Any advice from binge eaters on dealing with Halloween candy?
I'm buying candy on the way home from work on the 31st. Last year I bought it the weekend before and it was a disaster. I try buying things I don't like, but when I'm in a binging mood, there honestly is no type of candy I don't like.
I suppose I could give out something other than candy, but that just seems weird and I have no idea what's cheap and would make all ages happy. And I don't want my house egged for giving out something like toothbrushes.
Or I could just turn out the lights and pretend not to be home. Hrm. But that's fuddy duddy.
Anyone have any strategies to help bingers like me? To make it worse, my binges are ON candy, a lot of the time. Though I know the three biggest offenders, who won't be on my list of things to buy.
They make special halloween pencils, stickers, and other non-food treats designed for trick or treaters. That's all I'll buy anymore. It's better for them, and definitely better for me
I read some suggestions elsewhere, after scouring the web, that gave ideas like small pure juice boxes, or granola bars. Those would be more expensive, but I didn't get that many trick-or-treaters last year.
Last night I bought my Halloween candy. First of all, I was floored at how much candy in bags has gone up! I live in a very large apartment complex-300 apartments over a 20 acre area. We have lots and lots of really small kids. I really really enjoyed seeing all of their eager faces last year. I also was doing a "one for you, one for me" kind of handing out candy too. Let's get real and honest here!
Well, I bought three bags last night. It cost me $12!!! I hope, they remember the blond older lady that handed out good candy! That will be my reward--just kidding. My husband grew up on a farm and country kids don't trick or treat and he went into town once when he was growing up. He hates it. He feels all the knocking on the door disrupts his tv watching that night. I have such fond memories though of me going out and then driving my daughter and her friends when they were little that it is something I do look forward to.
SO, having said that I told my husband to pick a bag of candy HE liked and then I bought a big bag of candy that won't bother me. IF, you are counting points (and you didn't say), there is a link on this site that someone painstakingly figured out points for all kind of miniature candy. I have found that my craving for sweets have really been "nixed" by my daily supplement, Chromium Piconolate. It works for me. That and eating a balanced food plan. If you are eating a balanced food plan physically you "shouldn't" have too many cravings. I read that cravings, especially for carbs or sweets, is because you are not getting all your nutrients from your foods. Are you taking a vitamin these days?
If this a binge based on emotions and emotional attachements and you are experiencing compulsions (I work a 12 Step program for that) then the best thing is not to have any candy within 10 miles of you. Seriously!
So, determine what the source of your binge is and then treat it accordingly.
I either buy candy with nuts, because Im allergic or I go to mcdonalds and buy the icecream coupons and give those out.
This year I am sending dh out to buy the candy, and it has to be something with nuts. Because sometimes just being in the candy section is an issue for me.
What about the moms (and dads!) here who have trick or treaters bringing HOME pounds and pounds of candy? I have three children - last year we had twelve pounds of candy. I have come to absolutely DREAD this time of year. It makes me feel guilty about the fact that due to MY lack of self control, my kids have to miss out on having a few pcs of candy here or there.
I ended up buying big bags of bubble gum, Charms blow pops, and generic (dollar store) Lifesaver hard candies. Not the most thrilling candy, which I can attest to by the fact that it's been in my house for 3 days now, and I've not been tempted by a single piece. Plus I got some Kool-Aid 'juice' things in some weird shape, and some cheap juice boxes at the dollar store.
I also got a bunch of 'toys' at the dollar store, and plan to let kids pick from them if they want. Things like little tubs of playdoh, stickers, coloring books, crayons, pens with things on the end of them, erasers, that sort of stuff.
Oh, and I got two cheap little baby books, too. Last year some people had little babies out, dressed in costume, as the parents accompanied the older kids trick-or-treating. If I get any this year, I'll have something for them. :-)
P.S. Though I didn't attack the candy at home, there is tons of it at work already, and that's why I can tell you that 14 Hershey kisses comes out to be 8 Weight Watcher points...
Well I am not one to talk! i opened the candy after lunch and had 4 boxes of milk duds already! I am not going to punish myself, I did enjoy them! I also set in blinky lights to the halloween party at school instead of some kind of food treat for the kids.
I do 2 things, I take the left over candy to the school for the teachers AND I buy the candy from my kids! I give them some bargined amount, it has gone up over the years as they get savior but I would rather give the $20 to the kids for the handover of the candy and have it go to a game they want rather than pay the dentist for the fillings It gets it out of my house and away from the kids too!
Turns out, I was amazingly not in a binge mood this Halloween. I hope it continues, as we have candy at work, the good stuff, on display. But I've not really been interested in it. I learn to cherish these non-binge moods while I have them!
I'm super proud of myself!!! I haven't had ANYTHING. Even though I'm changing my eating habits, my husband keeps telling me "one won't hurt you". Well one can and most likely will lead to more
Way to go, tamaralynn! You SHOULD be proud. It's so hard to resist all those Halloween goodies. It took everything I had to not indulge yesterday too. But it felt good when I woke up this morning and didn't have to feel guilty about what I'd eaten. Of course, my impulse is to reward myself with a huge pepperoni pizza today. Guess a Lean Cuisine version will have to do...
Binge eaters and Halloween Candy?
Recovering Binge Eater
Guess a Lean Cuisine version will have to do...
