Happy October everyone! This is my absolute favorite month of the year. Foliage, boots, crisp fall air, and pumpkin-flavored everything! But sadly, a lot of people do not share my love for this delightful month. Why? Because along with the start of October come the concerns about overdoing it with the Halloween candy. I’m going to share a few secrets with you for how to prevent binging on Halloween candy. These are some things I’ve picked up from the school of hard knocks. (I used to struggle with Halloween candy too!) Let’s dive in!
Stop Labeling Candy As “Bad” or “Off Limits”
Consider this. Do you ever find yourself labeling candy as “bad” or “off limits” in your head? (You probably do, as this is a very common mindset within diet culture.)
But the problem with this habit is that it gives certain foods more novelty to us. As humans, we naturally want things that we can’t or shouldn’t have. When we tell ourselves a certain food is off limits, we develop a scarcity mindset around it, where we feel desperate for this particular thing because we feel our access to it is limited. So you can see how labeling Halloween candy as “bad” or “off limits” can lead to the opposite of the intended affect.
The best solution for this is to mentally “neutralize” candy. When you catch yourself saying you “can’t” or “shouldn’t” have something, challenge that thought. Give yourself permission to have it if you want. This leads me into my next suggestion to prevent binging on Halloween candy.
Keep Candy Around
Another way to help neutralize and prevent binging on Halloween candy is to keep it around.
*gasp*
That’s right, I said it. It’s actually helpful to keep these tasty treats around to help get rid of the novelty around them! When we only have a limited access to a certain food, we’ll feel out of control when we are eventually (and inevitably) around it again. This is why I recommend keeping some of your favorite Halloween candy in your pantry and allowing yourself to have some each day. (It can even be helpful to plan when you’ll have it.)
I know this is going to sound like an insane idea to a lot of people who have spent years trying to avoid sweets like the plague. But trust me, it will help! If you’re wondering, “How am I supposed to not completely overdo it when I have access to candy in my own home?!” then this last tip is for you!
Be Especially Mindful Whenever You’re Eating Candy
For those who aren’t familiar with or have never practiced mindful eating, this can sound like a confusing and even intimidating idea. But I promise you, it’s pretty easy to get the hang of when you’re doing it right!
Mindful eating is especially important when we’re eating our favorite foods. Why? Because mindful eating allows us to actually enjoy our food to the fullest extent! Most of us are eating mindlessly without even realizing it. Reaching for the next bite before we’ve finished the current one, doing other things while we’re eating, or eating to console our emotions. Learning to eat mindfully helps us to move away from all of these things that we subconsciously do on a daily basis.
If you struggle with mindless eating, overeating, or emotional eating, then Mindful Eating Makeover can help! MEM is my new mini course, designed specifically to help you master mindful eating. Click below to enroll!
Hopefully these tips help you feel more prepared as we enter this year’s spooky season. If you learn how to stop labeling candy as “bad,” keep it around the house, and eat it mindfully, you’ll be well on your way to never binging on Halloween candy again!
Have a boo-tiful Halloween!
One response to “How to Prevent Binging on Halloween Candy”
[…] assigning morality to our food. You may not even notice it at this point. But like I mentioned in my last post and in tip # 1, labeling certain foods as “bad” creates a sense of scarcity and novelty […]