How can I avoid being tempted by Halloween candy?

When Halloween treats and sweets are sitting out, especially in bite-sized offerings like candy, it is very easy to fall into the habit of grabbing one or two every time you pass by. Before you know it, you've added several hundred calories per day, and you're well on your way toward gaining the 7 to 11 pounds that most Americans add during the holiday season.

Of course, if at the same time you've added in an extra hour of aerobic activity each day, it's all a wash. But the holiday season -- from Halloween through New Year's -- is the same season when we run from one activity to the next and unfortunately many people cut back on exercise. That's a tough combo.

So, enjoy some fun Halloween candy, but make some healthy snacks and set those out instead of a plastic pumpkin full of candy.
And, don't feel the need to polish off all the leftover Halloween candy. Homeless shelters and food pantries often welcome your extra bags of candy to pop in a sweet treat in their offerings. Consider a few days of feasting, then put or give away the rest of the candy.

Some families invoke the Halloween witch who arrives the Friday after Halloween and replaces leftover candy with a holiday book or other nonedible treat. Another trick is to buy only one bag of candy that you cannot resist -- and wait to buy it the day before Halloween. Make the rest of the Halloween give-aways fun stickers, pencils, toy skeletons, etc.

Halloween is the start of what I call the "Candy Holidays." From now until Easter we're bombarded with candy in the stores and as gifts. 

I try to avoid the candy aisles in stores altogether, or pick up a bag of my favorite and store it in a location that I can get to but not easily. If you do this, tell yourself that it will last longer that way. 

If you know you're going to be at a party, surrounded by candy and other festive goodies, decide ahead of time to choose just a few of your favorites and then leave the rest alone. Spread your candy eating throughout the evening. Visit it a few times, but don't linger there. There is no reason why you can't indulge a bit on Halloween and other holidays. Choose wisely and show a bit of constraint and you will be fine. 

Keep candy (if you chose to have it in your house) in a cupboard, out of sight. Choose 1-2 small pieces of only your favorite candy, sit down, and don't do other activities (watch TV, read, etc) while you take time to enjoy them.

One piece per day, and only for the first week of November. Make sure to account for the extra calories in your food logging. Life is too short not to enjoy a halloween treat now and again.

Everything in moderation is good rule of thumb during the holiday season.