Does having a bowl full of candy for the trick or treaters scare you?

Does that supply of sugary goodness call to you all day, luring you into its clutches over and over, one piece at a time? Have you ever had to buy Halloween candy twice, because you ate the first batch?

You are not alone.  I was listening to women the other day talking about their Halloween candy strategy.

One lady said she only buys candy she hates, so she won’t want to eat it.  Her friends thought  that was a good idea. Several agreed that was their strategy, too.

Then, the hammer fell.  To a woman, the all agreed IT DIDN’T WORK!  They don’t like the candy, and they eat it anyway!

As A Child
I had a strategy for eating Halloween candy.  I started with the candy I loved. When that was gone I would eat the candy that I liked. When that was gone I would eat the candy I didn’t really like. Finally, I ate the stuff I just like. . . just to get the sugar.

As an adult, I tried to trick myself, buying candy I really didn’t love so I wouldn’t eat it. Didn’t work. The next year I bought candy I didn’t like.  Just like the women above admitted, it didn’t work!

A Better Way
What I’ve learned and what I teach is that putting something off limits just makes me want it more.  When I can’t get what I really want, I substitute anything, like the candy I didn’t even like!

I’ve studied nutrition since I was 18 and when I learned that flavor molecules are mostly carried by fat molecules, a light bulb went off!  I wish I had that light bulb moment when I was 18 – it would have saved years of struggle!

Now I’m picky about what I eat.
If I want a brownie, I don’t eat the low-fat stuff, because it just doesn’t satisfy me.  When I try to eat low-fat, I just eat more, trying to find  satisfaction.

I buy the stuff I really like.  It satisfies me.  I eat want I want, and pay attention to every little molecule of flavor, every bit of creamy goodness. I pay attention to the way it smells when I unwarp it, the way it feels on my tongue.  I love the way good chocolate feels like velvet as it melts on my mouth!   I pay attention – you might call it being mindful – and I’m satisfied pretty quickly, without over-eating, without guilt, and without the mental chatter or condemnation.

If you want to learn more
about eating less and enjoying more, or if you have struggles with weight and eating, let’s hop on the phone and sort it out. Just click this link to schedule a convenient No Obligation. Discovery Session.

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