Okay, fess up, you know you have done it. The kids have brought home bags of candy and when nobody is looking, you have fished through to find the good stuff. A little fun size candy bar here is harmless, right? I mean it is so small, how can a few of those hurt you, right? Then there is the after Halloween candy sales at the stores that are hard to resist and of course your co-workers are all bringing their extra candy to work to get it out of their homes so now you are tempted at work. It is a tough time of the year!
The problem with candy is that it is small and you don’t feel like you are blowing it. Unfortunately, candy does a terrible thing to your blood sugar. It spikes it super high and then drops quickly so you feel awful and sometimes so jittery that you grab some more candy in order to get rid of that feeling and before you know it, you have eaten 2000 calories in candy. This is a neat tool from kidshealth.org that helps show you and your kids how quickly that candy adds up. You just drag your candy of choice to the pumpkin to see the calories add up. Turn on the sound because the pumpkin talks to you!
http://kidshealth.org/misc/movie/kid/pumpkin.html
A good rule of thumb for kids is to only let them have as many pieces of candy as their age. So a 6 year old would only be allowed to pick 6 pieces of candy. We have to teach our kids to practice self control just as we need to. So how do you prepare for this battle? Here are a few tips to help you keep from tipping the scales this Halloween.
1. Give out candy you don’t like. If you don’t like it, you won’t eat it so it won’t matter if it is in your home. Another option is to give out little inexpensive toys like the ones that are put in piñatas. I always feel like I am not practicing what I preach by giving out unhealthy stuff to others! For safety, this is a better option than making your own goodies because most parents would not let their child eat a homemade treat from a stranger with good reason.
2. Skip Trick or Treating and have a fabulous party at your house for your family and friends. Find better alternatives to the candy by baking your own goodies, or choosing delicious chocolate alternatives like Chocoperfection (www.chocoperfection.com) which is sold at our local health food stores.
3. If you want to treat yourself to a piece of your favorite candy, be sure to not skip any meals, eat a good breakfast, eat every 2 hours, drink a lot of water and that way when you do eat your treat, you won’t be listless and hungry when it is time for your special dessert and eat more than one piece.
4. Don’t let the candy linger. Once Halloween is over, donate it to homeless shelters, assisted living centers, churches, etc.
5. If the candy and goodies are brought to your work, bring yourself a fruit and veggie tray to keep at your desk to snack on and a healthy drink to sip on to help deter you from the temptation.
Above all, this is such a great opportunity to be an example to your family and show them that you can have some fun without losing control. You can find ways to celebrate without food. Food tends to be the center of most celebrations and we have to make it a side thing. The focus of the celebration should be the time you are spending together with your loved ones. When you feel tempted, remember that you are being watched by your family, friends and co-workers. One negative choice could also greatly effect another person and again, you might not know it. One positive choice that you make could greatly effect another person and you might not even know it.
Krista Johnson is the owner of Fit By Faith Fitness Center which was established in October of 2006.
She is the mother of 4 children ages 18, 13, 10 and 6 and has a passion for helping others get in shape from the inside out. Krista is a walking testimony having lost over 100lbs and has successfully kept it off .
During her weight loss, she had a vision of creating Fit By Faith.
She believed she was to change the atmosphere of the gym and create a different environment for people to work out in. Krista is a former High School Theater Arts teacher and is currently attending college to obtain her B.A in Sports Medicine.
She holds certifications as Personal Trainer with the International Sports Science Association Tae Bo® fitness instructor (Certified by the creator Billy Blanks) Group Fitness Instructor for Adults, Children and Seniors SilverSneakers® Muscle Strength & Range of Motion for Seniors Black Belt 1st Dan in the art of Tae Bo Kwon.
She maintains her certifications annually through continuing education classes and training camps and requires all her instructors at Fit By Faith to do the same. She also competes in races and other competitions regularly.
Krista has appeared in 3 Tae Bo® infomercials on national TV Shape, Collage Video, Looking Good Now and Christian Living Magazines Several times in the Brownwood Bulletin Newspaper.
She has also been featured on several websites such as The Fitness Zone, The Biggest Loser, ivillage as well as the Billy Blanks Website. Krista has been a motivational speaker at many churches and radio stations.
Krista and her husband John, who is co-owner of Fit By Faith, both have hearts to help others to feel good, to be healthy and strive everyday to serve more people in this manner.
