When I think back to my formative years I have fond memories of dressing up and going out on the town to collect candies for Halloween. I come from a family of six which formed a nice little posse that would go out into the thick of the night looking for little treasures to eat. I was born and raised in the South Side of Chicago which at that time celebrated Halloween on two nights: the eve of the big day as well as the actual Halloween night! For me, this meant a "truck load" of sweets. I have memories of my feet absolutely aching from the long blocks we walked and each climb up the steps to the new house, yet I was always in anticipation of what treat I was going to get. In spite of my aches and pains, I was intensely motivated to push forward because I knew that when I got home I could eat my treats. Some nights it was raining and freezing. I even have memories of snow. But this never stopped me! I remember just salivating for that first bite of sugary goo. My pillow cases were so full that they were busting at the seams. I never tired of these delightful little bites. I always traded money, gum and anything non edible with my siblings. I just wanted that sugar! I had no idea that I was just grooming myself for the serious eating disorder and weight issue that I would struggle with for twenty odd years.

One year when my son was a little boy, at the tender age of three, I took him out trick or treating bringing back my own fond memories. At the time I had already released 75 pounds for a few years and was maintaining my weight loss by this skin of my teeth. On this particular Halloween Benjamin collected quite a treasure of treats by the end of the evening. I sat with him on the floor going through all of his delights to be sure there were no razor blades, poisons or suspicious looking treats. As I was doing this he fell fast asleep with his little cowboy hat still on, looking as sweet as one could look. I was all alone with his candy! When I made sure he was really asleep, I sneakily snuck one piece of his delectable stash in my mouth, and within seconds felt that adrenalin rush. It was down hill from there. I managed to eat all the chocolate pieces he had and anything else that looked worthy of eating. By the time I came to my senses and my belly was starting to hurt, I realized I had eaten just about all of my child’s precious bag of candy! The next morning he awoke looking for his collections and wondered where it all was. I told him when I sorted it I found many pieces that looked suspicious and that I threw them away for safety purposes. In my heart of hearts I was praying that God would forgive me for this trivial lie. One thing I know for sure is that this was one of the major episodes in my life that pulled me out of denial and allowed me to admit to myself that I definitely had an addiction to sugar and even though I was thin it was still getting in my way.

At that time I honestly believed that Halloween opened up the invitation of out of control eating for me, sliding me all the way into the New Year with a 15 to 25 pound weight gain, year after year. I learned after years of dieting and gaining weight during this time of year that it does not have to be so. I learned that if I have a routine of eating healthy and exercising built in all year round I do not have to fall apart at the holidays (Weight Loss By The Sea!). I save Sunday for my "treat" day which gives me something to look forward to every week. When the holidays roll around, if it is on a weekday, I just swap the Sunday "free" day for the Holiday. It is so simple and removes the guilt and the diet mentality. Holidays can be very challenging for many and begins with this childhood holiday known as Halloween.

I believe now is the time to get your eating in check before the holidays come unraveling. Wouldn’t it be deliciously wonderful if you could roll in 2003 at your desired weight or have a nice weight loss in progress? In three months time you could really get off to the start you want. Instead of purchasing candies for the little ghosts and goblins perhaps this year you could fill their little bags with coins, crayons, raisins, pencils or some treat that would not interest you. Often we buy the candies we like for our own mischievous intentions. Rise above and beat the system by becoming aware of your purchases. When your little ghost or goblin goes out into the night to collect his (her) treats plan on putting them away where you will not be tempted to take them. Perhaps you could wrap some in Ziplocs to freeze and place the others in a container you can not see into. I believe if we fail to plan we plan to fail. Turn your life around and start anew. This is your year for permanent life long change. Take charge of your life (Power Thoughts!) I still love Halloween and all it has to offer, but now know my own limits and changed a bad progression of eating, from October 31 all the way through January 1, into a pleasurable time of year with no guilt or weight gain! You can too!