Healthy Halloween Post Weight Loss Surgery Survival Tips

by Anna McCullough, Bariatric Dietitian

Halloween is a fun time to dress up in costumes, visit haunted houses and watch horror movies. However, the scariest part of Halloween to most individuals who have had weight loss surgery is the temptation of all the readily available Halloween candy. According to Donna Arnett, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Alabama-Birmingham’s School of Public Health, the average child accumulates 3,500 to 7,000 calories worth of treats on Halloween night. Talk about scary!!

However, this does not mean that Halloween cannot be fun for you or your children. Here are some survival tips for this Halloween season:

• Fill up before trick or treating: Prepare a healthy, high-protein meal before going trick or treating. The protein will help fill you up and you won’t be as tempted to snack on candy along the way.
• Hand out toys instead of candy
• Trick or Treat and Exercise: Park your car somewhere in the neighborhood and walk to each house instead of driving.  You could also make a loop through the neighborhood before and/or after trick or treating to get in some extra exercise.
• Procrastinate: Purchase your Halloween candy the day of trick or treating to avoid any temptation. Also, try to buy less than what you think you will need to avoid leftovers.
• Buy candy that you do not like: This will also keep temptation at bay by not buying your favorite treats.