Don't get me wrong: I'm not urging you to be a Halloween Scrooge. It's possible to have fun at Halloween -- and even eat candy if you avoid excesses. Some tips:
• Buy only what you need for the trick-or-treaters and buy your least favorite candy. Give away the remaining candy at the end of the evening.
• If you want to lose or maintain weight, keep your candy -- or other "extra" calories -- to no more than 10 percent of your daily calories (that's 200 calories for the average 2,000-calorie intake). You may even get away with one big splurge on Halloween. But if you splurge for two or more days, it will probably affect your waistline negatively.
• If you can't resist eating too much candy, wait to buy it on Halloween day (or don't buy it). This way, the candy won't be sitting around as a constant temptation.
• Try healthier alternatives such as popcorn, roasted pumpkin seeds, sliced apples and fruit with dips.
• If you do overeat, lighten up, don't dwell on the negative and get over it! Analyze objectively what you can do differently next time.
• If you feel driven to eat sweets, it may be a signal that you're depressed, anxious or stressed. Reduce tension, depression and anxiety by getting more sunlight, exercising, meditating or talking with loved ones. It's important to understand the core of the problem and for that, you may need to seek help from a professional.
-- Katherine Tallmadge
