That's right. You should be good and plenty scared;  for many of you, this is the beginning of the end!  I know I sound like a bit of an alarmist, but I want to shake you from your state of denial and put the truth into words that I hope will catch you just in the nick of time. The season of madness is about to begin, and you must equip yourself to deal with the food frenzy and other excesses that come along with it. 

The season begins with little goblins and their Threats to play Tricks on those who refuse them Treats. While this tradition might be harmless fun for the goblins, it is a very tricky time for their victims! Their Treats are only a letter "h" away from the Threat they are to your sanity, and you need to avoid the Threats. Somehow, we approach October 31 with the idea that this is the single time of year in which we can eat candy and chocolate openly, rather than in the privacy of the recesses of our closets.  And, of course, you know that a couple of threats, whoops, I mean treats, can't really hurt, right? I'll even go so far as to suggest that you've already purchased your threat of choice and have it well concealed among the winter coats and sweaters, knowing full well when you will open it and sample  just one in anticipation of the big binge! Are secretly hoping that it will rain and the goblins will stay home, leaving more for you? Perhaps you will end up with bowls full of holiday candy. No? This is not you? Okay, perhaps you're even worse.  Perhaps your plan is even more diabolical, involving many locations throughout the house for stashing and plans for lights out at 7 p.m.?  You might snicker at my accusations, but that just tells me that you have had candy and chocolate on the brain for a month, and this is exactly the threat I'm talking about.

All month, as you thought about Halloween, your worse case scenario had you falling off the wagon for a day or so, quickly hopping right back on, just as you always do, right?  Wrong. Let's face facts. You sugar addicts who might have been clean for months are about to go bonkers. You're about to allow yourself that one piece of chocolate you've stashed away and all that will come of it is a mind buzzing with thoughts of sweetness that mightthat not stop until it is appeased.  You know this drill; it has happened over and over, and always it begins with something as benign as a simple piece of chocolate.  What happens after an entire pillowcase of it?  As if you don't know.  I certainly do, but that is for another day.  

The point is that once you get started-even if you think you are going to be able to handle it-chances are you won't.   So think about the fact that you merely have to stay on top beginning with this Halloween. Keep away from the obscene displays of candy that retailers hope to push on the public. Why not think about it and refuse to poison yourselves, your children and your neighbors' children!  If it were just this month, it would be bad enough, but it's every month from now until Easter! The toxins are just packaged differently! 

Take a moment to understand that this is the beginning of the holiday mentality and a perfect time to try out some strategies. In a matter of days, if not already, you will be faced with the dilemma of what to do before, during and after Halloween.  So, here are a few tips to get you started:

When do you buy the candy? Late on the morning of Halloween! 

What kind of candy do you buy?  Something you don't like! 

How much should you buy? Just enough to get you through about two hours of busy trick or treating, and not enough for any leftovers! 

What do you do with the leftovers if there are any? Throw them away immediately!  Unwrap them and poor water or some kind of poison over them so you won't be tempted to pull them out of the garbage!

Should you give them to your skinny friends?  No! Nor you should not take them to work!  It's not fair to do that to people who might be trying to stay away from candy themselves. Just throw it out!

Is it okay to just have a little sample?  Absolutely not!  I'm not being inflexible; it's just that most sugar lovers cannot handle just one. One will always lead to thinking about two and then three. Before the day is out, we'll be hiding pieces in our pockets or behind the wastepaper basket in the bathroom, and the whole cycle will have started agai. Don't do it!

As I said above, if you're not careful, you might talk yourself into thinking that you deserve to have fun and do what everyone else is doing.  Know that they are also wishing things were different.  If they're eating, they're feeling guilty-trust me. If they're not eating, they're feeling deprived-trust me. But I guarantee that they are all wishing this holiday would just go away!  Don't let it get the better of you.  Don't participate if you can help it.  If you plan to attend a Halloween party, find your fun in dressing up in a costume. If you think you'll cave in, go with the mummy costume and make sure you wrap your mouth shut, leaving only enough room for a straw! 

Seriously, this is a dangerous time of year. Practice safe holidays! Use the protective tips above to start building your holiday mindset so you'll be in shape for Thanksgiving and Christmas!  Not to rush things, but begin thinking about how much you are going to enjoy Thanksgiving if you pack on five pounds in October after having had a clean start to the fall season. That's no way to go into November; it will leave you unmotivated and depressed. If for no other reason, do without on Halloween in anticipation of the far more enjoyable food that will be offered next month!

We are going to take these holidays one at a time, so get a hold on this, the easy one. Trick that Threat and toss it back into yesterday where it belongs.

Just Lose It!