Thanks to our terrific Lahey Clinic online community and our friends at Weight Watchers for helping to develop this spooktacular list. Here’s to a successful Halloween 2011!

#1. Resist the Sales : A 5-pound bag of candy on sale is still a 5-pound bag of candy. Ask yourself if you really need that much.

#2. Buy Candy Late: The longer you wait to buy the candy, the better. And, try don’t open the bags of candy until the first trick-or-treater arrives.

#3. Buy Candy you Don’t Like or Have a “Candy Plan”: If you must buy candy that you and your kids love, try to give it out first so there’s less left over. And, if your favorite candy is still in the bowl at the end of the night, give it away ASAP! Consider bringing it to work and dropping it off in a different department.

#4. Have a Full Stomach: Eat a filling dinner on Halloween night. That way you’ll be less tempted to dive into the candy while you’re out trick-or-treating. Another tactic? Chew mint gum all night long. The gum should dilute your urge to eat.

#5. Freeze Leftovers: Putting your favorite left-over candy in the freezer will make it rock solid and require time (to think) before eating.

#6. Scare Away the Holiday Spirit: Remind yourself that you can buy yourself candy any time of the year. There’s no need to load up on fun-size bars on October 31st when you can enjoy them whenever your heart desires.

#7. Keep Perspective: Eating a little bit of candy on Halloween doesn’t make one overweight — it’s constant overeating that piles on the pounds. So don’t assume you can’t enjoy even a single treat, especially since deprivation is a dieting tactic that often backfires.