If you’ve got young kids chances are you have more two bite little chocolate bars in your house than you know what to do with. These little morsels are deceptively evil for a few reasons.

1) They’re tiny. Which makes it hard to believe something smaller than your thumb could have the same calories as a piece of bread but they do. That means if you sit down with a bowl of treats beside you it’s pretty easy to eat 4 or 6 or 8 (or more) in just a couple minutes flat. That’s enough right there to prevent any weight loss from happening this week

2) Even if you skip the chocolate and go for the “fat free” sugar candy – like sour patch kids, sour peaches or licorice because you think it’s somehow better for you because it doesn’t have fat you’re tricking yourself. That “fat free” candy is loaded with pure sugar and just two little bags (~ 20 tiny little candies) equals the same calories as a piece of bread.

3) It stays in our house for a loooonnnggg time. I limit the amount of treats my kids get which means their Halloween haul + our leftover candy stays in our house for a long time. It can be easy to rely on sheer willpower for a couple of days but (and this can happen to anyone) eventually those little morsels start to call your name and in the middle of November you can find yourself ripping into the wrappers.

So, what is a mama to do?

I’m going to share with you my top strategies for not letting Halloween ruin my ability to fit into my skinny jeans (even if you’re not a mama these strategies will still work btw).

1. I think of them as poison. I consciously change how I think about this stuff and instead of thinking of those brightly wrapped tid bits as “treats” I consider them things that are bad for my health. To be honest, there are very few Halloween treats that I love. I’d waaaayyy rather indulge in a homemade cupcake or brownie than eat that crap.

2. I also say to myself “A moment on my lips, a month on my hips” – another honest moment here – In the past if I started eating Halloween candy I’d rarely stop at just one. Usually I’d eat it at night, by myself when I’m tired and should probably have been going to bed but I’m up doing something else and so I’d give in. Now, I know I’ve worked hard to make a commitment to my health and exercise routines and I don’t want to impact that. It’s simply not worth it.

3. I also hide it. This is a great strategy for a few reasons. If the bowl was left on the counter somewhere where both the kids and I could see it it would lead to an endless amount of begging for candy. Instead it’s out of sight and when it’s out of sight it’s out of mind – for all of us. I literally have to get up on a chair to get something out for us.

4. Throw some of it out every day. I know that this amount of sugar and junk isn’t good for anyone in my family. So every day I take a handful or two and I throw it out. Then I set a date and as a family we throw out the rest of the candy together and enjoy a homemade treat instead that we all make together.

5. Make tea or drink a big glass of water. If I’m getting the bags out to give something to my kids I make sure that I’ve either already had a big glass of water or that I’ve got some good tea on the go. That makes me feel like I get a “treat” too and reminds me that I just really don’t need to put that in my body.

Alright, I know you gals are smart. What other strategies do you use at this time of year to limit the amount of junk you eat? Drop down into the comments below and share your ideas.

Then download my *free* 10-Step Sugar Detox Guide. I lay out 10 simple steps you can start doing in your life tomorrow, so that within 24 hrs you can feel better and in more control of your sugar cravings – promise.

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