WeBeFit.com Articles - Halloween Candy Cravings

Halloween Candy Cravings
How to Indulge Responsibly

When you're surrounded by Halloween candy, it can be difficult to say no. All those temptations seem to call out whenever your mind starts to wander. Instead of obsessing, make a plan to treat yourself. The key word is: PLAN.

Before you start, figure out how many calories you're about to take in. Are you just looking for a taste or do you want to pig out? A taste will give you something to savor, but eating an entire bowl of goodies will leave you with a sugar rush and guilt hangover. Set an upper-calorie limit so you don't have regrets.
Now separate the treats into two piles, one that you like and another that you're going to give or throw away. When you're finished, put the reject candy in a bag and tape it shut. Then you should either throw it away or get it out of the house so you're not tempted. I like to put it in my car so I can drop it off at a local charity the next morning.
If you just can't bear the idea of throwing away food, and don't want to give it away, freeze it. Freezing candy helps it stay fresh for months and puts it somewhere out of sight. When you do take some out to eat, you're forced to eat more slowly because it's frozen.
Only eat the things you love. If you're a fan of caramel, don't fill up on calories from a lollypop. Eating only your favorites will leave you more satisfied and less tempted by the treats that remain.
Arrange everything in the order you plan on eating it. Start with your favorites, because if you put them last, you may eat through things you don't necessarily like to get to the "good stuff."
Put "roadblocks" in the middle of your candy lineup. Those are sweets that take longer to eat, forcing you to slow down. Suckers, hard candy and bubble gum can all act like roadblocks.
If you're really ambitious, do something healthy in between each treat. For example, after you eat a candy bar have a piece of fruit, jog in place for 3 minutes or do push-ups until failure.
Don't start eating if you're working on the computer, watching TV or when you're on the run. Giving your attention to something else takes away from the enjoyment and makes it too easy to overindulge. Concentrate solely on the candy and eliminate outside distractions.
Once you start eating, don't throw away the wrappers. You should line the empties up in front of you. Watching the pile grow can slow you down and act as a deterrent.

Here are three options based on how many calories you want to take in.

The Nibbler, 100 calories or less. You can experience a few of the flavors without really impacting your diet. Consider a tube of Whoppers, a Hershey's Miniature and throw in a packet of Smarties or a piece of hard candy to make it last. You get crunchy, chocolatey and tart.

The Dessert, 225 calories or less. Start slow with something to savor, a single Tootsie Roll takes a while to chew. Then move into your special treat. Have a Snickers, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups or a Twix. Take a drink to cleanse your pallet and wrap it up with a lollipop. Take it slow and your stomach will be able to send your brain an "all full" signal by the time you finish.

The Meal, 400 calories or less. With so many calories to choose from, you can indulge in a York Peppermint Patty, snack-sized Heath Bar, fun-size Mounds and still have 100 calories left over. Eat slowly and take several bites. Your goal is to enjoy, not wolf it down so fast you don't taste anything.

Once you've decided what you're going to eat, put it aside and GET RID OF THE REST. If that means putting it in a bag and stomping on it or unwrapping everything and flushing them down the toilet, do it. Don't keep anything around to tempt you beyond what you've got planned. Now you can enjoy your Halloween treat without it turning into a full-blown binge.

Curious how many calories, fat, saturated fat, sodium and sugar are in those treats? Find your favorites below!

(The labels are Calories / Fat / Saturated Fat / Sodium / Sugar)

*Ca.*	*Fat*	*Sat. Fat*	*Sod.*	*Sug.*

15	0	0	0	3	Bubble Gum
20	0	0	5	4	Peppermint Hard Candy
20	0	0	5	4	Butterscotch Hard Candy
20	0	0	5	4	Strawberry Hard Candy
20	0	0	5	4	Grape Hard Candy
20	0	0	5	4	Orange Hard Candy
20	0	0	5	4	Lemon Hard Candy
25	0	0	0	6	Smarties (1 Packet)
*Ca.*	*Fat*	*Sat. Fat*	*Sod.*	*Sug.*
30	1	1	19	4	Whoppers Snack Size Tube
42	3	1	11	4	Mr. Goodbar Miniature
42	3	1	11	4	Krackel Miniature
42	3	1	11	4	Hershey's Special Dark Miniature
42	3	1	11	4	Hershey's Milk Chocolate Miniature
50	1	0	5	7	Tootsie Roll (1 Mini Roll)
60	3	1	7	6	M&M's Peanut Fun Size
60	3	2	18	7	Crunch (Small Snack Bar)
*Ca.*	*Fat*	*Sat. Fat*	*Sod.*	*Sug.*
60	0	0	15	11	Hard Candy (3 Pieces of Farley's)
60	0	0	15	11	Jolly Rancher Lollypop
63	2	1	28	10	3 Musketeers Fun Size
67	4	2	10	7	Kit Kat Wafer Snack Size Bar
67	4	3	12	8	Hershey's Milk Chocolate Snack Size Bar
70	3	2	10	9	M&M's Mini's Fun Size
73	3	2	10	9	M&M's Fun Size
75	3	2	28	10	Milky Way Fun Size
*Ca.*	*Fat*	*Sat. Fat*	*Sod.*	*Sug.*
77	5	2	50	9	Heath Toffee Bar Snack Size
80	5	4	20	7	Mounds Dark Chocolate Fun Size
80	4	3	30	8	Twix Fun Size
80	5	3	20	8	Almond Joy (Small Snack Bar)
80	4	2	43	9	Snickers Fun Size
85	4	2	43	9	Butterfinger (Small Snack Bar)
85	5	2	60	9	Reese's Peanut Butter Cup (Single Cup)
85	4	2	43	10	Baby Ruth (Small Snack Bar)
*Ca.*	*Fat*	*Sat. Fat*	*Sod.*	*Sug.*
90	0	0	0	17	Chewy Lemonhead & Friends Candy (Snack Box)
95	4	3	45	11	100 Grand (Small Snack Bar)
140	3	1	40	24	Now and Later (3 Squares)
140	3	2	10	25	York Peppermint Pattie