It’s Halloween and the temptation to overeat or eat mindlessly is everywhere. Miniature Snicker bars and candy corn seem to be on every desk and counter, not to mention the stash you may have in your own cupboard…
Is the candy haunting you?
Whether they are treats that you love or ones that trigger childhood memories, odds are that it’s easy to grab one or two or four without even thinking about whether you are hungry or whether it fits your goals.
We’ve entered the holiday treat season and now is a good time to ask yourself the following questions:
What’s your plan?
How do you want to respond to all the treats you will encounter between now and January 1st? “Don’t eat them” is not a plan. What strategies do you intend to use to avoid emotional eating, minimize temptation, stay in control of your choices and not feel deprived? Do you have the support and the tools that you need to be effective?
Where are your weak spots and how can you be proactive?
Take a careful look at any patterns you see with overeating. Do you feel calm and on track until mid-afternoon or does the chocolate only call to you after dinner? What’s that about? If you’re REALLY feeling haunted and it feels impossible to resist (we’ve all been there), then this is about something more than hunger. What else is going on? Is this emotional eating—stress or comfort or even boredom eating—that you are experiencing? Respond to the situation or the emotion and the food will become less compelling.
What simple policies or structures can you put in place to limit your exposure and make life simpler?
Of course, you know to get rid of that leftover candy you don’t even like, but what next step could you take? What’s your plan for dealing with the treats?
Any tricks or brilliant strategies you’d care to share with the rest of us?
Take good care,
