Halloween is the start of the holiday season and is the most candy saturated holiday of them all! Halloween can be a scary time of year if you find yourself trapped in an eat-regret-repeat cycle. Often this can result in a full blown binge, feelings of guilt for even wanting it and deprivation for not allowing it.
Let’s get rid of all the food rules that ultimately lead to guilt and binging. Allow yourself to enjoy the candy if eating mindfully and intuitively. It’s ok to treat yourself. In fact, leaving room in your diet for some “treats” can help you stick to healthy eating habits and hone in on your hunger and satiety cues as you won’t feel deprived.
Try these 10 Tips this Halloween Season:
1. PERMISION – Give yourself permission to enjoy some candy, if that is what you truly want. Permission helps to end the power struggle with food.
2. PAUSE – Take your time to decide what and if you really want something. Let’s not give yourself permission to tear open candy wrapper without pausing.
3. SILENCE – Quiet those critical diet thougthts, you know the ones that tell you, “well, I already blew it by eating a piece of candy, I’ll keep eating tonight and get back on track tomorrow” or “I’m so bad, why did I eat it”.
4. SAVOR – If you decide you want to eat it, because you really like it, then eat it that way! Taste each bite and eat mindfully without distractions.
5. JUST RIGHT – The fun size treats are the perfect size for a few delightful bites. Those first few bites are always the best, so eat mindfully, and pause and think before you dive in for more.
6. NO GUILT – We all know that guilt leads to more eating, not less. So let go of the guilt. But that is not permission to let go of midfull eating.
7. NO COMPENSATION – Don’t punish yourself by overexercising to “burn of the calories”. Exercise for the health benefits and because it makes you feel good, but don’t use it as a form of punishment.
8. BALANCED MEALS – Continue eating balanced meals throughout the day as this will help to keep your blood sugar and appetite hormones stable and lesson cravings and protect against overeating.
9. HONE IN ON HUNGER – Listen to your body, what is it telling you? Are you hungry, comfortable, or too full? Remember you don’t need to eat it all now, as you can enjoy some tomorrow.
10. HAVE FUN! Don’t try to trick yourself into avoiding what you want, but also taste your food and eat it like you love it! Set some candy aside to enjoy when you really want it.
It is possible to balance eating for nourishment with eating for enjoyment!
