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Health & Fitness

8 Tips to Survive Halloween Without Packing on the Pounds

Can you believe the start of the holiday season is coming soon? We have always believed that Halloween starts the worst season for dieters and those trying to stay fit and healthy. As Halloween rears it's head, so does the plethora of wonderful smelling chocolates and other treats that tempt us as we walk through the aisles of our favorite stores. So we came up with some spooktacular tips for you to start off the holiday season on the right foot.

1.  Keep an eye on serving sizes and portions.
Don’t leave candy at your desk so others can have a treat because most likely you’ll be eating all of it! Don’t put candy near a place where you relax like your bed or even your office desk at home- that is a formula for disaster.

2. Eat properly so you can stay away from Halloween candy. If you keep yourself on track for eating then avoiding the Halloween candy is easier because you will not be hungry and less likely to binge eat and reach for that tasty treat.

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3. Only buy the Halloween candy that you do not like. This is an easy solution! Don’t go shopping hungry and don’t buy the candy you WANT to eat.

4.  Have a game plan
 Plan ahead and count a few treats into your food plan ahead of time. Count them out in advance and place them in a separate bowl or dish. This will keep you from feeling deprived and still allow you to stay on track towards your goals.

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5. Avoid the "All or Nothing" mentality
We hear the “All or Nothing” mentality in our fitness boot camps all the time- the "I already blew it" binge that lasts until January 1st. No one or two days is going to make or break your fat loss efforts. Get right back on track the next day and consider adding some extra cardio in to work off the extra calories. You’ll feel good inside and out.

6. Choose alternatives to candy.
You can give away other things than candy to your trick or treaters. Give out dried fruits, nuts, raisins, cheese and cracker packets, pretzels, popcorn , or fruit roll-ups for more healthful treats. They will appreciate something different that tastes just as good and so will their parents.

7. Choose low-calorie treats.
There are low-calorie candy treats that you can give out that are little better than chocolate, peanutbutter filled with caramel candy bars J Items like licorice, popcorn, gummy bears, mints, and marshmallows are all lower calorie choices. Try it and see how you become the house to go to and you’ll enjoy the leftover goodies.

8. Choose non-food alternatives.
You can still enjoy the holiday festivities and keep the trick or treaters happy. Many stores and holiday shops carry a multitude of Halloween miniature toys, cars, glow-in-the-dark necklaces and other fun little goodies.

With those 8 tips in mind, remember how hard you have work for the 5 seconds it took you to eat that piece of candy!

1) A handful of Sour Gummy Frite Crawlers (about 24 pieces) is 120 calories- that is about a 30 minute bike ride to burn off.

2) 2 fun-sized Snickers bars  are 160 calories, that's about 50 minutes of house cleaning!

3) 8 Starbursts are 160 calories, that's about 32 minutes of doing the Monster Mash!

4) 1 Chocolate Covered Halloween Peep is 110 calories, that's around 13 minutes of jump roping!

 

So, start off your holiday season with your goals in mind; write them down, put them in your phone or tell a friend. Be accountable for your actions. Take these 8 simple steps to stay fit and healthy as the holidays approach.

 

Erica Martin, CPT, CF-L1
Tuff Girl Fitness/Tuff Girl Boot Camp
1108 E. Stanley Blvd. Livermore, Ca 94551-3122
(925)518-4114
http://www.tuffgirl.com
http://www.facebook.com/tuffgirlfitness
http://www.twitter.com/tuffgirlfitness

http://tufffit.myshaklee.com




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