Let’s start off by setting one thing straight: while thinking about candy in terms of calories and the amount of exercise it takes to burn said amount of calories can certainly help you remain mindful about consuming sugary treats, it doesn’t mean you need to immediately drop down and pump out 20 push-ups every time you eat a piece of chocolate. After all, candy is a treat meant to be enjoyed. When eaten in moderation there’s really no need to stress over calories and how you’ll burn them off.
That said, it can certainly be a challenge to keep candy consumption to a minimum this time of year. It usually ends up that we start snacking on fun size Snickers and mini packets of M&M’s here and there, not realizing that we’ve turned candy-eating into a regular habit. Not to mention, because we’re mostly noshing on “fun-sized” treats, we tend to brush them off as inconsequential. But many have quite a few more calories than we probably realize.
“While costumes and haunted houses are scary and spooky, so are the amount of calories in some of your favorite Halloween candies,” said John Rowley, a certified personal trainer, best-selling author and ISSA Director of Wellness.
But one of the best ways to keep your health and fitness goals on track — right now and all year long —is simply to gain a better understanding of exactly how much you’re eating, and especially when you grab “just a few” fun-size candies or a “small scoop” of candy corn to snack on. When we’re not paying close attention sugar-filled calories can add up quickly.
Below, Rowley helped us outline the amount of calories you’ll find in some of the most common Halloween candies and the amount of exercise you’d need to burn them off — not to make you feel guilty about enjoying your favorite treats, but just to help you maintain a mindfulness about what you’re actually putting in your body.
