Scare Off those Halloween Pounds

It is Halloween week, and it's always a week filled with lots of fun, parties, and of course, candy and treats! It's no surprise that this time of year the number on the scale tends to rise.

So the question is, how can I avoid Halloween weight gain without missing out on the fun?

Here are some tips that will help you get through this week.

1. Carry your water bottle with you everywhere. If you are drinking lots of water, you are less likely to eat junk. A good rule is to drink half your body weight in ounces if you are trying to lose weight. 
   
2. Continue eating 5-6 small meals each day. Just because it is a holiday week doesn't mean you should throw all of your basic clean eating principals out the window. When you stick to eating your 5-6 meals, you will avoid reaching the point of being extremely hungry. This will help you from reaching for that candy bowl. 
3. Buy candy you don't like, and buy it late. When you buy candy you love, you are asking for trouble. In the past, we have gone to Costco and bought a big box of pretzels to hand out. That way I am avoiding any temptation for myself. Chocolate is a major weakness for me. Buy the candy late. There is no reason you need to buy the stuff as soon as it hits the store shelves. The less time you have it in your house, the less that means you will have to resist it.
4. Track what you eat. It is so vital to sticking to your goals to track everything you put in your mouth, especially as we are moving into the holidays. It is so easy to not realize what you are eating because we get so busy with all the hustle and bustle that the holidays bring. But one bite here and one bite there, which doesn't seem like a big deal in the moment adds up! This is why when you track what you eat, you ask yourself if that bite size candy bar or that handful of candy corn is really worth it. For me, tracking my food makes all the difference in the world.
5. Exercise. Continue on with your fitness routine. Even though Halloween is this Friday, I still plan to get up that morning, workout to my INSANITY, drink my Shakeology afterwards, and have some healthy snacks during the day. We will go trick-or-treating and then over to our church for our fall festival. I will enjoy the supper they are grilling out for all of us, and maybe a piece of candy or two, but I am not going to throw away the whole day just because it's a day filled with candy and treats. All things in moderation, right?!
   
   
   
6. Keep treats out of sight. Out of sight, out of mind, right? I won't set candy dishes out because I know I would walk by and snack on those endlessly all day. Put the candy up high, in a place you don't visit daily. I have a basket I keep the kids' snacks in and I put it up on the top shelf of our pantry. I can't see what's in there, and it's not at eye level, so it is something that doesn't tempt me.
7. Enjoy healthy alternatives. For me, this includes Shakeology. Others I enjoy include the no-bake Mini Peanut Butter Oat Cups, and Clif bars.

Hope you find these tips helpful to get through this week. 

Question for you:

What tips do you have to survive the Halloween weight gain?