When I was rowing, one of our team mantras from our coaches was “Plan to win, prepare to win, expect to win.” When we planned and prepared to win, we did. Our team had the most successful season when we kept that phrase and mentality front and center. Everything we did was focused on the expectation to win. It wasn’t luck. It was effort to plan and prepare for it. If we plan and prepare for the thing we want, we can expect to do it.

Halloween is this week, and whether or not you have trick-or-treaters visit your house, it is likely you may encounter some extra candy or other fall “treats” this week. When that happens, how do you want to handle it? If you expect to have candy or favorite treats in the house or at work, what will keep you on your path toward your Best Healthy Self?

There is absolutely nothing wrong with enjoying some of your favorite fall treats, or any treats. Food is fun, seasonal food can be extra fun, and whether or not they are healthy foods, fun foods are part of an overall healthy eating pattern. Swearing off a particular food or food group tends to backfire and lead us to eat more or eat “around” the thing we actually want to enjoy. So, make a plan to incorporate fun types of foods – whether or not they are healthy – within the context of your healthy life. Balance less-healthy foods out with mostly good nutritional choices. Keep up with daily movement you like doing. Plan how you can savor and enjoy the foods you love, then move on to the next healthy thing to keep that healthy life going.

Specifically talking about Halloween this week, if you get trick-or-treaters, you may opt to buy candy you don’t like to hand out to the kids, therefore removing the temptation to eat any. Or you may opt not to buy candy or hand it out at all. But what happens if you buy candy you like, or are faced with candy/treats you like in some other environment, what is your plan for that? Consider how much of it you want to enjoy, and when and how you will enjoy it. What is your plan for handling any leftover candy or facing favorite fall treats, and maintaining your healthy lifestyle?

We get trick-or-treaters for Halloween, and I bought candy I like. I allow myself to eat as much candy as I want on Halloween Day only, as long as it fits into my overall nutritional goals. For me, that usually looks like starting the day with my normal workout, eating my normal healthy meals and still having enough extra calories/WW points available to enjoy one or two pieces of my favorite candy. I eat those pieces at some point in the day when I am not distracted, so that I can fully enjoy them. After the trick-or-treaters are done, I bag up any extra candy we have left and seal it for donation to a local hospital that takes candy for their staff and families of their patients. I have found it is easy for me to manage enjoying a couple pieces of candy for one day, but it is hard for me to continue managing that for several days if the candy is in my house, so I choose to get rid of any extra candy and carry on with my healthy life the day after Halloween. This is my plan for handling and enjoying some Halloween candy, and it works really well for me, but it may not work for you.

Take a minute to think about how you want your Halloween to go, and what the day after will look like. Halloween is one day, and here on Halloween week, don’t leave your healthy lifestyle up to chance or luck. You are worth the effort to make a plan, prepare for and follow that plan, and expect to continue living a generally healthy life.