The easiest way to enjoy Halloween candy without going overboard is to stop trying to avoid it. Grab a couple of the ones you actually WANT, pre-log them, and sit down and actually enjoy them. Candy isn't going anywhere, and one night of it isn't going to move your weekly average, so if the night goes sideways anyway, eat your normal breakfast the next morning and keep going.
Every year around this time I hear some version of "I'm just not going to touch the candy this year." And I get it!! But I've been coaching women long enough to know how that one usually plays out.
Why does "I'm just not going to touch the candy" backfire?
Because it usually turns into grazing. You don't let yourself have the full-size Reese's you actually love. So you have a fun-size Milky Way while you're sorting the kids' buckets. Then two more walking past the kitchen. Then a handful of whatever's left at the bottom of the bowl on Sunday night, and you didn't really enjoy ANY of them.
Making a food "off limits" makes it louder. The more you tell yourself you can't have it, the more you think about it, and once you've had one, the night already feels ruined. A planned treat is a lot less likely to turn into a grazing session (or a pantry raid) than a "forbidden" one.
How do I eat Halloween candy without feeling guilty?
Decide ahead of time, then eat it like you meant to. Before the weekend, pick your favorite Halloween candy (yes, actually decide). Grab a couple, pre-log them in your app so they're already planned into your day, then sit down and actually enjoy them instead of eating them standing over the kids' buckets.
In FitHer, truly NOTHING is off limits. Calories come first, then protein and fiber, with mostly whole foods and room for the foods you love. The full-size Reese's fits in that.
Is it bad to eat candy every day?
No. Candy isn't going away, and you can have it any time of year, not just the week of Halloween. You can absolutely have a mini Snickers or a Reese's pumpkin every day for the next 365 days, planned into your macros for the day, and nothing bad will happen to you. You're not going to gain 100 pounds. You're not going to all of a sudden become diabetic. And you're not a bad person because you had candy.
What trips people up is the bingeing and the restricting. On the wagon, off the wagon. On a diet, off a diet. That cycle is what we want to get you out of.
What if the whole weekend goes sideways?
Then it goes sideways, and you keep going. One night of candy is not going to move your weekly average. To gain a pound of fat you'd have to eat about 3,500 calories more than you burn, and most of the jump on the scale the next morning is food and water that haven't moved through yet.
What actually adds up is letting one night turn into a "screw it" weekend and then waiting for Monday to start over. So the next morning, eat your normal breakfast with protein, drink your water, take your walk, and carry on with your plan. No skipped meals, and no extra cardio to "make up" for it. Food never has to be earned.
Your effort also doesn't have to be all or nothing. A 5 out of 10 day is NOT a zero.
How do I get through the rest of the holiday season?
Walk in with a plan. A client asked me a while back how to handle a full day at a water park without undoing everything she'd built. My answer was go, have fun, and walk in with a plan, and that's the same answer I give for the stretch we're heading into now: Halloween, a birthday party, the work potluck, Thanksgiving, the cookie exchange, Christmas Eve at your in-laws'...
Any ONE of those days is easy to come back from. But six of them in a row, each time saying "just this once," is how a lot of women end up in January feeling like they have to start over completely.
So pull up your calendar, look at what's actually on it between now and December, and pick TWO days you want a specific plan for. Consistency over perfection applies here too. We aim for 80 to 90%, and one big night doesn't cancel the rest of your week. (And yes, you're allowed to eat the pie.)
When obstacles come up, we develop a plan that works for me in the moment, guilt-free!Annette K., FitHer client
If candy and holiday food tend to spiral into guilt for you, you can read more about how I coach binge eating and food freedom here.
Quick answers
Should I avoid Halloween candy if I'm trying to lose weight?
No. Swearing it off usually means grazing on candy you don't even love all weekend. Pick your favorite, pre-log a couple, and sit down and actually enjoy them.
Will one night of Halloween candy ruin my progress?
No. To gain a pound of fat you'd have to eat about 3,500 calories more than you burn, and one night won't move your weekly average. What adds up is turning one night into a whole weekend off.
What should I eat the day after Halloween?
Your normal breakfast with protein, your water, your walk, and the rest of your plan as usual. No skipped meals and no extra cardio to make up for it.
Do you coach women online?
Yes. FitHer is fully online through the Trainerize app, where your workouts, food logging, check-ins, and the group chats with the rest of the FitHer ladies all live.
Written by Lindsay Clements
I'm the coach behind FitHer. I've coached 300+ women online over the last 5+ years, and I healed my own binge eating and postpartum metabolism issues before I ever coached anyone else.
Functional Nutrition and Metabolism Specialist · Certified Nutrition Coach · Certified Personal Trainer · M.S. in data analysis · U.S. Navy veteran (12+ years)
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