3 Tips to Prevent Holiday Weight Gain After Halloween with Registered Dietitian, Kelly Jones

The holiday may be gone but are you still being haunted by Halloween candy in your home (or workplace) today? Even if you ignore the Christmas decorations at the grocery store and Target, the holiday season is officially upon us. That’s right, it doesn’t start at Thanksgiving, but Halloween.

From Oct 31 (or before depending on when you purchase Halloween treats) through January 1 many Americans fall into several different patterns that promote weight gain. Some people mindlessly eat extra candy, baked products, and snacks and others have an “all or nothing” mentally where they binge or restrict and feel guilty or proud. Some become so stressed this time of year that they turn to food and stop prioritizing exercise.

Many media reports indicate a 7-10 pound gain while most research studies report just 1-5 pound gains for a typical American during this season. No matter what the gain, it is harder to lose it than it is to put it on. The holidays are hardly a time to lose weight – we should enjoy ourselves, but we can have a great time without extra pounds of fat! We should be thinking about our long term physical and mental health.

We are in encouraging a Maintain Don’t Gain culture. Here are some tips for dealing with the post-Halloween candy and other holiday treats that are soon to come, so that you can maintain your weight during the season.

  1. Mindfully eat only your favorite treats

I know myself – I like chocolate. Sugary candy doesn’t do it for me so why would I waste calories and sugar intake on something I don’t even enjoy? Question whether or not the candy you’re eating is worth it and if it’s not, you probably won’t mind skipping the treat later.

  1. Pick an accountability partner

Pick a friend (or a few) that you’ll report your candy intake to. Set limits together and stick to them.

  1. Make food rules that work

Ex: If you allow yourself one piece of candy a day, make it a bite sized one. Only allow yourself a piece each day for one week, then throw out the rest or freeze them for another time. Do 10 burpees each time you have a piece, etc!