It’s the week of Halloween – and regardless of your views on the holiday itself – there’s bound to be the extra temptation of candy somewhere. We had Fall Festivals at both the YMCA and our church this past weekend, so we’ve already begun the candy collection…
Here me when I say, I love, well, almost all of those pictured above – except maybe the Crunch and the plain M&Ms. Boring…. Chocolate PLUS caramel or coconuts or peanuts…Now we’re talking!
But here’s the thing – we all know moderation is key! If you are tempted to sneak from your kids’ stash, maybe have someone hide it. Or tuck some of the chocolate bars in the back of the freezer. There are also several options for sending candy overseas to our military troops, or using it for Operation Christmas Child boxes (hard candy only). And, you might even find a local dentist doing a Halloween-Candy-Buy-Back deal!
But here’s the thing – I know realistically, we’re going to have extra Halloween candy in our homes. And that’s ok.
I’m sure you’ve seen them all before. Every health and fitness related magazine, at some point in their publishing process, has used a chart of exercise equivalents for Halloween candy. For example, if you eat one fun-size Snickers, you’ll need to do 9 extra minutes on the elliptical.
(http://www.popsugar.com/fitness/What-Takes-Burn-Off-Halloween-Candy-32307957)
Please remember that these calculations are just estimates anyway! Some people get really hung up on the numbers of it all, but the amount of calories truly burned varies based on your individual weight, metabolism, intensity, etc. Don’t look at these charts and think you’ve found mathematical success to candy calorie consumption.
While it may be helpful to consider these numbers very loosely, it makes it seem like we have to endure however many minutes of “extra punishment” based on the candy we ate. Exercise should not be viewed as timed torture – it’s meant to be enjoyable and good for our health.
Perhaps we could change our frame of mind regarding Halloween candy altogether….
It’s a nice treat to have something special, but we don’t need to binge on this ridiculous haul of sugar. While admittedly delicious, does eating all four sticks of a Kit Kat really bless my body?
Lysa TerKeurst, in her book Made to Crave, provides a helpful mental script from 1 Corinthians 10:23: “Everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial.” I love this message so much, I put it on the bottom of my meal planners and food journals.
Don’t deprive yourself from all of the Halloween candy (if you really want some). Because the more you tell yourself you CAN’T have any, the more you will want it. “Everything is permissible…”
But then remember – “…not everything is beneficial.” Our bodies were not designed to consume gross amounts of sugars, preservatives, artificial colors, flavors, etc. Those fancy-wrapped candy concoctions really aren’t helping our bodies in any way.
Benefiting the body? The nutrients, vitamins, and minerals from fruits and vegetables, yes. Candy bars, no.
Since candy likely will be everywhere this week, I want you to think ahead to how you’re going to respond.
* Have a plan.
* Have healthy snacks readily available as well.
* Have mental scripts memorized.
* And — Have a Happy Halloween!
From, The Lead Zookeeper and my animals
Everyday Faith + Fitness 