Novarel Diet Halloween Candy Diet-Tricks (Avoid the Treat-Cheat) – Healthy Halloween Tips
It’s that time again! Halloween is right around the corner, and every year I share my best tips for avoiding that Halloween treat-cheat!
I don’t know about you, but in the past, I have had a hard time not grabbing at least 1 mini snickers from my son’s Halloween candy bowl. Well, I figured out a few tips that help me to avoid that whole, “OMG! I ate my son’s entire trick or treat haul!” thing from happening.
Oh, and by the way… these tips will also help build healthy habits for yourself and your family.
9 Tips for Avoiding the Candy-Cheat
1. Wait until the last minute to buy your candy
I used to buy my Halloween candy at Target’s October 1st candy sale… which meant having chocolate bars in the house for an entire month. Bad idea. I ate more than I care to admit, and worst of all, I was constantly juggling the “Should I, or shouldn’t I?” Which is an internal struggle worse than eating the candy!
So, this is my first and best tip for you- buy the candy as late as possible and save yourself the temptation and increased risk of cheating on your medical weight loss diet.
2. Buy candy that doesn’t appeal to you.
We all have those candies that really appeal to us, and we all have those candies that just don’t appeal (I can always pass on Skittles, my friends.) This year, I am passing out Skittles, Starbursts and a various assortment of other treats that I can easily turn my nose up at.
3. Get your walk on!
Make a game of focusing on the walk, or how many houses you can get to, rather than focusing on “candy acquisition.” I am a huge FitBit fan (my Alta HR has been life-changing) and always looking for an excuse to increase my daily step average.
Try encouraging your child to get 1 piece of candy from each house and see how many houses you can get to, in order to get your daily exercise AND limit the amount of candy you bring home. Not only is this great for you, but it is also teaching your child healthy and happy habits.
4. Get an accountability buddy!
This is extremely useful during the holidays. Find an healthy diet buddy (you can find one in the forums) and make a no-candy pact. Never underestimate the power of the diet-buddy. Research shows that over 95% of successful weight loss cases, had a strong support circle and some sense of accountability. That means, if you and your buddy/buddies decide no candy, and promise to diverge, no matter what .. you already have an advantage. Plus, it’s pure social fun 🙂
5. Eat first!
Have a good, healthy meal before entering any type of “candy zone.” If there will be candy and treats within edible reach, you will be far less tempted if you have a satisfied belly. This includes staying hydrated- did you know that the #1 reason for cheating on the Novarel Diet is dehydration? That’s the mind playing tricks (no Halloween pun intended on you to let you know it needs water. That mind of yours is so clever isn’t it?
6. The Inspection Game.
Break out the magnifying glass! I always enjoy doing this with my son. We have made it a tradition. I buy a simple magnifying glass and we make a game of reading ingredients and checking expiration dates.
Any candy that is damaged, expired, (or any other reason we can make up) is quickly tossed. Look carefully for ANY reason to remove that piece of candy from the stash- even if it’s, “Isn’t this Uncle Tom’s favorite candy? Let’s give these to him.”
Again, changing focus from EATING the candy and making a game of really being aware of what you are eating, is a great way to avoid eating it, while also teaching your child to be cautious and particular with what they eat. Creating healthy habits for the entire family, while keeping the candy out of your mouth.
7. Be the “healthy house.”
Go ahead and pass on passing out the candy this year. You can always go with toys, nuts, mints, pretzels, etc. Last year, one of our neighbors passed out orange cuties (those mini oranges) that were decorated like Jack o Lanterns (she used icing ink, but I’ve used stickers.)
A few more *healthier* options: yogurt tubes, fruit roll-ups, licorice, popcorn, graham crackers, pumpkin seeds, or sugar free candies and gum.
8. Be the “toy house.”
If you opt to pass out toys, bulk options are available on Amazon or my favorite, OrientalTrading.com. Buy early tho- supplies run low by mid-month!
Halloween-themed glow sticks, bouncy balls, bubble makers, slime or putty, plush toys, yo-yo’s, stickers, fake tattoos, bubble makers, and of course the traditional vampire teeth and spider rings!
9. The Exit Plan.
Plan ahead of time, what you will be doing to get the candy out of the house as soon as possible. Every year, I bag up any left over candy, put them into cute little gift bags with black and orange bows, and give them away.
Sometimes this is to the lucky recipients of the late night Trick or Treat experience at the end of the night… or that empty nest neighbor down the street.
This year, I will be bringing these little gift bags to my son’s teachers the next am and thanking them for all their hard work.
A few other options are to donate the excess candy to children’s hospitals, homeless shelters, and fire stations. You get the candy out of the house, and someone gets an unexpected Halloween treat- Everyone is happy 🙂
There you go- my top tips for Halloween on the Novarel Diet. Not only will these tips help avoid the Novarel Diet cheat, but they will also help build those long term healthy habits.
One more tip before I sign off… remember to have fun! Make a game of Halloween night, and enjoy yourself while feeling proud that you made it through the biggest candy holiday of the year!
