Handling sugar cravings at halloween can be a nightmare. How do you find yourself the day after Halloween?  Leftover candy despite asking trick or treaters to help themselves?  Kids brought home pillowcases full of candy?  A dieter’s nightmare.  Well, I am here to wake you up.  Here is what your going to do.

1. Remind yourself that even you will get a candy hangover if you eat candy nonstop.  You will feel uncomfortable and have low energy.  There is a reason candy is not on your grocery list.

2.  You do not have to eat the candy just because it is there.  Ask yourself if you want it, do not assume you do. 

3.  Consider giving it away to charities that donate it to the soldiers.  You can feel good about it putting a smile on a soldier’s face without the guilt of it going in the trash.

4.  Chop the chocolate bars and Reese’s cups and freeze them.  Use them over the holidays when baking bars and cookies to take to parties you attend.  Look up some great recipes .

5.  Pick your favorite pieces and eat them mindfully without a growling stomach.

6.  No skipping meals!  Come home from work hungry and candy will be your first thought in the door.

The way to wake yourself up from this nightmare is by giving yourself permission to enjoy your favorite candy (slowly and mindfully), keeping your meals balanced to avoid unnecessary cravings, and deciding what you want to do with the leftover candy without guilt.  We are headed into a long holiday season and the goal should not be to “make up” for food or “give up” until after the New Year.  No hangovers this year.