Halloween: Kickoff to a Healthier Holiday Season

In this article: 

• Halloween is an unofficial start to the holiday season, when tempting and low-nutrient foods are often available. 
• To stay on track in November and December, enjoy holidays in moderation while sticking to your usual healthy plan on other days. 
• Make deliberate decisions ahead of time on which treats to have and which to skip so you can feel satisfied without overdoing it.
• Include healthy options throughout the day to help fit your treats into an overall healthy schedule. 
• Identify what is important to you on Halloween besides candy. Making it a magical night for kids and enjoying family and friends are two common reasons. 
• Lark can help you stay focused and on track with small steps towards your health and weight loss goals. 

‍

Halloween is around the corner, and that means the holiday season is here. From sugary candy on Halloween to holiday dinners, parties, and cookie exchanges through December, this time of year can be challenging if you’re trying to make healthier choices.. Still, it’s possible to enjoy each holiday and head into the New Year feeling proud of yourself. 

‍

With some planning and a good mindset, you can manage Halloween and the holiday season to celebrate each holiday while feeling healthier. Here are some tips for starting off on the right foot at Halloween so you can kick off the holiday season in fine style.

A Mindset of Satisfaction, Not Deprivation

Your mind is powerful. Having a positive mindset can set you up for satisfaction and success. Replace negative thoughts with positive thoughts to prevent feelings of deprivation and failure. 

‍

Here are some examples. 

‍

‍

Positive thinking can help carry you through the holiday season. Focus on foods that you can have, and remember that you have the power to make choices that can keep you feeling proud and strong.

Fit Favorite Treats into Your Day

Choose your favorite, can’t-miss treats, such as a favorite type of candy or your annual Halloween pizza. Before it’s time to eat, decide what you’ll have and how much. For example, you may want a fun-sized candy bar and two pieces of cheese pizza. 

‍

Then figure out the rest of the night. For example, you may want to fill in your dinner with a salad and an apple so that it’s easy to stick to just two pieces of pizza. Later, as you’re enjoying your candy bar, you might want to have a bowl of frozen grapes nearby so that you’re able to keep your candy indulgence to a single bar, as planned.

‍

Keep up this pattern for the rest of the holiday season to balance enjoying treats with feeling strong and healthy. 

Change Your Environment to Avoid Relying on Willpower

No matter how determined you are, willpower will eventually fall short. Here are some of the things you may need to use willpower for on a routine basis. 

• Going to work and working hard
• Caring for children, aging parents, or other people
• Managing relationships
• Staying patient in traffic, in line at the store, or while on hold on the phone
• Dealing with finances and household problems

‍

When the holiday season starts, there’s even more to worry about, like attending parties, hosting guests, shopping for gifts, or decorating your home. 

‍

Any willpower you rely on to support healthy actions comes from the same pool of willpower that supports any of the above examples. It’s no wonder that willpower falls short if it’s what you’re depending on for weight loss!

‍

Reduce your reliance on willpower by changing your environment. 

• Keep candy out of reach and out of sight so you’re less able and less tempted to take some
• Cut up carrots or celery so it’s easier to reach than candy
• Choose a task that doesn’t allow you to eat candy; for example, if you’re “handing” out candy, wear a costume with big scary gloves and a face mask so you can’t hold candy well or put it in your mouth

‍

Throughout the holiday season, maintain an environment that supports healthier choices. Sit far from buffet tables, be a social butterfly so there’s less time to eat, and give away leftovers so they’re no longer tempting you from the fridge. 

Keep Holiday Foods to Holidays

Plan for treats in moderation on holidays and at events that are most important to you. Stick to your healthy eating plan the rest of the time. Overdoing it at one meal or on one day is no big deal if you return to a nutritious diet right afterwards. On the other hand, you can easily gain weight if you continue eating for weeks or months like it’s a holiday. 

‍

For Halloween, this may mean something like the following example. 

• Enjoying a mini cupcake at your child’s school Halloween party
• Having a small side of mac and cheese with your chicken instead of your usual side salad
• Having a small bag of jelly beans while handing out Halloween candy

‍

Similarly, keep holiday treats to specific holidays or holiday events instead of letting November and December turn into a season of constant holiday eating. 

Identify What’s Important

Focusing on what’s truly important about holidays can reduce an emphasis on food. Here are reasons why some adults can enjoy Halloween without too much sugar. 

• Hosting or attending a dinner and costume party
• Spending an evening with family or friends
• Watching spooky movies or going on spooky walks to get into the spirit
• Watching your own or other people’s children become delighted, spooked, and excited
• Planning and wearing fun or scary costumes and decorating your home
• Seeing other homes’ decorations while trick-or-treating
• Seeing neighborhood children' 's costumes or giving children little scares when you’re handing out candy or other treats

‍

It’s easier to avoid overeating candy and other sugar-laden items when you’re busy with other things. Take charge of helping children with costumes or make-up, monitoring safety issues like making sure everyone has glow sticks and flashlights, and cleaning up from dinner. These tasks let you participate without focusing on food or candy.

‍

Keep using this strategy throughout the holiday season. Find meaning in activities and rituals that don’t involve eating. Examples include decorating your home, shopping for gifts, spending time with family and friends, volunteering in your community, and participating in religious ceremonies if they’re meaningful to you. 

Halloween Can Set the Tone

Use Halloween as practice for the rest of your holiday season. Plan for 1-2 indulgences within a healthy day, and go back to your regular healthy routine the next day. If you overdo it, forgive yourself, think about what you can do next time to avoid overdoing it, and move on. Keep focusing on enjoyment and the meaning of holidays and celebrations to get the most out of them and stay on track throughout the season. 

How Lark Can Help

Enjoying Halloween and planning ahead to keep your holiday season healthy and happy can keep you on track. Lark can help you make more small changes to improve heart health, lose weight, and manage or prevent chronic conditions. Your Lark coach is available 24/7 for encouragement, nutrition and physical activity coaching, and habit tracking. Lark can help you make healthy choices and establish habits that fit into your lifestyle so you can lose weight and keep it off with or without GLP-1 medications. 

‍

Click here to see if you may be eligible to join Lark today!

‍