Happy Halloween! And, Some Real Life Reminders About Holidays and Candy!
Happy Almost Halloween!
I LOVEEEE Halloween candy. Mini forms of candy I love?! Sign me right up!
I definitely was that kid who housed all of their candy pretty quickly after Halloween! I admit it. (I also didn't have a great relationship with treats growing up, but that's a story for another day...)
Which brings me to today's point... What are you going to do with all of that Halloween Candy??
You might have bought some early with the intention of saving it for Halloween night, but eaten it already.
You might have some leftovers after you give it out.
Your kids might be bringing it home.
It’s gonna be 50% off in stores any minute now....
And, if you do have kids around, how will you interact with them and their candy?!
I imagine this connects to our overall relationship with food BIG TIME.
If we put big limits on our or our kids’ intake (“You can only have one!”), that puts candy on a pedestal, and makes it special, which can sometimes make us want it more, or sneak it. That's what I used to do... (This is, of course, barring any allergies or foods that literally make us feel bad!)
If we say that we’re going to throw it all out tomorrow, so eat what you can tonight, that can lead to overindulgence and binging. Not great…
If we talk about how “bad” candy is for us, then we might end up feeling bad about ourselves for enjoying it. But, I really do believe that all foods can fit!
What if, instead, we picked out a few pieces that we want to enjoy (ourselves, or in partnership with our kids) and REALLY ENJOYED THEM. Maybe we even talk about why we like various candies compared to others.
In doing so, we’re not making ourselves feel bad for eating them after. Not forcing ourselves to do 100 burpees for every mini Butterfinger we ate. None of that. Just recognizing that candy can be delicious, and that in moderate amounts, it’s totally possible to include in a balanced food plan.
Here’s my recommendation for interacting with candy:
Include it in moderate amounts when/if you want it. Check in with yourself to see if you even want it, and you’re not just eating it because it’s there. Consider using a reasonable boundary of 0-4 pieces per day, or whatever number makes sense for you, if needed.
Actually sit down and really enjoy it (as opposed to just inhaling it and not even actually tasting it). Check in with your fullness, and aim to stop at about 85% full.
Remind yourself that, despite the sentiment of this holiday season, it IS possible to get more candy another day if you want it, and there’s no reason to eat it all in one sitting, as if you’re never going to see candy again.
And if you do have kids, support them in thinking about their interactions with candy too. Support their future healthy relationships with food! Try your best NOT to talk about your weight, or your diets, or "feeling fat" around your kids. We influence our kids enough, we don't need them to feel any kind of dislike for their bodies at young ages.
One more thing... Above, I *jokingly* made reference to having to do 100 burpees for every mini Butterfinger we eat. I joked, but, some people really post those equivalents and actually believe that we should essentially punish ourselves through fitness to make up for what we've eaten. Not only does this color fitness as a form of punishment, which is NOT good, it also reframes the idea that we have to make up for eating "bad" foods, also NOT good. If you haven't seen the posts I'm referencing, GOOD, if you have or you do this year, please go ahead and disregard them!
You do not have to make up for what you've eaten. However, you CAN adjust your food patterns for moving forward if you need/want to. With that being said, reach out if you need more support in interacting with your, or your kids, candy or food in general!
Happy Halloween!!
As always, Thank you for reading,
Sara