5 Ways to Avoid Eating All. The. Candy.

Whether it’s Halloween or Valentine’s Day, when you’re trying to lose weight, it’s tough! Here are 5 ways to avoid overeating candy on holidays.

I love candy – gummy candy, chewy candy, white chocolate, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, and especially chocolate filled with crispies, pretzels, peanut butter, and caramels.

And it just so happens that the season of candy is upon us.

First comes the flood of candy corn, Reese’s pumpkins, and massive variety bags of Halloween candy.

Then the mass quantities of red and green M&Ms, Reese’s trees, and candy canes hit the shelves.

All of that deliciousness devoured alongside of big holiday meals, Christmas cookies, and comfort food makes it no wonder that people tend to gain a few extra pounds during the holiday season.

Here are a few ways you can fight back against some of that temptation this week.

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5 Ways To Avoid Overeating Candy

#1 – Keep it out of sight.

If you leave a bowl of candy sitting out on your kitchen counter where you can see it every time you’re up and wandering around the house, it makes it all too inviting to snag a piece every time you walk by.

It’s a constant reminder that there’s a sugary treat just waiting for you to eat! Instead, hide the bag away in the back of the pantry.

Stick it behind a box of cereal or pasta. Make yourself work just a little bit more if you want to grab a piece.

And, like the old saying goes, “Out of sight, out of mind.”

You won’t be thinking about it nearly as often if your eyes don’t remind you that it’s there!

#2 – Don’t eat it on an empty stomach.

If you’re starving, that is not the time to seek out the candy bag. Reaching for sugary treats when you’re hungry is a candy binge waiting to happen.

It starts with one and, next thing you know, you’ve accumulated a pile of empty wrappers next to you.

Eat lunch or dinner first or grab an apple. Fill your stomach and then have the candy as a treat afterward.

#3 – Keep your favorites and give the rest away.

In middle school, my best friend and I used to trick-or-treat together and when we would get home from our evening adventure, we would dump our candy out onto the ground, sort it into piles, and trade to gather more of our favorites and get rid of the ones we liked the least.

The same concept applies today. If you’re going to eat candy, make it the candy you love, not just the candy that’s convenient.

You can have my Junior Mints and I’ll take your Take 5’s!

#4 – Take one at a time.

Don’t let yourself take the bag to the couch. Grab one and go sit down.

If you want another one, at least you have to get up and walk back over to get one more.

Sometimes that’s all the deterrent we need to stop.

Don’t make it too convenient for yourself by setting up a full candy buffet in your lap. Taking one at a time puts a roadblock in the way of mindless eating.

#5 – Don’t buy the clearance candy.

I know it’s a good deal and it’s hard to resist. I know those bright orange stickers are just calling your name.

More candy for less money is a dream come true, right? Wrong! Don’t do it!

You’re just bringing extra temptation into your life. Buy the candy you love.

Savor and enjoy it, then let the holiday pass and move on. I promise, there will never be a lack of candy available!

You don’t need 10 bags of it in your pantry.

Have a happy and healthy Halloween (and Christmas and Easter and Valentine’s Day, and every other candy-based holiday)!