Sunday, October 31, 2010

What to do when zombified flesh eating death candy attacks.

To the breach!  Defend yourselves!  Hide the children!  Doom is eminent!

That's right.  It's holiday time.  Today is Halloween, the official commencement of the 60 days of eating bad food until you get sick.  Truth be told, it kind of snuck up on me this year.  There was chatter in the background by the kids talking about their costumes.  Some time last week, I came home from work and found the front yard decorated in a giant mock-spider's web along with a large image of a blood sucking zombie in the living room window.  Yet, my distracted mind was not able to focus on the underlying significance of these trappings and decorations:  it's candy time.

I didn't wake up until today when I took my DSW out to lunch to our favorite neighborhood place.  We grabbed a couple of stools at the bar for a nice meal, and there it was right in front of me:  a bowl of candy on the bar.  It almost looked odd and alien, like a bowl of peanuts that had been strangely transmuted into small chocolate bars.  All the favorites were present:  Reese's (love these), Three Musketeers, Snickers, etc.  It was seductive, yet terrifying and horribly evil all at the same time.

I was about three seconds from pulling my jacket back and doing a quick-draw move on a few of these little guys.  Somehow I was spared the abyss by a last minute thunderbolt of clarity: this is where it all falls apart.  This is where I look at the next two months and casually say:  screw it.  This is where I dive right into a two month calorie binge, telling myself that it will all be better in January (10 pounds later).  The thought of this kind of abysmal collapse bummed me out.  I didn't fall prey to it last year (not too much anyway), and I wasn't going to do it this year.

This Halloween, I'm going to say NO to candy that really doesn't taste nearly as great as it costs in POINTS values.  This Halloween, I'm going to look at candy like the villainous, horrible demon spawn that it is.  I need a flamethrower and a chainsaw!  I'm going to hunt zombie food, kill it all and send it flying back into the vortex of eternal fire!

I admit it.  I loved the old pixilated version of this game.  
OK, I'm being completely over the top, and only about 83% serious.  Yet for my own sake, I have a point. My best strategy when entering treacherous times is to make an overly dramatic statement in an effort to gird my loins.  [For those who enjoy a good idiom, I'm intending this expression in its militaristic form (see Wikipedia):  "The term "gird one's loins" was used in the Roman Era meaning to pull up and tie one's lower garments between one's legs to increase one's mobility in battle. In the modern age, it has become an idiom meaning to prepare oneself for the worst."]   I simply choose not to go into the next two months with a losing attitude.

So what commitments must be made as of today?  Simply stated, I need to choose not to steal from my kids' loot bags that will be hanging around the house for the next two months.  This is the third or fourth time that I have used this blog to proclaim that I will not commit larceny against my sweet, awesome kids.  Sad that I need to use a public podium to not commit theft, but hey, whatever works.

The way I look at it, most of these dwarf bars are about two POINTS values, the same as an apple or a non-fat greek yogurt.  That strikes me as a truly crummy deal.  Particularly in a recession!

This is my strategy, but that doesn't mean it should be your strategy.  My feeling is always this:  know yourself.  In my case, starting with a few small Snickers can lead to a bag full of misery.  Therefore, it's best for me to avoid the whole thing all together.  Many of you have much greater self control around candy than me, so using your WPA to cover a chocolate pop per night might work famously well.

Further, I also know that I'm traveling pretty much every day in November, and there is a Thanksgiving thrown into the mix for good measure.  Right now, I just can't afford the Halloween failure.  That doesn't mean I can't have fun.

Happy Halloween!!!!

Cheers,

dk

26 comments:

  1. For Halloween (but not so much on the other holidays) I also "gird my loins" as you so eloquently put it and vow not to eat that first piece of candy. If I approach each temptation with that idea -- don't eat the first piece -- then I can get through the presence of candy in the house. I have been known to choose 2 or 3 small pieces of candy and hide them - to be savored at some point in the future after the threat of excessive candy is gone.

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  2. I have the added bonus of working at a toy store, where I'm tempted by all the various candy treats. I agree though, 2 pts is kinda crazy for a moments satisfaction, so if I can think of it that way, it helps me get through.

    That and sweet but more healthy snacks, like fruit and raisins. Maybe a granola bar. Something that won't leave me hungry all over again in five minutes.

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  3. The first step is admitting you have a problem. I'm proud of you for taking that first step and inspired by you, I must say:

    My name is Trixie and I'm a candyholic.

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  4. I actually managed to make devils food cupcakes, frost them with cream cheese frosting, decorate them with "stakes" of those long tootsie rolls and black and white icing gel; and NOT EAT ONE! Woo! I rock!

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  5. This is actually my first time thru the holidays since joining Weight Watchers. I am very nervous about being able to resist all of the goodies. So far so good.

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  6. For me I find I can have one or two fun size treats but I make sure it is one I really love!! Than I am over it...Make sure it is worth it. Also my children are 19 and 22 so I do NOT have the tempting buckets of candy around!

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  7. Thank you so much for this post. You helped me firm up my resolve to make Goal by January instead of giving up for two months and starting over in January!

    ~Jennifer

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  8. I'm thankful for WW bars and cookies. Each time I wanted candy, I just reached for a one or two point WW treat. It worked for me. I'm already working on favorite Thanksgiving recipes with a leaner preparation. Plan ahead and you can succeed.

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  9. I've long been a member of the 'ah-screw-it' crowd. That was my fav part of your blog. I'm horrible at tracking, especially these sweet little numbers but that is what is necessary. It's eye opening to see how those '2's' add up! Speaking of Halloween...now THAT'S scary!

