The Scariest Thing I Saw This Week

Let me get something on the record: I'm not into scary.

Scary movies? Hard pass. Haunted houses? You could offer me $1000 to walk through one, and I'd still say no. If you know me at all, you know I love cash, so that tells you how serious this is.

I think Hocus Pocus is too scary to watch at night. Yes, the one where Bette Midler sings and Sarah Jessica Parker wants to eat children.

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Here's what actually scares me this time of year: mini candy.

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It shows up the first week of October, and it's everywhere. The office. The grocery store checkout. School pickup. The doctor's office (the irony writes itself).

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Quick math and visuals to scare you into reality:

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• A fun-size Snickers = 9 grams of sugar
• One sugar cube = about 4 grams
• Every "tiny" candy bar you grab = a little over two sugar cubes
• Three fun-size bars = one full-size bar

Let's play another fun game:

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If you ate just one mini candy bar every day in October, you'd take in about 2,480 calories and roughly 70 sugar cubes.

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At three a day, which is easy once the office bowl gets going, you're looking at over 7,400 calories, more than 200 sugar cubes, and about two pounds of pure fat.

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From candy you barely remember eating.

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Okay. Now I want to get serious with you for a second.

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Halloween is the on-ramp to the entire holiday season. October candy rolls into Thanksgiving pie, which rolls into holiday cookies, which rolls into a January spent wondering who shrunk your jeans (spoiler: nobody). That's the last quarter of the whole year, and it starts right here, with a fun-size Kit Kat on the receptionist's desk before you've even solidified your costume choice.

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And so many of us live in an on/off, all-or-nothing mentality with food. We're either "being good," or we've "blown it." One mini candy bar turns into "well, I already messed up today," which turns into "I'll start fresh on Monday," which turns into "I'll start fresh in January." I've watched this pattern play out with clients for decades, and I've lived it myself.

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That's why eating the Halloween candy is a much bigger decision than it looks.

The real question is how you want to show up for the holiday season
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How you want to feel in your body in December.

Who you want to be walking into the new year.

So make that decision now, on purpose, before the candy makes it for you.

Here's how I get through it:

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• Decide ahead of time. Make the call that you're not eating Halloween candy. This stuff is dead food. It's been sitting in a wrapper for who knows how long, and your body has zero use for it. Save it for a decadent restaurant dessert that's actually worth it. Once you've decided, stop negotiating with the candy bowl every time you walk by. The answer isn't maybe; it's no.
• Keep something in your pocket. Carry gum or zinc lozenges. When temptation hits, pop one in. Sometimes your mouth just wants something to do, and this gives it a job.
• Hand out toys instead of candy. If you're doing trick-or-treating at your house, grab little toys instead. Kids LOVE them, and you have zero leftovers calling your name at 10pm. Some of my favorites: glow stick bracelets, vampire teeth, Halloween stampers, and mini bubbles.
• Call in the Switch Witch. If your kids are trick-or-treating, let them pick two or three pieces of candy to keep. The rest goes out for the Switch Witch, who swaps it overnight for a toy. Yes, it's bribery. It works.
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And forward this to your friends and coworkers. You know exactly which ones are bringing their leftover candy to the office on November 1st.

With love (and a lot of gum),

Carly

P.S. If that all-or-nothing cycle sounds familiar, that's where my Wellness Starter Program comes in.

It's three private sessions where we dive deep into your lifestyle, your food, and your mindset. You'll get personalized guidance, clear action steps, and my cell number for check-ins between sessions. Real accountability.

My clients say it feels like having me in their back pocket. The progress they make in those first few weeks is incredible.

"Working with Carly changed everything. I stopped guessing, started healing, and finally have peace with food."

I only take a small number of private clients each quarter. If you feel the pull, trust it. This is your next level.