Halloween Candy: to cave, or not to cave?

I love Halloween. And I also can't stand it. 

Here is what I LOVE: carving jack-o-lanterns and roasting the seeds; babies crawling around in adorable fuzzy costumes; reading Halloween books with my kids; the boundless creativity in costumes for young and old; the pumpkins and bats and friendly ghosts - all the "G" rated versions of the Halloween decor make me smile. 

Here is what do not love, and this year in particular am struggling with: THE CANDY. I clearly remember, as an elementary school aged kid, hoofing it far and wide with a group of friends with our pillowcases for collecting candy. The Reese's peanut butter cups and Smarties were top of the pile and first to go; Dum-Dum lollipops and bubblegum were the last. And in between, every imaginable type of processed, conventional candy. The same stuff I won't let my kids eat. 

So here is the thing - I am very, very aware of what I will give my children to put into their growing bodies to build their bones, muscles and minds. Do I let them have treats? Absolutely - this weekend they had pumpkin cookies with chocolate chips and raisins, and they regularly enjoy things like Clif Z-bars and fruit ropes, Luna minis, and plenty of other processed yummies that don't contain artificial dyes or many artificial ingredients.

Recently, however, I have become more aware of the artificial dyes used in foods - particularly those marketed to our children - and I have not liked what I have learned. We are now trying very hard to limit our consumption of these dyes, particularly Yellow 5 and Red 40. Both of these have been found to cause behavioral changes and aggression in kids, and both of them are EVERYWHERE. (Did you ever notice that even white marshmallows have dye in them? Blue 1 is the final ingredient in the store-brand marshmallows in my pantry). 

At our first Halloween Class for Stroller Strides yesterday, there was not a single piece of candy in site and the kids had a blast. Now, these are all very young kids of course, or they wouldn't be at a Stroller Strides class. They are kids who still think that a sticker is amazing, kids who are excited about a stamp on their hand for hours afterward, kids who enjoy coloring OR chewing on mini coloring books. The oldest child attending was my own daughter, who will be 5 in just a couple weeks. 

Her age is the reason this year has been a struggle for me. She is old enough to see and want all the brightly colored candy instead of the alternatives I would have for her. The mini tubs of play-doh that were a successful substitute last year are just not cutting it anymore. The good news: We took her to a trick-or-treating event at UAA this weekend, and  discovered that she is not only old enough to want those brilliantly packaged and dyes candies, she is also old enough to understand why we pulled them out of her jack-o-lantern bucket and tossed them. (She got to keep most of the chocolate-based treats which I think made her feel better.)

Last night at the grocery store, my husband and I debated whether to buy a bag of candy to have on hand in case we get any older kids trick-or-treating at our house, kids who are past the age of stickers and play-doh. We had not planned to be home for the evening but now we will, so we did not plan ahead and stock up on any alternative treats or treasures. In the end, a bag of mini candy bars is on our counter now, staring at me. I will feel a guilty twinge when I put them in the hands of other people's kids... And the mini play-doh buckets are going to be on the top of the basket. At least the older kids will have to dig for their sugar.

Body Back - a new program for EVERY MOM.

I am SO very excited for the first formal session of Body Back to start in January. A group of five amazing women are making the journey alongside me right now through my first ever trial session so I could be absolutely certain to have everything ready for the first formal round. I have not been so in love with a fitness program since Stroller Strides. 

Let me be clear: Stroller Strides works. It is not only an effective and challenging workout but also provides so many social connections and so much support for moms with young children. Stroller Strides is the single reason that I am in better shape now than ever before in my life, it is the reason I keep having to buy new pants as the old ones just keep getting too loose. I continue to think of Stroller Strides as my first exercise love, and always will. 

Click here to visit the official Body Back website

Body Back fills another need, for moms with kids of any age - MOMS ONLY, taking care of themselves,  reclaiming or completely re-creating their bodies and recharging their spirits. It's kind of like having two mandatory Moms Night Out dates per week - you just sweat a lot more than you usually might :-)

Body Back is an eight-week program of group workouts featuring high intensity interval training, paired with the support and enthusiasm of 10 moms dedicated to making real changes in their fitness, strength, confidence and appearance. It works. 

We are only halfway through our trial session and are already seeing dramatic changes. There are plenty of online before/after photos on the official site; it is entirely different to see it happen firsthand and I will thrilled to take our own "after" photos later this month and share them. 

THE DETAILS:

Each session is limited to 10 moms. We will begin with an orientation and timed mile on January 4, and will meet every Monday and Wednesday from January 9 - February 29 from 8-9pm. 

