit, shake the box directly over their bag. "But wait", you ask, "Stephanie what will stop me from shaking the box to get the candy out?" Nothing really, but hopefully having to try to maneuver a 'fun size' candy snack out of the boo box will slow you down, maybe even to the point that you will realize how not worth it it is.
6. Put the candy bowl on the porch and let the Trick-or-Treaters have at it. Of course with this you lose the benefit of the "The doorbell is ringing I better get up" workout. Oh and greedy kids will take too much candy.

Remember your goals. Yes, you could eat the candy but does it lead you where you want to go? Is it a distraction? Is candy as important as reaching your goals? No. Be strong and enjoy the many other things the holiday has to offer.