Treat...or TRICK???

I bet you see plenty of these displays in your local stores now, and probably have seen them for weeks already. The stores try to get too much of a jump on each holiday now. There is something really wrong about seeing Halloween stuff in Walmart while you hear Christmas carols playing in the store. (Yes...I actually experienced that last week!!!)

No matter when it starts to appear in the stores, we have to deal with all of the candy shoved at us when we shop. It's often the first thing you see when you walk in, and the smell of chocolate is overwhelming. And if you make it past the candy aisles without giving in, there's always some candy at the register just in case you still have thoughts about getting some!

This always used to be a problem for me, and still is from time to time. If I'm especially stressed out, there's no way I can even walk by those displays because I will cave and get some candy. Then I will go home and eat half of the bag at once, saving the other half until the next day (such restraint! Ha!) and finish it off then. Afterward, I crave more sugar even though my body feels awful. It can turn into a downward spiral if I'm not careful.

I've taken to reminding myself just how crappy I feel after eating that candy, and how much money I'll save by not buying it. Even candy corn and those cute little mellowcreme pumpkins...there is no nutritional value, it's all basically sugar and wax. When I sold PartyLite, we had candy corn scecnted candles, so if I think about it like I'm eating a candle, I have no desire to eat it anymore! (And I wouldn't be surprised if the corn people started telling us that candy corn is CORN, so it's good for you.) I also know that I can't buy Halloween candy early to save for passing out to the kids, because I'll eat it and have to replace it, which costs even more money. I usually have my husband buy the candy so I'm not tempted, and he usually gets his favorites so I don't crave them as much.

This time of year can be dangerous for our health and weight, starting with the Halloween candy and going right through to the Thanksgiving and Christmas goodies. Resolve right now to stay strong and stick to your healthy eating and exercise plan. Your body will thank you come New Year's Day...and you won't have even more weight to lose for that resolution!

Don't Want To Hear a Peep Out of You (or See One Go in Your Mouth!)

Every year, it seems the candy manufacturers put their Easter candy out even earlier than the year before. This year, Valentine's Day wasn't even upon us and I saw chocolate hearts, marshmallow peeps, and peanut butter eggs all sitting on the shelf next to each other. To a sugar addict like me, this was akin to being present for the filming of a horror movie. Candy everywhere, with the holidays merging together! Who were the insane people who thought this was a good idea?

Well, the people who planned this aren't quite so insane, from their own perpective anyway. Chocolate companies know that the earlier they stock the shelves with Easter candy, the more that will be consumed before Easter is even near. They can be sure that even those with the best intentions, who buy candy on sale to save for Easter, are likely to let their willpower go and give in to temptation...which means that they will buy even MORE candy to replace what they ate so the baskets can be filled. A bigger profit is made, all because we are addicted to sugar and can't wait for Easter to have it.

For me, this has always been a dangerous time of year, with candy tempting me everywhere I go. But this time around, I am very proud to say that I have not bought nor eaten one single piece of Easter candy. I will buy just a small amount of it right before Easter for my son's basket. Since our entire family is working on healthier eating, he will get just a few treats, along with some fruit. We will also put cool things in his basket like fun gadgets and either a new video game or DVD. The enjoyment from those last a whole lot longer than the sugar rush, and are lot better for him (and us).

How am I staying away from the candy this time? Reminding myself how awful I always felt after a candy binge, and not wanting to do that to myself anymore. I also keep my goals in mind...it's almost spring, and summer will be here before we know it. I have certain shorts and swimsuits that are waiting for me in my closet, that I WILL fit into this summer. You can do it too, you know. Just make sure that this holiday season when you are chillin' with your peeps, you are talking about your friends, and not the sugary marshmallow kind!