Cost for the 8-week session (Jan 9 - Feb 29): 

• $250 for Stroller Strides moms
  
• $275 for non-Stroller Strides moms
• $200 for active military moms

This includes:

• Two group workouts per week
• Mama Wants her Body Back meal plan and food journal
• Before and After fitness assessments and measurements
  
• Online coaching and support 
  
• Workout DVDs
• Resistance band

Questions? Email BodyBackAnchorage@gmail.com

10,000 Strides Challenge, Nov-Dec 2011

CHANGE OF RULES: Non-Stroller Strides members who do not want to compete for the t-shirt DO NOT PAY the $15 registration fee. If all you want is motivation and bragging rights (the shirts, while lovely, are not very manly after all) just sign up for a team! SS mamas you can still register absolutely free and compete for the shirts. LET'S STRIDE!!!!

GOAL:  To walk 10,000 steps per day for one month.

PRIZE:  Everyone wins by ramping up their physical activity just as holiday temptations appear everywhere!  Extra bonus: Long-Sleeve thermal SS tees for the winning team!  

o   Join a team! Teams of 3 will select a team captain and team name.

o   Have a spouse, partner or other friend who is not in Stroller Strides who would like to join the challenge? Know someone who walks a lot who your really want on your team? Non-SS members are welcome to join the challenge for $15. OR join for free if not interested in winning a t-shirt as a prize - still get great bragging rights!

o   Wearing a pedometer*, you will track how many steps you take each day.

o   Team captain emails the total steps walked by the team each week to Chandra.

Think 10,000 steps sounds like a lot?  You may be surprised to learn how many steps you walk each day already.  You will wear the pedometer from the time you get up in the morning, until you go to bed at night- including Stroller Strides class! This competition is about TOTAL STEPS taken each day.

*Pedometers can be purchased at many local stores for under $20; pedometer apps for smart phones can be used for this activity as well. Please read the directions and calibrate to your stride for accuracy!

The Challenge will begin on Monday, Nov. 7th and end on Wednesday, Dec. 7.

Getting started:

• Complete a 10,000 Strides Challenge registration form and return to Chandra no later than Friday, Nov. 4th. Forms will be available in class or via email at your request.
• Select your team- if you need help finding a team, just let me know! 
• Get to know your team mates and select a team captain and team name
• Email Team Name and Team Members to chandrapoe@strollerstrides.net by Friday, Nov. 4th
• Talk with your team mates and exchange phone numbers, plan some group walks, and be prepared to encourage each other along the way!   

Get a team together or we will match you up with others who want to participate, and let's get Striding!!! 
 

Holiday Weight Maintenance Challenge 2011!!!

Goal:  To NOT gain any weight over the holiday season, from before Thanksgiving through the end of January.

Rules:

1) Give us a $50 check made out to Alaska Mighty Moms LLC

2) Weigh-in on or before November 21st

3) Weigh-out before the end of January (last weigh out has to be done by 1/31/12)

If you do not gain weight over the holiday season, we will return your uncashed $50 check. We will allow a +/-1 lb. range this year.

If you do gain weight (more than 1 lb.), we will deposit your $50 check and it will be donated to a local charity selected by the group.

This is more fun with a big group!  Please invite spouses, friends, co-workers and family - feel free to ask people to do it with you!  Our goal is to NOT DEPOSIT any of these checks at the end of January.

Fine Print: 

• Must be over 18 and not currently pregnant to participate.  
• If you become pregnant during the challenge, we will return your check. 
• Other than pregnancy, there are NO exceptions (e.g. injury, illness, laziness, forgetfulness, fractions of a pound, bloating, etc.) 
• It is your responsibility to make it to weigh-out, so plan ahead and weigh-out early.  If you forfeit weigh-out, we will cash your check.
• First and Final weigh-in must be done at the same time of day (morning or evening)
• We are allowing for a 1 lb. weight gain ONLY.  Not 1.25 or 1.5 pounds and NOT your home scale reading.
• We will keep your weight completely private, but you must weigh in/out on the official Stroller Strides scale. 
• We will be bringing the scale to every class the week of November 14-19 so you can weigh-in either before or after Stroller Strides classes.  You can also make an appointment if you would prefer to come by Chandra's house at another time.
• We will begin weigh-outs in early January.  You can check-in anytime you like during the month of January.  Once you hit your goal, we will return your check.  It's okay to weigh-out as many times as you need to during the month of January.  Please don't wait until the last day - our scale may read different than your home scale!!
• This is not a weight loss challenge, just a fun way to keep ourselves on-track over the holiday season!  No bonus points for losing weight! 

If you have any questions email Chandra at chandrapoe@strollerstrides.net or leave me a message at 1.888.605.7860