Resist Hallowe’en treats

That little candy bar on the right looks innocent and innocuous, doesn’t it? But it just might be the scariest thing you have to face this Hallowe’en…

We’re getting into that time of year where all sorts of excuses for overindulgence are just round the corner. Hallowe’en is the first biggie; it’s almost synonymous with chocolate and sweets (candy) in many people’s minds, with ghosts and ghouls relegated to second place.

If people are already starting to bring packets of “spooky cupcakes” and “scary cookies” into the office, or if you’re tempted to stock up on packs of fun-sized bars well in advance of the big day, read on…

Don’t buy treats until the 30th

You really don’t need to buy mini chocolate bars a couple of weeks in advance. Wait until nearer the time; that way, the goodies are more likely to end up going to trick-or-treaters than going into your stomach…

Keep treats well out of reach

If you’ve already taken advantage of the supermarket offers on Hallowe’en snacks – or if you really do need to buy in advance – then keep the treats well out of reach. Leaving them lying around in the kitchen won’t do much to boost your willpower.

(This works for chocolates at all seasons, not just Hallowe’en! You might want to read one of The Office Diet’s earliest posts, Out of sight, out of mind, out of reach.)

Be ready to say “no thanks”

If your colleagues are constantly bringing in treats for the office, learn to say “no”. Yes, it’s hard if you feel like you’re missing out – but if you leave your share for someone else, they’ll probably enjoy it more (and without the guilt)! If you’re worried about offending someone, read How to refuse a cookie.

Beware of fun-sized bars

Of course, one teeny tiny little chocolate bar isn’t going to hurt your diet. Why, it doesn’t even have 100 calories. So it can’t really count …

This is dangerous thinking! I know from experience that those multi-bags of mini chocolate bars are likely to do more harm than one proper-sized bar from the corner shop. If you scoff four or five mini bars (which is easy to do), you’ve eaten far more chocolate than if you had one “real” bar.

If you’re staying in…

When you’re home on Hallowe’en, you’ll probably be expecting trick-or-treaters. Try to find something that occupies you, without being so absorbing that you can’t interrupt it to answer the doorbell to a gaggle of witches and ghosts. If you’re sitting around watching television, that basket of chocolate bars near the door will look all the more tempting.

One word of warning: although you might be tempted to give out something healthier (fruit, or home-baked non-additive-packed goodies), parents are very cautious about what their children accept from strangers. Pre-wrapped treats are always best.

If you’re going out…

For those attending a Hallowe’en party for adults, you’ll probably find that the fare on offer includes at least some healthy options, so follow the same guidelines you’d use at any buffet. Look out for seasonal non-chocolate treats like pumpkin soup. Go easy on Hallowe’en drinks – it’s hard to tell how strong punch is.

Have a great Hallowe’en – without anything scary happening to your diet! And make sure you continue getting tips from The Office Diet by adding our RSS feed to your reader, or by simply entering your email address on the top right of this page.

(Image above by TheTruthAbout…)