It Is No Trick to Enjoy Your Halloween Treats.

It seems that Halloween, a candy filled holiday on it’s own, starts the slow decent into the holiday season. From here on out all things seem to point to huge meals, lots of calorie heavy cocktails, candy, cookies and other yummy treats. Along with all those tasty treats is the loss of time between the shopping for Halloween costumes, thanksgiving dinner preparation and the parties and time spent with family and friends, your exercise routine seems to be the first thing to go. More calories less exercise leads to a few extra pounds by the time you roll into the New Year.

Here are a few tips to get you through Halloween Day, and maybe just maybe through the rest of the holiday season without undoing all the hard work you have put into getting healthier all year.

-Schedule your workout: Make an appointment with your exercise regime. If you put on your calendar and treat it as you would any other important meeting you are more likely to get in a work out even if it is a short one. You could also schedule to get your work out first thing in the morning so no matter what comes your way the rest of the day you can say you worked out.

-Plan your meals: Nothing is worse then trying to figure out what to have for dinner after a long day at work looking ahead to a few hours of trick or treating, plan your meal ahead of time. Choose something you can put together easy, maybe even put a new spin on the night before leftovers. Being full will help you from sneaking a few (ok more than a few) treats out of your loved ones candy bucket.

-Portion Control—It is Halloween no one wants to say no to their favorite candy, but enjoy one trial size (maybe two) and then let it go. The taste of the candy should quiet that nostalgic sweet tooth without adding too many empty calories.

-Focus on Fun and less on Food: Are you in charge of the Halloween party this year? Why not fill it up with tons of games that have nothing to do with food/candy? Make the prizes for best dress a gift card for iTunes? Serve healthier options for food and make a low calorie signature cocktail for the adults who need to have a bit of fun as well. You and your kids won’t be missing out on anything and you will long savor those happy memories instead of the many calories.

-Forgive yourself: The alarm didn’t go off in time for your morning workout, you don’t have time to cook the healthy dinner you planned so it is PB&J for everyone, you just couldn’t help yourself to a more than a few treats. Fine it happened move on, note what didn’t work for you use that for later down the road (say maybe a Christmas Party) and get right back on that healthy choices wagon. You are human you will on occasion not make the best choices acknowledge the fall and then move right past it. No need to beat yourself up, everyone on occasion makes the less than healthy choices. Pick yourself up dust yourself off and get back to work.

Halloween maybe a holiday filled with candy and sweet treats, but it doesn’t have to be the death of your healthy lifestyle. You can enjoy Halloween as long as you prepare for the hard choices you know you are going to have to make, and give yourself the permission to splurge and eat one of those trial size candy bars.

Do you have a favorite healthy Halloween treat?