“Halloween is upon us” and so are the tricks n treats. This is your reminder to maintain a shame free mindset, so keep it simple and establish your priorities for the holiday seasons. 

My biggest challenge to you is to ENJOY the season for what it brings and don’t miss out on all the fun because you are overwhelmed with what NOT to eat. 

Here are ALL the ways I did the Halloween Holiday Parties/Potlucks wrong in the past: 

1. I had the mindset that I am fat so I can’t eat ANYTHING sweet or high in carbs/fat

–This all or nothing mindset set me up for failure because it was harder not to try all the delicious foods. 

2. In that failure mindset, I would choose to give up and that shame left me only wanting to just stuff myself full of all the food I “shouldnt eat”. I left those parties feeling uncomfortably full of guilt and shame.  

3. In an attempt to rebalance/reset, I would then starve myself the next day.

4. By spending all my mental energy thinking about what I would eat at the party, I was not focused on being present. I would be extremely conscious of what I was eating/how much and compare my weight/ size to others. 

Here are ALL the ways I enjoy the Halloween Holiday now:

1. Shift that mindset–Prayer–If you can sense you feel overwhelmed, say a prayer before you go to the parties/potlucks–this helps reshift my mind to be present and focused on the people around me. 
2. The 2nd part of that prayer piece is that prayer allows us to surrender our anxiety and desire to control. 

When I first began building this habit, I shifted that prayer from “God, help me not to overeat” to “God, help me be focused on the people around me and to listen well.”

The battle is always in our minds, so this is why you gotta start with prayer to stay grounded.  

3. Redefine your definition of failure–instead of having an all or nothing mindset–reflect on your goals of why you are choosing to eat better quality food. 

4. “Know thyself”–I am 100% a sweet tooth, so instead of limiting myself to absolutely NO treats, I instead make room to try all the amazing home baked goods. I sample all the goods and that provides freedom. The sampling technique allows you to taste a diversity of items and decide what items I want to go back for. 
5. If a party is in the evening or around lunch, try to fit in a workout to get your system moving but also this helps your body to metabolize all that goodness. 

So, here is the big picture for the Halloween party season is to reshift your mindset to be intentional with the people in your life, listen well, and EAT SLOWER. As we already discussed before we need that time for your brain and gut to connect(leptin & ghrelin) and pass signals to reach satiety levels. Just another reminder why it is a benefit to slow down our past faced lives. 

Cheers to a holiday season to enjoy the food and the company!