Eating Season is almost here!

My first experience with dumping was two years ago on Halloween. I started mindlessly nibbling on the leftover candy and all of a sudden thought I was having a heart attack.

Buying something that I hate is a great plan. Also just turning out the lights and not being available.

I need a plan. Ugh.

Me too. Last year was simple. No candy. None. This year is going to be more of a challenge.

I agree, Kairk, Halloween kicks off the eating season, but because it's all about candy it's the toughest for me. I've been contemplating what to do about Halloween too.

My surgery was five years ago in August, and for Halloween that year I was only two months out. I gave out the good stuff. I wasn't tempted at all, and I took the leftovers to work and left them in the office kitchen for colleagues to gorge on.

The following two years I hunkered down for Halloween. Kept the outside lights dark even though I was home, and no one came to the door.

Then I got a dog and started walking her around the neighborhood twice a day and waving at the neighbors, including the kidlets. I decided that keeping the house dark on Halloween wasn't very friendly. So I went out and bought the kind of candy I supposedly don't like. It turns out there's no such thing. I had a lot of leftovers, ate a bunch of it, and threw the rest out, with coffee grounds and other kinds of smelly garbage covering it. (I now work from home, so couldn't take leftovers to the office.) I am SUCH a sugar addict!

This year I've been thinking about non-candy alternatives I can give out. Quarters? I have a bajillion quarters around, that would be easy. Glow sticks? Little packs of chalk, pencils, markers? We get a 2-3 dozen kids, at most, so even if the stuff costs more per item than candy, my total spend won't be much, and you can get a big pile of glow sticks from Amazon for a pittance.

In any case I'll figure out a non-candy solution. It might be a return to hunkering down, unfriendly or no. Have to do what we have to do, right?

Oh yes, the season of non-stop junk food is upon us. I will be starting a new job in a week and I have no idea how the junk food supply will play out. It is a small charter school, and I won't be meeting the other staff until then. I may have to avoid the teacher's lounge if it is as bad as most.

As for what to do on the big night, we haven't decided yet. Our neighborhood is full of children, but we may go out. I know that if I buy it, we will fall to the temptation, so it will either be a non-food hand out, or we will go out for the evening.

Oh yes, sweets galore! However my plan this Halloween is that I'll be working. No kids, no treats, not home. The rest of the year however is up for grabs. I really miss eggnog. I'm going to focus on at least getting to my surgeons goal of the 180's & maintain that for the "eating season", then concentrate on getting to my goal of the 150's.

One time when I was craving eggnog I took a cup of cold milk,added an equal packet,sprinkled with nutmeg. Blended it with one of those battery operated frothers .It's delicious .I think I'll try the same thing with vanilla premier protein

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One time when I was craving eggnog I took a cup of cold milk,added an equal packet,sprinkled with nutmeg. Blended it with one of those battery operated frothers .It's delicious .I think I'll try the same thing with vanilla premier protein

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Halloween is the least if my worries since we don't get trick-or-treaters. My biggest concerns are 1. Thanksgiving aND 2. Christmas sweets.

I always host thanksgiving at my house so my plan is to change the lineup a bit to make it healthier. Perhaps mashed cauliflower instead of potatoes, roasted sweet potatoes instead of candied yams, roasted veggies instead if stuffing, etc. I think the hardest will be wanting to eat everything on the table but having to prioritize my 4-6 oz on my plate. And of course there will be pie. I think my family would revolt without pumpkin pie.

My work peers are huge offenders of bringing in amazing homemade treats, especially during the holidays. Plus we sell tons of candy and hand our free samples... grazing is a real problem for me at work. My only plan so far is to ask all my coworkers to try and be concious about it and maybe not bring in as many treats this year. They've all been pretty supportive of my wls.

My husband is having lasik on the 30th so I won't be taking our kids out because we'll be out of town. (Surgery place is 300 miles away). We live in the country so we never get kids at our house so the only temptation will be the candy the kids get. Usually they get cheap stuff I don't like so it isn't a temptation. Like Kairk, I like chocolate with caramel and/or nuts.

for the rest of the eating season, I have found that I do well with moderation. I can eat one sugar cookie and stop, or a bite or two of pie. I always eat my protein first so I don't have much space, or I eat a tiny bit and put it away. I'm amazed at my restraint, because I never had it before. I also weigh myself every day and use that as a guideline. So, if I eat a cookie and the next my weight is up, I don't eat one the next day.