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  10. I call it 'Candy Season.' It starts in late August, which is generally around the time the Halloween candy starts appearing in stores and it doesn't end until the day after Easter. Sure, there's a six week lag in between Christmas and Valentines Day, but the stores don't see that... Once the Christmas candy leaves the shelf, the Valentines day candy replaces it. Same with Valentines day and Easter. Like Caryl, this is my first time on WW going through the holidays. Additionally, my husband and I are going on a cruise the first week in January, so I feel it's doubly important for me to show some restraint this holiday season. I learned very early in my WW adventure that I cannot continually deprive myself or I WILL over-eat. That realization seems to take some of the anxiety away for me.

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  11. Wow!! Ur story sounds just like my journey!! I used to start in Oct with the Halloween candy and continue through New Years Day!! The binge was great....eating all this food and candy and holiday cookies!!! Who cares, I'll start "again" on Jan 2...often 10-20 pounds heavier!!! Then I'd look back and get soooo mad at myself!! This is my 2nd year at my goal weight and I KNOW now that I don't ever want to start over!!! Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels!!!

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  12. I personally eat a piece of candy and count the points. That way I don't feel deprived. That is what works for me. Its when I deprive myself that after several months will fall into a binge. Sometimes I even have to replace a meal because I've run out of points, but I don't do it often. It works for me:)

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  13. Last year I had the "screw it attitude" and put 4 of 10 lbs. that where hard to lose in the first place back on. And it took me until April to get them back off. I will not be doing that again. Nothing tastes that good. Thanks for the reality check, Dave.

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  14. I am trying something new this year for me. I carefully, and I do mean carefully, went through my youngest's bag of treats and picked out my favorites for 35 points. I put it in a clear plastic zip lock bag that I have been carrying with me since yesterday!!! I almost took my middle daughter's arm off when she noticed that I had the only Mounds Bar! If it lasts the week, great, if it goes in one day I'm 35 points lighter this week. Let's see how it goes!

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  15. I love WW's! For years I tried to lose the weight by myself doing every diet out there and then some.
    My promise to myself is I am not going to lose another pound due to the fact I might find it again. For this point forward, I am working every single pound off for good.
    Thanks for being there.

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  16. GULP.....this blog just made me swallow that darn tootsie roll whole. I'm stepping away from the office candy bowl NOW....thanks for the reminders!

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  17. Thanks for this post! I need to adopt your attitude! For the most part, I try to only eat treats that I can't get the rest of the year - pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving, my mom's fudge at Christmas - oh, and the lemon squares that my co-worker makes for my birthday in Dec. Here's to all of us continuing to lose through this season!

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  18. I love this weight watchers site it gives me alot of support and ideas about situations that I find myself in Halloween is a challenge that I am struggling with because the candy is around and I feel that if I let myself have one piece of candy it will lead to the whole bag so I don't even let myself have it at all wich has been really hard but I guess that since I started dieting in April I weighed 239 and now I am down to 174 with 28 lbs left to my goal but these last pounds for some reason are the hardest and I don't want to set myself up for failure especially after seeing my before and after

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  19. The guys were sitting right next to me going through the candy bag Bobby got trick or treating. I over ate candy. I can’t believe it. Don’t take that first bite of something you can’t resist. I started again today tracking points. What a journey weight loss is. Jarhead J

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  20. I'm using the power of the BIG RED NEGATIVE points left to inspire me. I'm tracking every single point. It puts it in perspective, especially when before this i've managed to get as many activity points as WPA I've used. Thanks for the post it will remind me.

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  21. Wish I would have read this before I hit the day after binge 50% candy corn and peanuts jumped in the cart and yes I did indulge and stopping at one handful was well not possible- I confess I trumped myself. But hey lesson learned I will be going to gym in a short to try to undo some of the damages.

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  22. My leader once gave a good explanation of the after holiday candy sales. It might be 75% off and only cost $1 for a bag of candy, but if you eat that whole bag of candy, it will take you an extra two weeks to take off the extra weight, and at $12/week for WW, that bag of candy really costs you about $24.

    What a wake up call that was for me. I consider myself a bargain shopper, but when you look at it that way, it's no bargain....

    Keep the candy away!!

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  23. I was sooooo disappointed in myself today because, as expected, someone brought all their leftover candy into the office and left it for for everyone else to deal with. I thought I was prepared for this, but 2 fun sized Snickers and 3 fun sized 3 Musketeers later I realized I wasn't! After some words of advice from my sister (don't let the word "fun" fool you, there's nothing "fun" about the calories in those things) I forced myself to log the points and own up to the damage. Hopefully tomorrow will be a better, stronger day!!!!

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  24. I'm super lucky that I do not have a sweet tooth, so it is very easy for me to pass up on all of the candy. My weakness is cheeseburgers and french fries and I've learned to have them every now and then at a fast food restaurant or I just make a super healthy version at home. But no matter what I eat, I ALWAYS track my points and this keeps me on track no matter how bad I might eat that day.

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  25. Whitman's Weight Watchers chocolate has saved me from any lapse of decision I might have made this week! That 1 pt candy tasted better than anything the Mars or Hershey company might have come up with for 2 or 3 pts!! I'm trying to celebrate these upcoming holiday seasons not as eating feasts but legitimate times to celebrate family and friends! I'm so tired of it just being all about the food!!!

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  26. I'm with Trixie:
    "Hello - I'm Lisa, and I'm a sweet-a-holic."

    Actually .... I prefer salty and savory snacks; however, there's something about the holidays sets of "sweet alarms" in my head, instilling a desire for sweets not normally there.

    I will repeat the mantra of my WW group: "Nothing tastes as good as being thin feels." (Amen goes there!!)

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