Sunday, October 27, 2013

Fuel Up Fridays - "I Want Candy"

Boo! What was that you ask? That was the voice of the gazillions of empty, hidden, sugary calories sneaking up behind you the week after Halloween - and landing squarely on your hips! Halloween is one of my favourite events - it's lighthearted and fun, all about the costumes and community bonding time together. The frights, the haunts, the howls! But there is a dark underbelly to all of this. The candy. The candy that sits in your bowl, calling your name every time you walk by it, mindlessly grabbing a "Fun Size" chocolate bar, realizing after 20 chocolate wrappers gather in your sweater pocket and your pants feel tighter that this size isn't quite so "fun" after all. Here are my favourite tips for avoiding HCT (Halloween Candy Traumatization) so that you can enjoy the little ghouls and goblins!
1.Start at the store. Avoid buying the Halloween candies you love. After the big night is over, I won't have a bunch of leftover candies that I know I will eat.
2.Out of sight, out of mind. Avoid setting the big bowl of Halloween loot on the kitchen counter where you can easily walk by and eat several pieces without even realizing it. Put the candy in the pantry or cupboard, and instead put sliced fruit or veggies on the counter.
3.Help friends & coworkers too. Avoid bringing all your extra candy to your workplace. If you really want to get rid of the candy, just throw it out. Yes, it may be wasteful, but it's better than you and your coworkers being "Waist-FULL".
4.Be real. Allow yourself some treats, but do so in moderation! Make a deal with yourself about how many treats you will allow yourself each day and account for those calories in your daily calorie plan or workout schedule.
5.If you do go overboard on Halloween treats, DO NOT beat yourself up about it! Avoid the negative thoughts about yourself. It doesn't mean that you are "weak" or "worthless". Avoid the all-or-nothing talk, like "I should just start my diet over again after the New Year." Try to stay on track. Just own it, move on, and stay focused one day at a time.
6.Use physical activity to help you through the Halloween munchies. Stay on track with your workouts/movement - your body will seek fuel to help it through - not empty nutrition like offered through mounds of candy.

If all else fails - use this handy CHART and before indulging decide whether it is worth all the burpees :) All times are extremely approximate, as are not based on YOUR individual statistics - but you get the point I think!

Candy Corn, 22 pieces = 140 calories - 10 Minutes of vigorous burpees
Fun Size Bars of Chocolate= 70-100 calories each - between 5 - 7 Minutes of vigorous burpees
Peanut M&M’s –2 Fun Size Packs = 180 calories - 12 Minutes of vigorous burpees
M&M’s – 2 Fun Size Packs = 140 calories - 10 Minutes of vigorous burpees
York Peppermint Pattie – 1 pattie = 70 calories - 5 Minutes of vigorous burpees
Milk Duds – 1 treat size box = 40 calories - just under 3 Minutes of vigorous burpees
SweetTarts – 1 treat size pack = 50 calories just under 4 Minutes of vigorous burpees
1 Tootsie Pop – 1 pop = 60 calories 4.5 Minutes of vigorous burpees
1 Tootsie Roll – 1 small roll = 13 calories just under 1 Minutes of vigorous burpees
Twizzlers – 1 treat size pack= 45 calories just over 3 Minutes of vigorous burpees

Gives it a whole new perspective, doesn't it?

FIND YOUR CORE - and Happy Halloween!

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