First off I want to say Happy (early) Halloween! It’s my favorite time of year!

But it is also a sort of scary time of year, and I am not talking about ghouls and goblins scary! One thing that most fear around this time of year is gaining weight… first we have the abundance of sweet stuff surrounding us with Halloween candy, cookies, and other treats. The shorter and colder days – leads us to be more lazy with exercise. And of course the other holidays coming up that are full of family get togethers that always consist of eating lots of rich, tasty meals and the largest assortment of desserts you’ve ever seen! “How do we get past this without gaining weight?” you might ask. Well, everyone is different and there is no one answer to that question.

If you’re lucky, you have what is called willpower. The will to stop your hand from eating multiple servings of appetizers. The will to not fill your plate up with the main meal. And lastly, the will to have just a tiny sliver of pie instead of sampling 2 or 3 different kinds.  This is a rare thing to have, and if you do, just know you you one lucky person!

The rest of us have to really work hard to not partake in those things. Keep in mind that I am a firm believer in allowing myself cheat days – days in which I can eat something I normally wouldn’t, something that might not be the best for me, and not feel guilty about it. I feel like if I don’t allow myself these days I might become bored of living healthy and eating healthy, & stop caring. But, I want to remind you: please do not take advantage of this wonderful thing we call a “cheat day”. I still have to keep my head faced forward in the direction I want to be. I seek to be as healthy as I can be, eat as healthy as I can and exercise as often as I can. These are my goals. And I choose to stick with them. Keep your goals in mind often. If you haven’t set goals, do it now! Setting goals is the first step to getting things done. They help guide us to get where we want to be. Goals help you. Like when you decide to have a cheat day, you can feel fine about it because you know you will get right back on track the next day to reach these goals. Plan your meals ahead of time to help you follow through with getting back on track.

That brings us to the holiday’s and all the wonderful delights that tempt us! I think that if you know you can get right back on track after a little indulgence, then go for it! And do not beat yourself up about it. A little speed-bump called apple pie will not be the end of your diet. You will not gain all the weight back you lost just from that one piece of pie…. as long as you can have the willpower to get back in gear afterwards you are fine with indulgences. Go ahead and enjoy life a little. Just do not over do it!

And to kick off the holiday spirit I want to share a little recipe I found online that I have modified a little to fit my own needs. Feel free to adjust to your needs. Eating these will make you feel like you’re cheating, but they are full of good and healthy ingredients that makes it that you really aren’t cheating!

PUMPKIN SPICE FALL BALLS (Adapted from Clean Eating Chelsea)

1 cup raw almonds, ground in food processor

1 cup oats, ground

1 cup raw pecans, ground in food processor

2 tbsp. coconut oil

1/4 cup agave

1 tbsp. vanilla extract

2 tbsp. canned pumpkin

1/2 tbsp. cinnamon

1/2 tbsp. nutmeg

DIRECTIONS: Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Form into small balls and place on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Place in the freezer for 10-15 minutes to set.