It’s that time of the year again! When we dress up as our favorite superheroes or cartoon characters and give out candy. This is a time for fun and celebrations, but no one talks about how difficult this time can be for people on their health journey. With almost every store selling candy in bulk, it can be hard to resist the urge to binge on Halloween Candy, but with these six tips, you will learn how to break the Halloween candy mindset!

1. Wait until the last minute to buy candy. 

Let’s be honest; it’s a lot more convenient to prepare for holidays like Halloween ahead of time. Go ahead and put up all your frightening Halloween decorations but do not buy any candy until October 31st. It’s hard to binge on something that is not in close proximity. Also, only buy the amount you need, nothing extra!

2. Mark your calendars

Mark a day on your calendar that your home will return to a candy-free zone. If you have any extra candy by the time your deadline comes up, feel free to throw it out. Trust us–throwing those sugary calories in the waste is much better than adding them to your waist. 

3. Don’t deprive yourself entirely of candy.

Restricting yourself entirely from candy can have the opposite effect. Remember the habituation effect, the more you allow yourself to have a certain food, the less your brain cares about it, and your desire to eat it decreases. Halloween is not the only time you can eat candy! You should enjoy candy in moderation all year-round.

4. Do not buy your favorite candy.

You do not want to buy candy that will cause you to binge. If you buy candy you do not like, you are less likely to overindulge. Another option is to buy sugar-free candy or gum. 

5. Go the anti-candy route 

Candy is not the only thing little trick-or-treaters love. Try giving out small trinkets like toys, stickers, or bubbles! Kids will still love them, and you can avoid any candy triggers. 

6. Get rid of any extra candy!

Do you have a bunch of leftover candy? It can be difficult to know how much candy you need each year. Try taking any leftover candy to work to give to co-workers or your child’s classroom, or simply throw the candy away.

To get started with CoreLife, contact us at (800)905-3261 or fill out the “Contact Us” form, and one of our Patient Navigators will give you a call!