Oct 30, 2018

 by Chris Brown

Halloween is synonymous with two things: costumes and candy.  The latter is everywhere you look in the days leading up to the "holiday," and the candy treats the little ones bring home will continue to haunt you for days or weeks to come.

Halloween also kicks off the time of year when we're likely to see the most temptation around us for splurging on sugar and blowing our nutrition game. Thanksgiving is just weeks away, and Christmas quickly follows suit.  In between, get ready for an onslaught of holiday gatherings chock-full of empty calories.   It's a slippery slope until the New Year.

See, Halloween really is a spooky time of the year!

So, take a deep breath, and keep this in mind.  You are stronger than those oh-so-delicious candy bars sitting over there in the pumpkin-shaped bowl.

CrossFit Awaken encourages you to remember why you work so hard in the gym and what your bigger goal is, along what you want your long-term picture to look like.  (We're pretty sure it's not you sitting on the floor with a pile of empty candy wrappers at your side.)  Don't fall into the trap of eating a bunch of candy and consuming unnecessary calories and processed sugars that will do nothing for you but pull you further away from your long-term fitness goal. 

So before you go out to a party or reach for some (more?) leftover candy, here are a few ways to help you stay on track with your diet:

Fill up on a healthy meal before you take the kids out trick-or-treating or before you start handing out candy.  If you're hungry, you're far more likely to reach for the candy throughout the night.  It's like grocery shopping on an empty stomach, but in this case, it's all sugar... everywhere.Keep track of everything you're eating.  No, shoving that wrapper under the couch doesn't mean that Twix bar doesn't count.  Hold yourself accountable.Have healthy snacks nearby.  Again, try to keep your body full with nutritious calories. Stay hydrated.   This will also help you feel full.Think of those candies in terms of how much exercise you'll have to do to burn them off.  Each "fun size" Snicker has 80 calories.  That's about 8 minutes of running.  A box of Nerds only has 50 calories.  Well, that's only about 15 burpees.

And if you do happen to enjoy Halloween a bit too much, don't let yourself feel defeated.  You are not defined by a piece of chocolate or a handful of Skittles.  Come in the next day to help get yourself back on track and try to come in for an extra class or two. Our schedule offers several options, Monday through Saturday.

CrossFit Awaken is here to help you with your nutrition and fitness needs.  Speak with any one of our knowledgeable coaches if you have specific goals you'd like to meet today!